INSTAGRAM users can pin their favorite music to their profiles as the app adds yet another surprise feature.
The popular photo-sharing app will allow users to share a song in their bio, as shown in a promotional screenshot released today.
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The feature is reminiscent of one of the earliest social media platforms, Myspace, which allowed users to build a curated profile that expressed their interests.
Instagram appears to be taking a step in this direction by continually adding features to boost personalization.
Unlike Myspace, however, music won’t autoplay – meaning viewers can play and pause it at will.
Adding music is easy. Under the “Edit profile” page, users can search through Instagram‘s library of licensed music and select a song.
The app will automatically select a 30-second clip, but users can move the sliders to choose a different part of the song.
Hit “Done,” and the song will appear on your profile, where it will remain until you choose to remove it or swap it out for another.
Tech enthuasists will recall how Instagram began testing the feature two years ago.
Leakers dug into the app’s code and found an option to “Add a song to your profile.”
While the news wasn’t met with significant fanfare at the time, Meta has continued to experiment with ways to integrate music into the app.
Several new features have sprung up in the past year alone, including an option to add music to Notes and posts themselves.
In June 2023, Instagram unveiled the option to attach songs to Notes, the 60-character-long thought bubbles pinned to top of the Messages tab.
Users can select a brief clip that plays on repeat until vanishing after 24 hours to give friends a taste of what they’re listening to.
Just this year, Instagram started allowing users to add music to posts with static images.
Users can also add song lyrics to Reels, the app’s attempt at short-form, TikTok-styled video content.
Instagram has long been regarded as a powerful marketing tool, and lately it has embraced the spirit of collaboration.
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During the 2024 Paris Olympics, users could temporarily change Notes bubbles to a yellow (or “gold”) shade with special keywords or emojis.
With the rollout of the newest feature, Instagram has opted to collaborate with pop singer Sabrina Carpenter to promote her upcoming music.
Carpenter’s profile now features a teaser of a new song, “Taste,” ahead of her album’s August 23 album release.
Using certain words like “Sabrina” or a coffee cup emoji will turn Notes messages baby blue.
The platform also released a custom chat theme designed to mirror the album cover.
These elements come just weeks after Carpenter’s label, Universal Music Group, announced an expanded Meta licensing deal.
Instagram: a brief history
The platform has undergone significant changes in the decade-plus since its founding. Here’s a rundown:
Founding (2010-2011): Instagram was created by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger. Initially launched in October 2010 as a photo-sharing app, it allowed users to apply filters to their photos and share them on social media.
Rapid Growth (2011-2012): Instagram gained popularity quickly, reaching 1 million users within just two months. By early 2012, it had 27 million users.
Acquisition by Facebook (2012): In April 2012, Facebook acquired Instagram for approximately $1 billion. At the time, Instagram had around 30 million users.
New Features and Expansion (2013-2015): Instagram introduced features like video sharing and direct messaging in 2013. It also launched its Explore tab in 2015 to help users discover fresh content.
Introduction of Stories (2016): In August 2016, Instagram launched Stories, a feature allowing users to post photos and videos that disappear after 24 hours. Many insiders saw this as a move to compete with Snapchat
Shopping and IGTV (2017-2018): Instagram introduced shopping features, allowing businesses to tag products in posts. In 2018, it launched IGTV, a platform for longer-form video content.
Reels and Further Evolution (2019-2021): In 2020, Instagram launched Reels, a short-form video feature analogous to TikTok. The platform continued to experiment with its algorithm among other changes.
Recent Developments (2022-Present): Instagram has focused on enhancing its video and shopping features, introducing new tools for creators, and exploring AI-driven content curation. It has also been navigating shifts in user preferences and competition from other social media platforms.
