San Francisco, Apr 16 (IANS): Snap, the parent company of Snapchat, has inked a deal with several music labels to broaden its Sounds library, a feature within the social app that enables users to use song clips in Snaps and Stories.

According to the company, participating labels include US-based UnitedMasters, Netherlands-based BUMA/STEMRA and SUISA Digital Licensing AG and its subsidiaries across the world and other unidentified direct-licensing music publishers, reports TechCrunch.

"We are excited to expand the Snapchat Sounds experience as we continue building new tools and developing music industry relationships globally," Ted Suh, global head of Music Partnerships at Snap, was quoted as saying.

"By offering a wider selection of music, we want to enable discovery and make it easier for Snapchatters around the world to express themselves creatively with the music they love," he added.

Moreover, the report said that emerging artists working with UnitedMasters will be eligible for grants through the Sounds Creator Fund.

Snap launched this programme last year in collaboration with DistroKit (a digital music distribution service), with the goal of awarding up to $1,00,000 per month (or $5,000 to 20 tracks per month to aspiring musicians).

This grant also provides creative support to artists in establishing "relevancy" with the audience, the report mentioned.

Meanwhile, Snap has launched a new business unit that will offer its augmented reality (AR) solutions to retailers and businesses so they can integrate them into their apps.

The new "Augmented Reality Solutions for Business" (ARES) division will enable businesses to adapt Snap's AR features for their apps and websites to attract customers and create more immersive experiences, reports The Verge.