Headphones on and phone in hand, students have their favorite tracks on repeat as they complete assignments or settle down to relax. Curating playlists and discovering new tunes is an entertaining pastime for many. 

The app Bopdrop is for people who are interested in what others are listening to and want to share their own passion for music. First launched on May 27, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois, Bopdrop has gained popularity in the musical community, per Blue Label. While currently only available for iOS, it will release on Android soon. Bopdrop’s initiative allows people from varying generations and different parts of the world to connect through music, leaving behind other personal characteristics that may make it otherwise difficult to forge relationships.

“I’m meeting people from all across the world simply based on music taste and I’ve really been able to bond with them,” senior Saniyah Manaal said. 

Users can post 30–second snippets of their favorite song of the day, much like BeReal, which experienced an exponential growth in users in the last year, per Statista. Clients can see what followers are listening to or scroll through recommendations posted by fellow Bopdrop users on the “Explore” page.

“The ability to share music with your friends and see if they have the same taste as you is my favorite aspect because it’s entertaining to see what they’re listening to at that moment,” Manaal said. “It’s brought my friend group closer together because most of us have the same music taste.”

With curated feeds based on users’ favorite genres and an extensive selection of songs, Bopdrop is a tool for both music enthusiasts and those new to the scene. Fostering a relatively small community of users, with only about 2,000 downloads on launch day, according to Blue Label, one may say Bopdrop is less a social media platform and more an interactive playlist.

“I’ll get random people that comment on my posts and it’s so cool that they like the song I post or agree with what I’m saying,” senior Ren Lagasse said. 

Unlike other social media platforms, Bopdrop has been considered a relatively safe zone as users aren’t judged on other personally-identifying info or characteristics but rather judged for their song choice, according to Apptopia. 

“I don’t have a bunch of followers but I like to post music and hope someone sees it,”  Lagasse said. “I’d rate it like a good eight out of 10.” 

Bopdrop attracts users seeking new music and those who are also looking to share their favorite tunes with the masses. The current spotlight on music in app development is promoting a shared space for music lovers around the world.  

“I think it’s a good idea that people are sharing their music tastes with each other,” junior Bill Huang said. “I feel like that isn’t a big conversation topic among people.”