Snapchat is becoming a “powerful distribution tool” for new music. Last week, Ed Sheeran released the first 30-seconds of his new track as an augmented reality lens on the platform, without specifying the song or his name, as an “innovative fun, and engag[ing]” promotion. When a track by Sage the Gemini was featured in a previous lens, again without revealing the artist or song, users figured it out, boosting the song’s monthly listeners on Spotify from 1.1 million in November to 5 million in December. (Mashable)
