On Friday, WhatsApp introduced a new feature that allows users to add short music clips to their Status updates, evoking nostalgia for the Myspace era. The Status feature, which is akin to Instagram Stories, enables users to share photos, videos, and text that vanish after 24 hours. When setting up a new Status, users can click on a music note icon to select from millions of available tracks, with music clips limited to 15 seconds for photos and 60 seconds for videos.
This rollout of music clips comes after Meta, WhatsApp’s parent company, implemented similar functionalities on Instagram, where users can incorporate songs into their profiles, Notes, and posts. However, WhatsApp’s feature has a significant distinction: the music shared in Status is end-to-end encrypted, ensuring that only friends can view the songs, while WhatsApp itself does not have access to the shared music.
The new feature is being gradually rolled out worldwide and will be available to more users in the coming weeks.
