Snapchat users will soon have a handful of new tools to create content using popular songs or sounds.
First, the company introduces a good recommendation system for Lenses, the popular augmented reality (AR) filters. Users can discover what sounds other people are using with the lens they’ve applied and add popular audio to their own photos or videos. The feature is now available to US users and rolling out globally.
Snapchat is also adding a feature that automatically syncs uploaded photos and videos to the beat of songs when creating a montage. Users can add four to twenty photos and videos; the feature can be useful when creating content based on trending audio or challenges.
Snap has gradually added more tools as it tries to compete with TikTok through its abbreviated Spotlight product. Last fall, the company introduced Director Mode, a more advanced video editing option for creators. And to make the deal more attractive, the company offered huge cash payouts to people making popular videos at the time, though that cash pool has been cut several times over the past year.
Snap says 250 million of its users engage with AR on a daily basis
While TikTok still dominates the shortform video space, Snapchat relies heavily on the AR filters that are now a central part of trending content across platforms, including TikTok. In December, Snap announced new ways for lens makers to monetize digital products that users can purchase in the app. Snap says 250 million of its users are “engaged in augmented reality” every day, and nearly two-thirds of user submissions to Spotlight use the platform’s editing tools or AR filters.
Snap seems hopeful that AR can be a meaningful source of revenue it needs; the company plans to announce more AR shopping efforts for brands in the coming months.
