US social media firm Snap and global music firm Universal Music Group (UMG) have inked a multi-year partnership to build an ambitious music catalogue on the former’s augmented reality (AR) platform.
The agreement will allow Snapchat users to access UMG’s recorded music titles via the social media giant’s Sounds as well as AR Lenses tools.
Artists such as Nicki Minaj, Billie Eilish, and others have joined the partnership between both firms.
The deal comes as Snap pushes its platform’s integration in the music industry and currently holds media partnerships with top record labels such as Sony Music Publishing, Warner Music Group, and others, as well as thousands of artists, musicians, and publishers.
“When entertainment and social media companies work together, fans are able to creatively build close-knit communities around the artists and the music they love, all while ensuring that artists are fairly compensated for the use of their music”
The partnership will also incorporate AR music via Snapchat Lens, allowing artists and other creatives to host their merchandise and other eCommerce products, as well as access bespoke playlists.
Ben Scherin, Snap Senior Vice-President of Content and Partnerships, added:
“It’s been exciting to see how quickly Snapchatters have taken to our Sounds creative tool, and in turn the immense impact it has had on the music industry as they discover and share music with their friends and the community”
The news comes after Snap launched its Sounds feature on its Snapchat app, allowing people to create their own music videos. The new feature has hosted 521 million videos and 31 billion views to date.
Snap currently has 280 million daily active users (DAUs) and 500 million monthly active users (MAUs), along with roughly five billion snaps each day, company figures reveal.
AR Firms to Build Bridges between Creatives, Companies
The news comes after companies such as Liquid Avatar Technologies Inc, Imagine AR Inc, and Oasis Digital Studios partnered with US rapper Jeezy to publish an AR version of his snowman logo as a series of five limited-edition non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
A similar partnership with McCartney Multimedia Inc revealed a series of NFT-enhanced photos of Beatles singer and songwriter John Lennon to commemorate his John’s Walls and Bridges album.
David Ripert, Co-Founder and CEO at Poplar Studio, told XR Today supporting independent creatives for their AR content was important for his firm.
Ripert, who was lauded for his AR work on Gorillaz ‘Saturnz Barz’ video, said his studio allowed partners to learn how AR technologies could bring additional success in promoting their work.
