Music is the heartbeat of today’s digital content landscape. It's the difference between scroll-stopping content and forgettable posts that disappear into the algorithmic void.
Music appears in 90% of TikTok's most-viewed videos, according to DAC Group research. Across platforms, the pattern is unmistakable: 84% of YouTube videos, 58% of Instagram videos, and 49% of Facebook videos contain at least 10 seconds of music. A recent Deloitte Digital Media Trends report supports this, finding that 82% of Gen Z and 70% of millennials discover new music through UGC videos, further demonstrating that music clips for short-form content are essential for engagement and discovery.
We’ve written a lot about how music increases digital app stickiness for fitness, wellness, and retail brands, and how the right music strategy leads to longer session times and higher retention. It's not only intuitive but objectively evident that music has a similar role in user-generated content.
84% of users say it's important to be able to add music to social content. But here's where most UGC platforms and digital greeting card apps hit a wall: figuring out how to implement popular music in apps is a big obstacle.
The curation challenge for short-form content
Open any UGC app today, and you'll likely encounter music libraries that lack thoughtful organization. Whether it's large catalogs without clear navigation or limited selections that don't match diverse creator needs, most platforms haven't solved this fundamental music curation problem.
This either creates decision fatigue for creators who struggle to find the right track for their content or leads to repetitive feeds where similar music choices diminish the uniqueness that makes content engaging.
Poorly curated music is especially problematic for UGC platforms and digital greeting cards that serve creators across different cultural backgrounds, age groups, and demographics. A 22-year-old creating dance content needs entirely different music than a 45-year-old crafting a birthday message for their parents. Yet most apps treat music selection as a one-size-fits-all afterthought.
Organized curation beats random catalogs
Nearly 70% of users are willing to pay for premium access to licensed music clips. What they want in return is the ability to quickly discover the perfect soundtrack for their creative vision, whether that's creating content that shapes the zeitgeist or personalizing greeting cards that resonate emotionally.
In our experience, thoughtfully organized music libraries help creators find relevant tracks faster for their diverse soundtrack preferences. Providing creators with easy music discovery for their individual needs removes friction and reduces app churn.
The solution isn't bigger music catalogs. It’s a smarter organization of highly relevant, pre-cleared music content.
The Feed Clips approach: data-driven curation
We developed Feed Clips to level the playing field for new social apps.
Feed.fm’s curation team excels at extracting the best music from any licensed catalog, including the highly skilled, data-backed analysis for identifying the best music for diverse consumers. Over the past decade, Feed.fm has streamed more than 1 billion song plays for partners such as Tonal, Barry's X, the Mayo Clinic, and American Eagle Outfitters.
Drawing on this expertise, we've organized Feed Clips into five categories that make sense for creators:
Genres: Pop, hip-hop, indie, electronic, country, and everything in between. Whatever vibe you're going for, we've got it covered.
Eras: Think '90s throwback energy or today's chart-toppers. We span the 1950s through 2020s, so whether you need nostalgic classics or fresh hits, you're set.
Moods: Need something upbeat? Chill? Heart-tugging? The right emotional soundtrack is right there when you need it.
Occasions: Birthday shout-outs, game day hype, wedding moments, party vibes—we've curated collections that match real-life celebrations.
Holidays: From spooky Halloween tracks to cozy Christmas classics, seasonal content gets the music it deserves.
Delivering content creators legal, highly relevant music options at speed is Feed Clips' competitive advantage, a capability we're uniquely positioned to execute based on our track record.
Customized for creators: curated & custom clips options
Organization is just the foundation. For each pre-cleared, major-label song in the Feed Clips collections, we've hand-created curated clips ranging from 30 to 60 seconds. These clips focus on each song's most catchy and memorable parts. This eliminates guesswork for creators who want instant, professional-quality options.
We also recognize that creativity demands flexibility. That's why Feed Clips includes a custom clip feature, so you can give end users the industry-standard scissors icon and slider selection tool. With this, creators can select the right measures for the moment. They can choose up to 60 seconds from any of our pre-cleared, major-label tracks, giving them editorial control while maintaining legal compliance.
This dual approach solves the fundamental tension in UGC music: creators need both speed and creative control.
Choosing a music partner for your app
Whether you're building the next breakthrough social media app or the next great UGC platform, your music strategy will significantly impact user engagement and retention. The question isn't whether to include music (the data makes that decision obvious). The question is whether to provide your creators with the music features they want or risk losing them to another app that does.
Feed Clips is specifically designed for short-form content. By combining organized curation, flexible editing tools, and comprehensive legal clearance, we enable apps to deliver the music their users expect.
The result? Higher creator satisfaction, more engaging content, monetization opportunities, and stronger platform differentiation in an increasingly competitive market. As research has demonstrated, music drives monetization in eCards, enhances user engagement with recognizable tracks, and gives emerging platforms the tools to shape culture rather than follow it.
Ready to give your creators the music tools they deserve?
Let's explore how Feed Clips can transform your platform's creative capabilities.
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