Twitter is building a standalone music application called Twitter Music which will be released at the end of March, according to a CNET report.
Twitter acquired the music discovery service We Are Hunted last year and used the service’s technology to create an application that suggests songs and artists for users based on the Twitter accounts they follow.
Users will be able to make music recommendations to friends and keep up with their friends’ music preferences through the hashtag #NowPlaying.
Twitter Music will also benefit artists. The app tracks up-and-coming artists, provides artist profiles and allows users to follow their favorite artists directly through the app.
Unlike Vine, a preexisting video sharing product that was integrated into Twitter, Twitter Music was developed internally and will carry Twitter branding.
Casey Newton, author of the CNET report, said that Twitter Music taps into a dominant and growing trend on the site. Currently seven of the top 10 most followed users on Twitter are in the music industry, with Justin Bieber leading the pack with 35.9 million followers.
“The app acknowledges the key role music has played in drawing new users to the service—particularly younger, mainstream users,” Newton said.
