Snapchat adds audio recommendations and song syncing

Snapchat users will soon have a handful of new tools for creating content that includes trending songs or sounds. First, the company is introducing a sound recommendation system for Lenses, its popular augmented reality (AR) filters. Users will be able to discover what sounds other people are using with the lens they have applied and add popular audio to their own photos or videos. The feature is now available to US users and is rolling out globally.

Snapchat is also adding a feature that automatically syncs uploaded photos and videos to the beat of songs when you make a montage. Users can add from four to 20 photos and videos; the feature could be useful when creating content based on trending or challenging audio. Snap has been gradually adding more tools as it tries to compete with TikTok through its short-form product Spotlight. Last fall, the company introduced Director Mode, a more advanced video editing option for creators. And to sweeten the deal, the company was offering large cash payouts to people who made popular videos at the time, though that amount of money has been cut multiple times in the past year.

Although TikTok still dominates the short-form video space, Snapchat is leaning heavily into AR filters that are now a central part of trending content across all platforms, including TikTok. In December, Snap announced new ways that lens creators could earn money through digital goods that users can buy in the app. Snap says that 250 million of its users "engage with augmented reality" on a daily basis and that 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 significant source of revenue that it needs; the company plans to announce more AR shopping efforts for brands in the coming months.