Bonded Bitesize – Your Midweek Roundup

TikTok Unveils New Premium Ad Offerings, Publisher Partners

Despite U.S. pressures, TikTok is advancing its ad business. At NewFronts, the world’s largest digital content marketplace, TikTok unveiled new ad options and expanded partnerships. ‘Pulse Premiere’ boosts ad relevance, with partners like Buzzfeed and NBCUniversal. It added Paramount Global and NHL to placements. ‘Pulse Custom Lineups’ tailor content, and ‘Pulse Premiere Tentpole Moments’ align with major events. Advertisers can now buy against NBCU and Paramount’s networks. TikTok aims to simplify brand reach by aligning ads with trending content.

X Launches Stories, Delivering News Summarised By Grok AI

X is now using AI chatbot Grok to power a feature that summarises the personalised trending stories in the app’s Explore section. According to a recent announcement from the X Engineering team, X’s premium subscribers will be able to read a summary of posts on X associated with each trending story featured on the For You tab in Europe. Access to xAI’s chatbot Grok is intended to be a selling point to push users to buy premium subscriptions. Grok’s differentiator from other AI chatbots like Chat GPT is its exclusive and real-time access to X data.

TikTok Sparks New Deal With Universal Music Group

After failing to renew its licensing agreement with TikTok, Universal Music Group has devised a new deal with the social media company that will provide label artists with improved pay-outs and perks. In February, Universal stated that it had decided to pull its music from TikTok because it was unwilling to pay “fair value for the music” and for “allowing the platform to be flooded with AI-generated recordings.” TikTok responded by accusing Universal of prioritising “their own greed above the interests of their artists and songwriters.” Per the new agreement, both organisations say that they will “realise new monetisation opportunities” that utilise TikTok’s “growing e-commerce capabilities,” while planning to work together to run campaigns supporting Universal’s “artists across genres and territories globally.”

Instagram Now Lets You Post A Secret Story That Viewers Can Uncover With A DM

Instagram is adding a handful of new features for Stories to give users more creative ways to share content. Most notably, Instagram is introducing a new ‘Reveal’ feature that lets you post a hidden Story for your followers to uncover by sending you a DM. While the feature could provide users with new ways of starting conversations with friends, this new tool will be especially useful for creators who want more engagement from their Stories. Instagram notes that users won’t need to approve each DM for your story to be revealed, so creators won’t have to worry about getting through thousands of DMs.

Spotify Quietly Moves Lyrics Behind A Paywall

In an attempt to push its free users to a paid subscription, Spotify has put lyrics behind a paywall. The company is quietly confirming the change – but without a direct statement by simply stating that Spotify’s features can vary over time between markets and across devices. In its most recent quarter, Spotify reached more that 600 million monthly active users, and paid subscribers were up to 236 million+, representing 15% year-on-year growth. Whether or not blocking lyrics will push more people to subscribe remains to be seen, however lyrics are easily available and free via the web and in other apps.

Instagram Is Updating Its Algorithm To Surface More Content From Smaller, Original Creators

Instagram is introducing a few new changes to its ranking systems to better highlight content from smaller, original creators across the social network. Historically, creators with large followings and accounts that share reposted content have gotten the most reach on the platform. The platform is now aiming to give all creators an equal footing in terms of reach with a set of new changes that will be implemented over the next few months. It will be introducing a ranking change that will give smaller creators more distribution, replacing reposts with original content in recommendations, adding labels to reposted content and removing content aggregators from recommendations.

Amazon, Apple, Oracle Rumoured To Be Potential TikTok Buyers If ByteDance Is Forced To Sell

Since the “sell or be banned” threat has been looming over social-media app TikTok for the past four years, TikTok has been able to embed itself further into U.S society. The app reaches 170 million Americans which is a huge audience that advertisers want to reach. Amazon has been rumoured to have its sights set on TikTok, thanks to its push into short-form video via its Inspire shopping feed. “I can see Amazon taking an interest because it’s much more willing to experiment” said Jamie MacEwan, senior research analyst at Enders Analytics. Apple has also been rumoured – with Debra Aho Williamson, chief analyst at research and advisory firm Sonata Insights, stating that “Apple sells a lot of its devices in China and as the operator of one of the world’s largest app stores, it has experience dealing with China’s tech and policy regulators. Those factors could be a plus if Apple were to make a bid for TikTok.” And finally, Ocacle has been mentioned as potential buyers because of its current link to TikTok via its partnership in Project Texas. Oracle would have intimate knowledge of TikTok’s data systems and business strategies, making it easier to dive in and start running the company,” Williamson said.

Meta Confirms Launch Of A Bonus Program For Creators On Threads

Meta’s Threads social network has surpassed 150 million monthly users and is ramping up engagement efforts with a limited-time bonus program for creators. This invite-only initiative, currently limited to the U.S., offers personalised bonus requirements. Creators must adhere to Instagram’s guidelines, with parameters including post performance and content eligibility. Notably, posts must garner at least 2,500 views and meet specific criteria to qualify for bonuses. Creators can track earnings through a professional dashboard but must reach a minimum threshold for pay-outs. This program could incentivise Instagram influencers to utilise Threads, potentially drawing followers to the platform. However, Meta has not outlined long-term monetisation plans for creators on Threads.

Snapchat Launches New AR And ML Tools For Brands And Advertisers

At the 2024 IAB NewFronts event, Snapchat unveiled new augmented reality (AR) and machine learning (ML) tools for brands and advertisers. These tools streamline the creation of AR try-on assets and enable the generation of custom Lenses using generative AI technology for branded AR ads. AR Extensions allow integration of AR Lenses into various ad formats. Snapchat reported strong revenue growth in Q1 2024, attributing it to advertising platform improvements and increased engagement with AR experiences. The company also launched the Snap Sports Network, covering unconventional sports, and expanded its partnership with Live Nation to feature exclusive concert content on a new Snap Nation Public Profile.

Pinterest Says Its AI-Powered Collages Are Now More Engaging Than Pins

In the summer of 2022, Pinterest quietly introduced Shuffles, an iOS app allowing users to create collages from web images and photos, which later integrated into Pinterest. These AI-powered collages have surged in popularity, with three times more engagement than traditional Pins. Users curate content from the web and Pinterest, incorporating personal images to express style or interests. Gen Z, comprising 70% of collage creators, drives this trend. The AI-driven design allows for precise image cutouts, enhancing curation. Pinterest’s focus on Gen Z and innovative AI contributed to a strong Q1 2024 performance, with revenue up 23% year-over-year. The company aims to further cater to its growing Gen Z user base.