Meet Drops, the new music app bringing back the fun of sharing songs with friends

A new music discovery app called Drops has hit the market, aiming to bring back the joy of sharing songs with friends. Developed by Harman, a subsidiary of Samsung, Drops offers a unique take on music discovery by allowing users to scroll through short clips of songs, accompanied by lyrics, album artwork, artist photos, and captions. The app, available on both iOS and Android in the U.S., is designed to feel like a return to the way people used to discover new music before algorithms took over.

Drops aims to recreate the social aspect of sharing music with friends, reminiscent of the days when people discovered new songs through friends, blogs, or online communities. Users can send songs to friends, highlighting specific moments they think others will enjoy, such as catchy hooks or memorable lyrics. The app's tabs include "For You," "New," "Showcase," and "Following," along with relevant hashtags.

Users can like, comment, repost, share, and save tracks to personal collections called Droplists, and even send songs directly to other users via direct messages.

To access the full version of a song, Drops integrates with major streaming services like Apple Music, Qobuz, and TIDAL, allowing users to seamlessly transition from the 10-to-30-second clips to the complete track. Unlike some competitors, Drops does not utilize generative AI for audio or visuals, ensuring that songs appear as they were originally released, using official artwork and licensed artist photography.

This adherence to original content is likely to appeal to users wary of the increasing prevalence of AI-generated music.

Moreover, Drops operates transparently with rights holders, paying royalties and reporting plays to partners such as Universal Music Group, Beggars Group, Empire, Symphonic Distribution, and UnitedMasters. These partnerships ensure that plays on Drops count toward streams on the respective services, meaning the app is focused on enhancing the music listening experience rather than replacing existing subscriptions. Currently, Drops is invite-only, with U.S. users able to join a waitlist to gain access to the app.