Streaming round-up – April 2022

by IDOL
News
22.04.22
Every month, this section offers a summary of the latest news concerning the main streaming platforms, in particular the latest features offered by Spotify, Deezer, Twitter, TikTok...

Business News

BeReal
The social network BeReal is gaining momentum, with app downloads up 315% this year. More info on Social Media Today.

ByteDance
TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, has reportedly launched a new music streaming service in China called Qishui Yinyue. More info on Music Business Worldwide.

Deezer
The music streaming platform is going public with a valuation of €1.05 billion More info on Complete Music Update.

Itch.io
Following the announcement of Bandcamp’s acquisition by Epic Games, the gaming platform itch.io has developed a service to facilitate the distribution of independent music. More info on Happy Mag.

Merlin
Merlin has partnered with South Korean music streaming app FLO. More info on Music Business Worldwide. Incidentally, Pascal Bittard, founder and president of IDOL, is a member of the Merlin board of directors.

MuzicSwipe
The start-up MuzicSwipe helps fans discover artists using the Tinder match model. More info on MusicAlly.

Plern
In Thailand, the new trendy streaming service is called Plern. More info on Digital Music News.

Snapchat
The social network adds YouTube link stickers to encourage video sharing. More info on Social Media Today.

Spotify
FC Barcelona members overwhelmingly approve a 12-season sponsorship deal with Spotify. More info on Digital Music News.

Soundcloud
The platform expands its content partnership with Sirius Satellite Radio. More info on Complete Music Update.

TicketSwap
TicketSwap strengthens its international presence, with new markets in Europe and Latin America. More info on MusicAlly.

TikTok
TikTok’s partner for its SoundOn distribution platform is actually TuneCore, the platform owned by Believe. More info on Music Business Worldwide. TikTok is also partnering with GIPHY to create a new video creation tool, “TikTok Library”. More info on TechCrunch. Enfin, TikTok is the official partner of the Eurovision, and will provide live streaming including backstage shots. More info on Music Week.

Twitter
The social network has acquired OpenBack to improve the speed of instant notifications.More info on Social Media Today. Following his $2.9 million stock purchase, Elon Musk declined the invitation to sit on Twitter’s board. More info on Social Media Today. The Tesla boss, already a major shareholder, now wants to buy out the entire company and take it off the Wall Street stock exchange. More info on The Verge.

New Features

Apple Music
Apple Music launches new DJ mixes in spatial audio. More info on TechCrunch.

Deezer
Deezer has added a real-time lyrics translation tool. More info on MusicAlly.

Instagram
Instagram now allows all users to tag products in their posts. More info on The Verge. But more importantly: users can now share music via messaging. More info on MusicAlly. By the way, HypeBot offers a strategy to make music go viral with Reels.

Shopify
Shopify now offers “Linkpop”, a “link in bio” tool, with integrated e-commerce functions. More info on TechCrunch.

Snapchat
Snapchat launches “Dynamic Stories” for press agencies, to deliver news-driven content in the app. More info on Social Media Today.

Spotify
Blend playlists can now be shared by up to 10 people and artists. More info on EnGadget. The streaming platform is currently testing a way to promote popular playlists created by users. More info on TechCrunch. In beta testing, Spotify is looking to develop a Feed dedicated to discovery, based on the TikTok design. More info on EnGadget. Spotify’s “Car Thing” gets new features. More info on TechCrunch. Spotify expands live audio programs and renames the Greenroom app to Spotify Live. More info on The Verge.

Twitter
All users can now convert their account into a professional profile. More info on Social Media Today. Twitter Spaces hosts will be able to share snippets of recordings. More info on The Verge. Twitter is testing new types of interactive ads. More info on Social Media Today. Also, the “Collabs” feature could allow users to co-write tweets with brands. More info on TechCrunch.
Finally, to the users’ great relief, Twitter confirms working on an edit button. More info on Social Media Today.

YouTube
YouTube Music’s repeat button is apparently back after a year-long hiatus. More info on Android Central.

Socially responsible initiatives

Instagram
The social network has added a feature to its Reels to support fundraisings. More info on TechCrunch.

TikTok
TikTok launches a new series of cybersecurity tips to help users avoid scams as tax season approaches. More info on Social Media Today.

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