We’re fascinated by the growth of messaging apps like WhatsApp, WeChat, KakaoTalk and Line, and the music industry is waking up to them too. One small stat that may speed that process is buried deep in a good roundup of the space published this weekend by The Observer newspaper, in a bit on WhatsApp’s launch of an API for other apps to tap into: “After one music streaming service in the Middle East added the WhatsApp sharing button, its was surprised to find its users sharing 50% more songs via WhatsApp than Facebook”. There are some good stats to back up that potential: WhatsApp has more than 350m monthly active users, and is installed on more than 95% of all smartphones in Spain according to industry consultancy Tyntec. The piece also claims that around 90% of the Brazilian population uses messaging apps, 75% of Russians and 50% of Brits, with under-25s the heaviest users. The article also quotes Spotify on its recent partnership with messaging app Tango: “What we’re seeing in the messaging space is an explosion in growth. I don’t think there’s been a clear winner yet,” says Spotify’s Tom Hsieh.
Tools: platforms to help you reach new audiences
Tools: Kaiber
In the year or so since its launch, AI startup Kaiber has been making waves,…