A new audio browser enables creators to discover and browse through new music and sections such as For You and Trending.

Creators can save sounds so that they can easily access them for use in their Reels.

And they can share all of the Reels that use a specific audio clip via Instagram Direct.

A spokesperson for Facebook said in an email, “Reels is still new, but we’ve already been so inspired to see what people are doing with it. We know sounds and music can be a big source of inspiration to join a trend and an opportunity to reach an audience, or even go viral, which is why we’re excited to see how people use today’s updates.”

Instagram also shared data on the top 20 songs used globally on Reels since its official debut in August:

• Virgo, JADU JADU
• ily (i love you baby) (feat. Emilee), Surf Mesa
• Cute Song, Aroob Khan
• Yes or No, Jass Manak
• Watermelon Sugar, Harry Styles
• Sunset Lover, Petit Biscuit
• WAP (feat. Megan Thee Stallion), Cardi B
• se essa vida fosse um filme, GIULIA BE
• Butterfly, Jass Manak
• Piece of Your Heart (Alok Remix), Meduza, Alok, Goodboys
• death bed (coffee for your head), Powfu, beabadoobee
• Yummy, Justin Bieber
• Hawái, Maluma
• Don’t Start Now, Dua Lipa
• Khayaal Rakhya Kar, Preetinder
• Feelings, Sumit Goswami
• Laal Bindi, Akull
• Level Up. Ciara
• Born to Shine, DILJIT DOSANJH
• Cradles, Sub Urban

The latest spot in the company’s More Together campaign, Pride Won’t Hide, will be shared on-platform.

Pride Won’t Hide was developed by Facebook Creative Experiences, and the social network called it “a 60-second, high-energy journey that spotlights Facebook groups that are creating a sense of belonging, support and fun for their members.”

New features coming to the flagship Facebook application include an animated Coming Out Day Facebook logo that will link to a custom hashtag feed for #ComingOut2020, which will surface relevant content and group recommendations, as well as new Coming Out Day-themed stickers to use in Stories and News Feed.

Long-form video destination Facebook Watch teamed up with Scout Productions on one-hour special Coming Out 2020.

It will be hosted by fashion designer Tan France and music superstar Demi Lovato, and they will be joined by LGBTQ+ activists, allies, entertainers and others from around the world, sharing stories about their coming out journeys and providing advice and messages of support.

Multi-platinum recording artist LP will perform, as well, and Coming Out 2020 can be viewed on the Facebook App page Friday, Oct 9.

Instagram teamed up with It Gets Better Project, PFLAG and the Tegan and Sara Foundation on three guides aimed at people going through their coming-out journey, as well as their friends and families:

• The @itgetsbetter guide shares actionable tips for the LGBTQ+ community on how to come out safely online and how to support those going through that journey.
• The @pflag guide offers tips for parents and guardians to support the LGBTQ+ people in their lives.
• The @teganandsarafoundation guide provides tips for LGBTQ+ young people on coming out safely and how to find supportive communities, highlighting community partners creating safe communities for LGBTQ+ youth.

The company is also using its social channels to highlight personal stories and amplify LGBTQ+ voices through the week:

• A series of stories on the social network’s Facebook and Instagram pages will focus on four people who came out in unique environments and situations.
• The Facebook App page will feature LGBTQ+ groups that are creating a sense of belonging, support and community for their members.
• Markus Thormeyer, Olympic swimmer and student at the University of British Columbia, will take to Instagram’s account on its platform to share how coming out made him a better athlete.
• All of the channels, including LGBTQ@Facebook, will link to relevant resources for the LGBTQ+ community.

Finally, Facebook encouraged the LGBTQ+ community to continue amplifying the hashtag #ShareWithPride for Coming Out Day and beyond to elevate the global conversation about LGBTQ+ stories and challenges.

Newly named chief marketing officer Alex Schultz said in a Newsroom post, “Every year on Oct, 11, the LGBTQ+ community recognizes the significance of coming out and the importance of encouraging an environment of support and acceptance. For LGBTQ+ people, coming out is more than one day or one moment: It is a lifelong journey and an everyday act of courage, especially when there isn’t a visible LGBTQ+ community around them.”

Pride Won’t Hide credits:

Facebook Creative Experiences:

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Twitter shared its plans for the vice presidential debate Wednesday night, during which incumbent Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) will go head-to-head.

The debate will be livestreamed on Twitter, free-of-charge, available at the top of many users’ timelines or through the social network’s 2020 U.S. Election Hub.

Users can request a push alert prior to the event’s 9 p.m. ET start via this tweet.

