Harman has announced Drops, a fresh take on music discovery that revolves around bite-sized song previews. The app's name reflects its core concept: users listen to short snippets of tracks — lasting up to 30 seconds each — known as "drops," and can save the ones that resonate with them.
What sets each drop apart is the context surrounding the audio. Every clip comes bundled with lyrics, album artwork, officially licensed artist photos, and a caption. These drops are curated both by tastemakers and by the app's own community, with each one aiming to highlight "a standout lyric, an unforgettable hook, an unexpected beat or a moment that simply captures a feeling".
At its heart, Drops functions much like a social platform. Users can follow friends as well as strangers whose musical preferences align with their own, and others can follow them back. The app even appears to include a built-in messaging feature for sharing and discussing music.
Short clips in Drops are designed to surface emerging artists
It's worth emphasizing that Drops is focused purely on discovery rather than full playback. While you can save interesting finds to your personal collection, the app won't let you stream entire songs. Harman envisions Drops as a sidekick to your existing streaming subscriptions, not a substitute for them.
According to the official announcement, "Drops will connect with leading streaming platforms, including Apple Music, Qobuz and Tidal." Notably missing from that lineup are Spotify and YouTube Music.
On the industry side, Drops has secured partnerships with major distributors such as Universal Music Group, Beggars Group, Symphonic Distribution, EMPIRE, and UnitedMasters, alongside data partners like LyricFind, Xperi, and MusicBrainz.
The app is headed to both iOS and Android, though access is currently limited to invite holders. Those without an invitation can register for the waitlist at gotdrops.com, while invited users can visit the same site to grab the download.
"The way we discover music is evolving, but the most meaningful recommendations have always come from people we trust," explained Clare Hunter, General Manager of Drops at Harman. "Drops brings that human element to the forefront, giving people a new way to find music through the moments that make a song special and the perspectives of those who share their taste. We see an opportunity to make music discovery more personal, more social and more connected to the way people listen today, and we're excited to introduce Drops to music fans across the US."
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