Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Snapchat’s new music channels highlight artists, tracks, and live performances

By Saqib Shah December 29, 2015

planet earth snapchat snapchatdiscover — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Snapchat is once again producing original content with the launch of a series of channels dedicated to different musical genres.

The music channels, which have thus far included EDM, hip-hop, country, and R&B, respectively, can be accessed via the app’s Discovery tab, a feature devoted to content produced by third-party media providers.

In this case, however, the content is wholly original and is delivered in a year-in-review format, complete with highlights of the best tracks, artists, and recommendations for next year.

In a similar vein to Snapchat Live Stories, many of the videos and images that make up the slideshow boast exploration features. Users can swipe up to find text blurbs on a song recommendation and extra video footage, including backstage access and live performances.

snapchat music channels img 1255 — 1. Song recommendations from Snapchat’s Country music channel
2. An exclusive video message from Kelsea Ballerini
3. Backstage with Zac Brown Band

snapchat music channels img 1254 — 1. Song recommendations from Snapchat’s Country music channel
2. An exclusive video message from Kelsea Ballerini
3. Backstage with Zac Brown Band

Each genre has had a day devoted to it on the app, at present the Country music channel is on rotation in the Discovery tab. Among the highlights featured on the hip-hop channel were the Drake and Meek Mill feud, and Fetty Wap’s blockbuster year. The Country music channel also featured special holiday Snapchats recorded by various artists, such as Kelsea Ballerini and Tim McGraw.

Spotify has signed on as the exclusive sponsor for the channels, according to Ad Age. As a result, the streaming service’s ads tend to appear several times between slides. The longer articles produced for the series were penned by culture writers from the likes of Billboard and Rookie.

It is unclear at this stage whether Snapchat will continue its original broadcasts beyond the current series or expand into other fields, such as a yearly rundown of movies or gaming. Additionally, the app has not confirmed whether the move marks its return to producing original content on a regular basis following the closure of its daily Discovery channel earlier this year.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Saqib Shah is a Twitter addict and film fan with an obsessive interest in pop culture trends. In his spare time he can be…

Social Media

Bluesky barrels toward 1 million new sign-ups in a day

Social media app Bluesky has picked nearly a million new users just a day after exiting its invitation-only beta and opening to everyone.

In a post on its main rival -- X (formerly Twitter) -- Bluesky shared a chart showing a sudden boost in usage on the app, which can now be downloaded for free for iPhone and Android devices.

Computing

How to make a GIF from a YouTube video

woman sitting and using laptop

Sometimes, whether you're chatting with friends or posting on social media, words just aren't enough -- you need a GIF to fully convey your feelings. If there's a moment from a YouTube video that you want to snip into a GIF, the good news is that you don't need complex software to so it. There are now a bunch of ways to make a GIF from a YouTube video right in your browser.

If you want to use desktop software like Photoshop to make a GIF, then you'll need to download the YouTube video first before you can start making a GIF. However, if you don't want to go through that bother then there are several ways you can make a GIF right in your browser, without the need to download anything. That's ideal if you're working with a low-specced laptop or on a phone, as all the processing to make the GIF is done in the cloud rather than on your machine. With these options you can make quick and fun GIFs from YouTube videos in just a few minutes.
Use GIFs.com for great customization
Step 1: Find the YouTube video that you want to turn into a GIF (perhaps a NASA archive?) and copy its URL.

Social Media

I paid Meta to ‘verify’ me — here’s what actually happened

In the fall of 2023 I decided to do a little experiment in the height of the “blue check” hysteria. Twitter had shifted from verifying accounts based (more or less) on merit or importance and instead would let users pay for a blue checkmark. That obviously went (and still goes) badly. Meanwhile, Meta opened its own verification service earlier in the year, called Meta Verified.

Mostly aimed at “creators,” Meta Verified costs $15 a month and helps you “establish your account authenticity and help[s] your community know it’s the real us with a verified badge." It also gives you “proactive account protection” to help fight impersonation by (in part) requiring you to use two-factor authentication. You’ll also get direct account support “from a real person,” and exclusive features like stickers and stars.