Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, on Friday (Mar 28) introduced a new feature for the communication platform that allows users to add temporary music clips to their profile updates. The new update is similar to Instagram's story update feature where users can add songs to their photos, texts, and videos for a 24 hour period.
"WhatsApp Status has always been a way to share life's moments with friends and family. Now, you can do exactly that by adding music to your Status updates," the company stated, announcing the feature.
"When creating a Status, you'll now see a music note icon at the top of your screen. Tap it, and you'll unlock a library of songs to pick from - whether it's today's top hits, something new, or the earworm that's stuck in your head."
Though WhatsApp's feature is similar to other Meta platforms, it does come with a key difference: Music shared on Status is end-to-end encrypted, meaning only friends can see the songs. WhatsApp itself cannot view the songs that users share.
WhatsApp said it has started to roll out the new feature globally and it will be available in most regions in due time.
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.
The music library consists of licensed tracks, similar to Instagram's music feature, which means certain songs may not be available. At the time, users do not have the authorisation to upload their own songs.
