The Latest Social Media News You Can Use In February
Happy February! Happy Black History Month! And a happy birthday week to me! This week, we’re looking at Universal Music Group pulled their music library from TikTok, Instagram tests a new group conversation feature in notes, and Meta attempts to address Finsta (Fake Instagram) accounts.
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Universal Pulls Music from TikTok, Citing AI & Artist Pay Concerns
TikTok and Universal Music Group have called off negotiations. Universal, which owns the music rights to well-known musicians such as Taylor Swift, Adele, Drake, Billie Eilish, and many others, will remove all its content from the social networking app on February 1.
In an open letter to its artist and songwriting community, Universal claims to have pressured TikTok to provide "appropriate compensation for our artists and songwriters, protecting artists from the harmful effects of AI, and online safety for TikTok's users."
Music has been a key component of TikTok's popularity. As a matter of fact, "TikTok users are significantly more likely to both discover and share new music content in the app, while 75% of its users also find new artists via TikTok clips," according to Social Media Today.
Instagram Tests New Conversation Starters in Notes
We are back with another Instagram Notes update! IG Notes are short messages (maximum of 60 characters) that appear at the top of the Instagram direct message inbox. Notes disappear after 24 hours of publication and can include music snippets and tiny five-second movies.
A fresh test of Notes prompts started earlier this week, incorporating typical conversation starters to help people create group discussions via Instagram direct messaging. As mentioned a few weeks back, Notes are prevalent among youthful users.
According to Instagram, teens are ten times more likely to create a note within the app. Instagram is observing and making a concerted effort to keep these younger users on the platform, and they will continue to prioritize upgrading Notes to keep these users interested.
Catch You on the Flipside!
Instagram has added another opportunity to engage with a smaller group. "Flipside," a new private sharing option, has recently debuted, as noted by Social Media Today. Similar to a Finsta account, this feature provides an alternative profile area accessible only to you and your selected connections.
This shift underscores Instagram's dedication to encouraging more private sharing, consistent with the recent trend in social apps. As mentioned in the article, fewer users are choosing to post on their public feeds in favor of smaller, more intimate engagement circles, a trend that Instagram has identified as noteworthy.
Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram, stated on Threads, "We're not even sure we'll launch it on Instagram." On the one hand, it feels fantastic to create a clear and private place. On the other hand, it's another approach to reach a smaller audience, in addition to secondary accounts and close friends. We'll see how people react in the test and iterate accordingly."
Have a great start to the week!
