Snapchat recently hosted its Snap Partner Summit 2023. With a series of reveals and news items coming out of the event, Snapchat revealed that its Snapchat+ subscription service now has more than 3 million subscribers.
Snapchat+ is the platform’s premium subscription service. For $4.99 per month, subscribers are able to access early and exclusive features. Snapchat+ first launched in Canada in early 2022.
A deluge of announcements also followed during Snap Partner Summit 2023. The company also announced that it is adding a new Shared Story format named “After Dark”. Community Stories are also being brought to additional schools. The Snap app will also see the Map receive a 3D setting with new ways to pin popular places as well as extend their live location.
Snapchat also announces that 1.7 billion Bitmojis have been created using the app. In 2022, 1 billion Bitmojis were created, showing a pretty significant rise in popularity. These avatars will soon be seen in a new dimension, with new styles to boot.
For creators, Snapchat is opening its Stories revenue program. Additional creators will be able to join with more flexibility. Creators over 18 can post a Public Story, with the content being highlighted on Snap Map, elevating the discoverability. The company announced that the total time users watched creator-made Stories has doubled year-over-year.
Other pieces of news include the announcement that Snapchat is launching its My AI chatbot to all Snapchat users across the globe. With its AI rolling out, users can add My AI chatbot to group chats to get better recommendations for Snap Map, Lenses, and more. Also, custom Bitmoji features can also be used with My AI. Snapchat+ subscribers will soon be able to receive a generated Snap back from My AI.
Snapchat is leveraging its multi-year partnership with Live Nation by bringing custom AR experiences to 16 of the world’s biggest festivals including the Governors Ball in New York and Lollapalooza Paris. Additionally, AR is to be featured in some of DJ Kygo’s live shows this summer as a part of Snapchat’s partnership with the artist. Plus, Snapchat’s integration with Disguise enables users to interact with the Snapchat camera to see AR visuals interact with the on-stage production.
Finally, AR Enterprise Services (ARES) now offers AR Mirrors. This technology brings AR for shopping and entertainment to physical screens. In the future, Snapchat will show off a prototype of an AR-enabled Coca-Cola vending machine.
