WSJ says Snap was compelled to start discussions with the music companies, because its rivals' music features have been gaining popularity. Facebook, for instance, has been putting its licensing deals to good use by rolling out features for Stories -- for its main platform and for Instagram -- that encourage the use of background music. Back in 2018, it launched its TikTok competitor called Lip Sync Live. More recently, it rolled out a Stories feature that lets users slap popular birthday songs, such as Birthday by The Beatles, on e-cards meant for the platform's disappearing messages.

It might take a while before Snap can roll out musical add-ons, though. The WSJ report says the deals aren't in place and aren't even a sure thing yet, but its talks with the companies have "intensified in recent weeks."