Sound on, volume up: Snapchat today launched Sounds, a new feature that lets users add music—including an exclusive preview of Justin Bieber and benny blanco's new song "Lonely"—to posts.
Initially tested in Australia and New Zealand, the function is now available globally for iOS users. Get your groove on (pre- or post-capture) based on a curated catalogue of tunes from emerging and established artists. The function is currently available only on devices running iOS.
"Music makes video creations and communication more expressive," a company blog post said. "And offers a personal way to recommend music to your closest friends." Receive a Snap with Sounds? Simply swipe up to view the album art, song title, and artist name; click the "Play This Song" link to open the track in Spotify, Apple Music, or SoundCloud.
Look for the latest from major and independent publishers and labels, including Warner Music Group, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, and BMG Music Publishing—which represent folks like Ariana Grande, Alicia Keys, Nicki Minaj, Taylor Swift, Post Malone, Billie Eilish, Justin Timberlake, Elton John, Adele, Imagine Dragons, Katy Perry, and Kendrick Lamar.
"Snapchatters will be able to create artistic Snaps with their new ballad, share them with friends, and even save the link to download the full song when it's available on their favorite streaming platform," the blog said.
To get started, ensure you're running the latest version of the app, then open the camera and tap the music note icon in the top right corner. Unlike Instagram, there is currently no option to search for a song, according to HITC; rather, you can scroll through and choose from a list of songs, which will likely grow as the feature evolves.
"Beyond music, we're also testing the ability for Snapchatters to create their own sounds and add them to Snaps," it continued, promising a global rollout "in the coming months."