Meet Drops, the new music app bringing back the fun of sharing songs with friends

You can now use an app that shows you song clips like TikTok, letting you share specific music moments with friends.

Drops, a new music discovery app, launched on iOS and Android in the U.S. Developed by Harman, a Samsung subsidiary, the app utilizes a TikTok-like vertical scrolling format where users swipe through 10-to-30-second song clips. The objective is to recreate the social aspect of music sharing, allowing users to share specific song moments that might not be in the first few seconds. Users can interact with songs by liking, commenting, reposting, sharing, and saving them to collections. Direct sharing of songs and following other users are also features. Drops integrates with Apple Music, Qobuz, and TIDAL, enabling users to jump to the full track on their preferred streaming service. The app emphasizes original audio and visuals, avoiding generative AI, and pays rights holders while reporting plays to partners like Universal Music Group. Drops is currently invite-only.

Drops' strategy of focusing on "authentic" music discovery, devoid of generative AI, positions it as a counterpoint to the growing trend of AI-generated content in the music industry. By partnering with major labels and providing transparent royalty payments, the app aims to build trust with artists and rights holders, potentially attracting a user base weary of algorithmic saturation and AI homogenization. This approach could signal a broader market desire for curated, human-driven music experiences.

The app's integration with existing streaming services suggests a collaborative rather than competitive model, aiming to enhance rather than replace subscriptions. This model may encourage other platforms to explore similar partnerships, fostering a more interconnected music ecosystem. The invite-only U.S. launch indicates a phased rollout, allowing Harman to refine the user experience and gather feedback before wider expansion, potentially setting a precedent for how new social media applications enter saturated markets.