Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) plans to integrate technology in its mobile apps that will recognize individual music, movies or television shows to enhance the media and entertainment category on its social network. Users can switch on the feature on their page, which will then set the status on Facebook that recognizes the song a user is listening along with a 30 second preview for friends.
Facebook targeting Twitter with this app
The social networking company is working in partnership with streaming music services Spotify, Rdio and Deezer to materialize the development, says an official blog. Upon detecting the TV series, the app will show the specific season and episode that the user is watching, and will post it in the news feed. Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) says that the new app will only identify the music and songs rather than saving the sounds in the background.
Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) wants to gain an edge over rival Twitter by becoming a default option for users to discuss television shows, sports and other entertainment in real-time. If the user is online through his mobile, then the new app will activate the microphone on a smartphone and recognizes the music, movie or television, similarly to the Shazam app.
Product manager Aryeh Selekman told TechCrunch’s Josh Constine, “On the ads front, no one is able to target these posts directly today.” Selekman added that the company has considered this and will hopefully do in the future. For instance, if a user posts that he or she is listening to a Beyonce album, then in future the user might be shown ads for the singer’s new concert tour.
Compete with Snapshot
Facebook has been focusing on new apps development recently, which is evident with the latest video chat app Slingshot in news. The new app will be similar to Snapchat, a startup that Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) failed to acquire. Users will be able to send short video messages through Slingshot. Furthermore, this new app will be a standalone app from Facebook’s popular text app Facebook Messenger.
Although Slingshot is seen as a competitor to Snapshot, there is difference between the two mobile apps. Through Snapchat users send photos, which fade away automatically after a few seconds, whereas Slingshot users can click a contact’s profile page to send a photo or short video that recipient will be able to view only once.
