WhatsApp Users Can Now Share Music with Their Status Updates
The parent company of WhatsApp, Meta, unveiled a new feature for the messaging app on Friday, March 28: users may now include short music snippets in their profile updates. The latest innovation is comparable to Instagram’s story update function, which allows users to temporarily add music to their images, videos, and messages.
A new feature on WhatsApp lets users submit short music snippets to their profile updates, which is bringing back some old-school internet nostalgia. WhatsApp status updates now allow users to include snippets of well-known songs; the functionality will be available worldwide and will grow “over the coming weeks,” according to parent firm Meta.
WhatsApp explained that its music library has “millions of songs to choose from,” and that users can select the exact part of a track to add to their status — handy for zoning in on specific lyrics or soundbites for participating in viral trends. The in-status music update follows Meta adding similar capabilities to Instagram, and popularized previously by similar features found on defunct platforms like AIM and MySpace.
What is the New Music Status Function on WhatsApp?
Adding background music to photographs in status updates is a new function on WhatsApp. This functions similarly to Instagram Stories, which allows users to overlay a song from a music library on top of an image. The tool allows users to express their emotions with a music, which is intended to make status updates more interesting.
How to Add Music to Your WhatsApp Status:
- Open WhatsApp and tap on the ‘Updates’ tab.
- Tap on the camera icon that reads ‘Add Status’ to add a new status.
- Select a photo from the gallery or click a new one.
- Tap the new music icon at the top to open the music library
- Choose a song and select the part of the track you want to feature.
- The song can be chosen for up to 15 seconds for a photo and up to 60 seconds for a video.
- Adjust the placement of the music sticker if needed.
- Post the status update with the selected song.
Things to Know
- The music will play automatically when someone views the Status. This feature is expected to be available on both Android and iOS versions of WhatsApp.
- The music library consists of licensed tracks, similar to Instagram’s music feature.
- Users cannot upload their own songs yet.
- Up to 15 seconds for a photo and up to 60 seconds for a video.
- The feature is rolling out gradually, so some users might not have it immediately.
