Snapchat is rolling out a new feature in a move that could further pit the platform against TikTok. The new capability will allow users to add music to their videos.
Snap Inc., the owner of Snapchat, promises to provide a broad catalog of music to fuel the new feature. This is made possible by the company's deal with various partners in the music industry such as Warner Music Group, Universal Music Publishing Group, and Merlin, among others. When you swipe up on a video, you will be able to view the song title and artist name. You will also see a link that will let you play the song on your preferred streaming platform like Spotify.
Unlike TikTok, however, there's no option to view other videos that feature a similar soundtrack in a single destination. In addition, you won't be seeing a feed of videos with music. Snap didn't explicitly say it's taking on TikTok with the new feature, but it said that its app “reaches more people in the U.S. than Twitter and TikTok combined".
The new feature may let Snapchat bank on President Donald Trump's mounting repression on the music and video app, which is in the process of being sold to Microsoft. Snap is rolling out the new capability in New Zealand and Australia from today, with plans to bring it to English-language users this fall.
Source: The Verge