Inside Music Curation: Music clips in social media

Why clips matter now

Short-form video has become the default language of social. That shift changes how people discover music and how apps should deliver it. In this Inside Music Curation session, The Feed.fm team unpacks how clips reshape listening, why “moments” in songs win on social, and how brands can use licensed music to power creation at scale.

From TikTok to the charts

The team revisited the early days of the TikTok music effect and how it still drives discovery today. Curator Claire explained, “Catalog tracks are finding new life with younger audiences,” pointing to viral moments like Fleetwood Mac’s "Dreams" and Kate Bush’s "Running Up That Hill."

Curator Stens added, If there was a sign of what was coming, it was Lil Nas X’s "Old Town Road." It came up through TikTok, ran under two minutes, and still holds the record as one of the longest-running number one hits.

Built for moments, not minutes

Social-first hits often succeed because they are designed for clips. “It doesn’t have to be the whole song. Maybe it’s the chorus, maybe it’s not, but it’s those little moments that help people tell their stories,” said Melissa, Senior Director of Marketing. This shift is also changing how labels release music — from sped-up edits to genre trends like Afrobeats, where shorter songs thrive in clip culture.

Curating for creators

Stens pointed out the challenge users face with current platforms: “It’s a somewhat finite list of songs… and it’s not really organized in any fashion. In other ways, it’s kind of challenging. It limits the way I want to express the video or the content.” To solve that, the team designed Feed Clips collections organized by mood, era, and genre, making it easier for creators to find the right sound instantly.

Music strategy that scales with clips

At Feed.fm, we see clips as more than snippets. They’re a strategic tool for creativity, connection, and community in today’s social-first world. 

With Feed Clips, apps and brands can access curated collections of licensed music, organized by genre, mood, and era, that make it easy for creators to find the right sound and for companies to deliver engaging experiences at scale.

Want to bring the power of clips to your app or platform?

Explore how Feed Clips makes music integration simple with pre-cleared catalogs, streaming tech, and expert curation.

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