Snapchat is finally bringing music to posts. The company updated its app with a new music feature called “Sounds” that allows users to add songs that will play alongside their posts. It’s available now to all of Snapchat’s iPhone users (no word yet on Android).
The update, which Snap began testing back in August, is similar to Instagram’s music feature: users can browse a selection of songs and add a clip to their snap. When another user opens a snap with music, they can swipe up to learn more about the some or open it in a streaming app.
Snap doesn’t say how big its music catalog is other than calling it “robust and curated.” It also says its licensing deals cover tracks from Warner Music Group, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, BMG Music Publishing, and others.
Overall, Snap is late to bringing music to its platform. Instagram introduced music stickers for Stories in 2019 and rolled out its direct TikTok competitor, Reels, in August. Meanwhile, TikTok has continued to gain traction with Snap’s loyal base of teen and young adult users, meaning Snap could lose its edge if these users stick to TikTok instead of checking or posting to Snapchat. Snap needed to at least bring music to its platform to keep pace with its competitors and stay relevant, even if only iOS users get access at first.
