Snap
Overview
Snapchat Sounds is the in-app music feature that allows users to add licensed tracks to their Snaps and Stories. By integrating music directly into its creative tools, Snapchat enables artists to reach audiences through short-form, visual-first content shared with friends and followers.
Market / Platform Focus
Snapchat has a large global audience, with strong engagement among younger demographics. Its Sounds feature is designed for quick, expressive sharing, making it ideal for boosting awareness of new releases through viral and organic user-generated content.
Yes — LabelGrid delivers your music to Snapchat Sounds. Distribution is included on every distribution plan, for record labels, distributors, and independent artists alike.
SNAPCHAT SOUNDS AT A GLANCE
- What it is: the Snapchat Sounds music library, where creators add your track to their snaps and short videos (UGC usage), not a streaming store.
- Typical go-live: processing time varies — verify the current timeline for Snapchat Sounds before planning a release date.
- Audio accepted: verify current Snap support.
- Territory: verify current Snap support.
- Metadata required: ISRC per track and a release-level GTIN (UPC/EAN).
- Royalties: tracked in LabelGrid’s royalty accounting with automated splits from the Basic plan up.
LABELGRID
LabelGrid Integration
LabelGrid delivers your music to Snapchat Sounds, ensuring it appears in the in-app music selection for users creating Snaps and Stories. This includes accurate metadata, high-quality audio, and rights management for monetization and protection.
Getting Started
To make your music available on Snapchat Sounds via LabelGrid, prepare your audio, artwork, and metadata according to our specifications and schedule your release as normal. Snapchat Sounds is covered by standard LabelGrid distribution, so there is nothing extra to pick. We handle ingestion, verification, and rights delivery.
LabelGrid provides the tools you need beyond distribution: catalog management for your metadata and releases, royalty accounting with automated artist statements from the Basic plan up, and promotion tools including smart links and pre-saves.
Snapchat Sounds delivery specifications
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Audio formats accepted | Verify current Snap support |
| Artwork requirements | Verify current Snap support |
| Metadata required | ISRC per track, release-level GTIN (UPC/EAN) |
| Territory / availability | Verify current Snap support |
| Usage model | Snapchat Sounds library — creators add your track to snaps and short videos (UGC usage); royalties tracked in LabelGrid accounting with automated splits from the Basic plan up |
| Typical go-live after submission | Verify current Snap support |
| Delivery method | Delivered by LabelGrid |
Requirements can change — confirm current details with Snap.
How long until my music is live on Snapchat Sounds?
Processing time for Snapchat Sounds varies, so verify the current timeline before you plan a release date. LabelGrid processes and reviews your release and delivers it to Snap; the time until your track appears in the Snapchat Sounds library depends on Snap’s own ingestion, which we recommend confirming for each release. Planning a specific release date? Submit well ahead and check the latest Snapchat Sounds timing.
Related: music distribution · royalty accounting · automated royalty splits · pricing · compare distributors · LabelGrid for labels · Snap help article
WHY SNAP
Artist Benefits
Distributing to Snapchat Sounds can help your music go viral as users feature it in their creative content. Each use provides exposure to engaged audiences and can drive traffic to streaming platforms.
Key Features
-
Add licensed music to Snaps and Stories
-
Global reach with strong youth audience engagement
-
Integrated into Snapchat’s creative tools
-
Supports short-form, shareable content
-
Opportunities for viral promotion and discovery
DEEP DIVE
What You Should Know About Snapchat
Snapchat Sounds
Snapchat Sounds lets users add licensed music to their Snaps and Stories. When your music is available through LabelGrid, Snapchat users can discover and share your songs through their daily social interactions.
Young, Global Audience
Snapchat reaches a young, global audience that uses music heavily in social content, making it a significant platform for music exposure among younger audiences.
Revenue Model
Snapchat pays royalties for music used in user content under its own licensing agreements with rights holders, and LabelGrid reports what Snap reports. As on other UGC platforms, the LabelGrid UGC management fee applies to this usage.
Tips for Success
- Songs with emotional hooks and mood-setting qualities work well as Snap soundtracks
- Snapchat's audience overlaps with but is distinct from TikTok — distribute to both for maximum reach
- Music used in Snaps creates organic peer-to-peer discovery as friends share content
How to Get Your Music on Snapchat
Getting your tracks into Snapchat Sounds takes a few straightforward steps through LabelGrid:
- Create your release — Upload your audio files, cover artwork, and metadata (title, artist name, genre, ISRC) through LabelGrid's release builder.
- Schedule your release — Snapchat Sounds is covered by standard LabelGrid distribution, so there is no separate platform to tick. Your release goes to Snapchat alongside Spotify, Apple Music, TikTok, and all other major platforms in a single submission.
- Submit and wait for delivery — LabelGrid handles ingestion, metadata formatting, and rights delivery to Snapchat. Delivery timing varies — verify the current Snapchat Sounds timeline.
- Track your performance — Once live, monitor how your music is being used through LabelGrid's royalty reporting. Snapchat usage data appears alongside your earnings from every other platform.
Your music stays on Snapchat Sounds as long as your release is active. You can take it down at any time through LabelGrid's catalog management tools.
Snapchat Sounds Royalties
Snapchat pays royalties for the music it licenses when users include your tracks in their Snaps and Stories. Snap does not publish its rights-holder payout rates or royalty formula; LabelGrid reports what Snap reports.
What affects your earnings:
- Number of times your track is used in Snaps and Stories
- Geographic location of users (rates vary by country)
LabelGrid reports Snapchat royalties alongside all your other platform earnings in a single dashboard. Payments are broken down by track so you can see exactly what each song earns.
Why Some Songs Aren't on Snapchat
Not every song appears in Snapchat's music library. The most common reasons:
- Not distributed to Snapchat — The release was never delivered to Snapchat in the first place.
- Still in delivery — New releases take time to appear on Snapchat after the release date, and that timing varies.
- Rights issues — Snapchat requires proper licensing and rights clearance. Tracks with unresolved rights conflicts may not appear.
- Regional availability — Some content may not be available in all countries depending on licensing agreements.
If you want your music on Snapchat, the fix is simple: distribute through LabelGrid. Snapchat Sounds is covered by our standard distribution, so you upload your release and we take it from there.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to Try LabelGrid?
Get your music on Snap and all major platforms worldwide. 7-day free trial. No charge until the trial ends.