Available on iOS and Android in the US, Drops brings together music, people and personal perspectives to offer a more personalised and social way of discovering new music.

"The way we discover music is evolving, but the most meaningful recommendations have always come from people we trust," said Clare Hunter, General Manager of Drops at Harman.

"Drops brings that human element to the forefront, giving people a new way to find music through the moments that make a song special and the perspectives of those who share their taste. We see an opportunity to make music discovery more personal, more social and more connected to the way people listen today, and we're excited to introduce Drops to music fans across the US," she added.

Through Drops, users can explore music recommendations shared by friends and tastemakers on the platform, creating a constantly evolving stream of songs based on personal preferences and shared interests.

Users can also save songs they discover to individual collections, creating personalised libraries of music clips they can revisit and explore beyond the moment they first encounter them. The platform aims to put people and their musical preferences at the centre of the discovery experience.

Drops is designed to complement existing music streaming services, allowing users to move seamlessly from discovering a song through a short-form clip to listening to the full track on their preferred streaming platform.

The platform is backed by a growing network of music industry players, including record labels and distributors such as Universal Music Group, Beggars Group, Symphonic Distribution, EMPIRE and UnitedMasters. Its wider ecosystem also includes music publishers, performing rights organisations (PROs) and data providers such as LyricFind, Xperi and MusicBrainz.

"So much of music discovery is built to recommend what's already popular. Drops is built to surface what's next, and UnitedMasters is built to help artists get there," said Andrew Migdail, Vice President of Distribution and Sync Operations at UnitedMasters.

"We're proud to partner with Harman to bring this opportunity to our community of independent artists driving culture forward," he added.

Jorge Brea, Founder and CEO of Symphonic Distribution, said the platform could create new opportunities for independent artists to reach listeners.

"Independent artists need more ways to be discovered through the music itself and the people who believe in it. Drops puts those personal recommendations at the centre, giving listeners a fresh way to connect with emerging artists and giving great music a chance to find its audience," he said.

Drops will also integrate with leading music streaming services, including Apple Music, Qobuz and TIDAL, allowing users to continue listening to their discoveries in full length beyond the platform.