A new app allows users to share their music as it’s being played.
Airbuds, an app mixing social media and music sharing, is currently (Feb. 3) sitting in seventh in the music charts. The quick sharing of songs without having to manually input songs is exciting for users, but the lack of control in what shows up is unsettling to some.
The app, which was released in 2023, is a fusion of social media and music. Once a user allows access, the app tracks all the songs listened to from Apple music and Spotify. The user interface is a simple album cover, a section for reactions for the songs, and a profile picture. The simplicity of the app allows for easy experience without overwhelming the user.
Capp Inc, the developer, claims that “It makes you feel closer to your friends through the music they’re listening to in real time, and to yourself — authentically sharing your music back to them” in its description in the app store.
While the app shows music in real time, Tate Cowperthwait, a senior from Leeds, Mass., has found some drawbacks.
“I don’t like that if you only play a song for a couple of seconds, or skip around the song, it still appears on your profile. This feature is especially unhelpful when you are trying to find a song,” he said. “I didn’t mean to play 10 different songs by the same artist who I barely listen to; I was just trying to find a song that I know they sing.”
On the other hand, he enjoys the simplicity of communication on the app through its use of emojis to react: “Sometimes it perfectly encapsulates the message you want to send to that person,” he adds. “The feeling of validation from when someone reacts to a song you’ve been playing with a fire emoji is unmatched.”
Another function of the app is comparable to Spotify’s “Spotify Wrapped.” Spotify compiles a user’s yearly listening stats and presents them in a fun slideshow for users to share and view their annual stats. This past year, according to Forbes, “This year, the vibes were off—listeners blasted Spotify for leaning too heavily on AI, with 2024’s Wrapped lacking the detailed metrics that users have come to expect.” In comparison, Airbuds’ setup revolves around its simplicity, and the expectations of high detail aren’t to the extent of Spotify’s “wrapped.”
Airbuds takes a user’s listening stats and presents them as a “daily roundup” and a “weekly recap”. Those friended on the app can view the daily stats when they select the option. The “daily roundup” shows a user’s friends what artist they have listened to the most in the past 24 hours and how many tracks from that artist they have listened to.
The “weekly recap,” which is available every Sunday, includes a list of the top five most listened to songs for the week, an “album of the week”, a list of the top three artists of the week (with the amount of listens and how many minutes spent listening), and a roundup of total minutes played, how many different artists played, how many tracks played, and some of the reaction emojis received throughout the week.
Sharing music opens a new world of listening. Quinn Toll, a freshman from Brockville, Ontario, appreciates the different ways to share music types through the app. “I like the app because I can see what other people are listening to and what they are into,” she said.
Airbuds allows a user to test their “music compatibility” with their friends. Giving a score out of 100, compatibility is calculated by comparing the songs, artists, and genres that the two users have in common.
There are plenty of different functions to choose from. Another option is “weekly awards” like “Greatest Supporter Award” and “Top Streamer Award.” There are other fun options like “Music Mascot” which gives a user an animal that’s heart rate matches the average beats per minute of the songs they listen too, or “Roast or Validate Me” which tells how niche a user’s music genres are compared to others.
The idea of always having your music shared is unnerving to some. Nina Kou, a sophomore from Shanghai, China, thinks oversharing makes users vulnerable. “I have a small amount of people because I don’t want a lot of people to know my playlist or be able to judge my music,” she said.
Nina finds having a small amount of people added brings the “closer to your friends experience” the developers were aiming for.
“I want my close group of friends to be able to talk about it while we are hanging out,” she said.
