HARMAN is going beyond hardware. The company behind JBL, Harman Kardon and Mark Levinson has launched HARMAN Drops, a free app for music discovery. Instead of algorithms alone, HARMAN Drops relies on short song clips and recommendations from people you trust.
It is now in preview in the United States, with access through an invite-only waitlist.
HARMAN Drops: discovery in 30 seconds
The app works with short clips of 10 to 30 seconds, shown with lyrics and artwork. You follow tastemakers, save the clips you like to your own profile, and share your own picks. When a song hits, you continue to the full track on Apple Music, Qobuz or TIDAL.
People you trust
“The way we discover music is evolving, but the most meaningful recommendations have always come from people we trust,” says Clare Hunter, General Manager of Drops at HARMAN. That idea is at the heart of the app, with the tagline “Find what hits. Drop by drop.”
Support from the music industry
HARMAN Drops launches with partners across the industry: Universal Music Group, Beggars, Symphonic, EMPIRE and UnitedMasters. LyricFind, Xperi and MusicBrainz are on board as technology and data partners.
Independent distributors are enthusiastic. “Drops is built to surface what’s next, and UnitedMasters is built to help artists get there,” says Andrew Migdail of UnitedMasters. Jorge Brea, founder and CEO of Symphonic Distribution, adds: “Independent artists need more ways to be discovered through the music itself and the people who believe in it.”
Why HARMAN?
For HARMAN, the app is a step from the speaker to the music itself. Streaming services are working hard on discovery too, as Qobuz showed with its real-time lyrics. HARMAN Drops does not play full tracks itself, but sends listeners to the services they already use.
Pricing and availability
HARMAN Drops is free for iOS and Android. It is currently only available in the United States, in preview, through an invite-only waitlist at gotdrops.com.
Key specifications
- Type: music discovery app
- Format: 10 – 30 second clips with lyrics and artwork
- Full playback: Apple Music, Qobuz, TIDAL
- Platforms: iOS, Android
- Partners: UMG, Beggars, Symphonic, EMPIRE, UnitedMasters
- Technology partners: LyricFind, Xperi, MusicBrainz
- Region: United States only
- Access: invite-only waitlist, preview
- Price: free
Do you discover new music through algorithms or through people you trust, and would HARMAN Drops change that?