And mirroring its efforts during the first presidential candidates’ debate last month between incumbent Republican President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger and former Vice President Joe Biden, Twitter is taking the following steps to monitor and protect conversation:

• Violations of the Twitter Rules, including the new civic integrity policy, will result in human and automated review of content, including hashtags and accounts.
• Twitter continues to work closely with outside organizations, including: federal, state and local election officials; campaigns; the Commission on Presidential Debates; and other trusted partners.
• The social network will monitor Trending Topics in order to add informative context for voters.
• Twitter Moments that accurately summarize news around the debate will be added to the 2020 U.S Election Hub.
• Accurate voter registration resources will be automatically generated when people search for them.

Twitter began testing a Suggested Follows feature on its Android application.

The social network said in a tweet that when someone follows a new account, the app may surface a list of other handles that are relevant to that account.

Users can choose to follow all of the suggested accounts with a single tap or pick and choose.

Twitter said examples of how its algorithms choose Suggested Follows include presenting people who work at the same company as the account that was just followed, or high-profile accounts similar to celebrities who were just followed.

Video-calling device Portal From Facebook added Netflix and Zoom to its offerings and introduced a handful of new features.

Netflix joins Amazon Prime Video, Showtime and Sling TV on the list of videostreaming services that work with the Portal TV, and it is available in all countries where the device is sold.

A new remote that begins shipping with Portal TV devices Tuesday features one-touch buttons for Amazon Prime Video, Facebook Watch and Netflix.

Initially revealed in August, Zoom was added to Portal, and the videoconferencing application takes advantage of the devices’ high-fidelity sound and artificial-intelligence-powered Smart Camera to enable hands-free video calls.

Zoom is available on Portal Mini, Portal and Portal+ in all regions where the devices are sold.

The Story Time library welcomed new titles A Kids Book About Belonging, Grandma’s Purse and Thank You, Omu!, as well as Dr. Seuss classics The Foot Book, Hop on Pop, Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? and There’s a Wocket in my Pocket.

The “Hey Portal” voice command option can now be used to control AR effects in the device’s Photo Booth.

Finally, Hey Portal is now available in Spanish, and Portal owners can specify English, French, Italian or Spanish for on-screen text on their devices.

Facebook said in a blog post, “Whether you’re sharing a bedtime story with grandparents, catching up with friends or collaborating with co-workers, Portal helps you feel more connected to the important people in your life—and this holiday season is the perfect time to create some new memories with Portal. We’re excited to continue making the Portal experience even better, and we’ll have more to share in the months ahead.”

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers lead the National Basketball Association Finals two games to one, and James can also lead Facebook users through some of his signature dance moves thanks to an augmented reality effect the social network built in partnership with Sportsmanias.

Fans can superimpose the AR effect on their photos and videos and share them in Facebook Stories, Instagram Reels and Instagram Stories.

The effect is available on James’ Instagram profile, via the effects tab, and it will be added to his Facebook page once he shares a post using it, where fans will be able to access it via Facebook Camera.

The NBA also released an AR effect on Instagram featuring the Larry O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy.

Fans who search for or click on the #NBAFinals hashtag on Facebook will be taken to a feed featuring some of the platform’s most popular content related to the league, including posts from the league itself, teams and media outlets covering the Finals, as well as game scorecards and other community features.

Basketball-themed stickers are also available on Facebook for fans to post in their Stories or on News Feed.

TikTok feels good about the results of a U.S. study it commissioned from Nielsen, which found that TikTok makes TikTok users feel good.

The goal of the study was to uncover insights about the value of authenticity in community and marketing in order to inform brands on how to shift their storytelling and meaningfully engage new audiences.

TikTok head of U.S. business marketing Sofia Hernandez said in a blog post, “Being real is the new cultural currency, as today’s influence comes from the authentic ideas and imagination of everyday people. This opens up a new opportunity for brands to take a more meaningful approach to marketing by truly connecting with our community. Trends on TikTok create moments and movements that extend off the platform and become part of our daily lives, and this type of engagement and relevance are what brands continue to strive for.”

The video creation platform broke out Nielsen’s findings into three categories.

The power of community

TikTok wrote, “People don’t have to be perfect, and that’s perfect. Everyone belongs to the TikTok community and is accepted. You are not only accepted but celebrated for being yourself by your viewers and fellow creators.”

Nielsen’s findings included:

• 60% of TikTok users said they felt a sense of community while on TikTok.
• TikTok users feel energized, motivated, confident and entertained when spending time on TikTok.
• Three-quarters of respondents said TikTok is a place where people can express themselves openly.

Authenticity and positivity in marketing

TikTok wrote, “Brands are embracing the creative and authentic spirit of TikTok and giving users a new way to discover and engage with the products they love. In the study, TikTok was the only app where ‘to lift my spirits’ was a top reason for using it.”

Nielsen’s findings included:

• Nearly three-quarters of TikTok users who felt positive said that they felt inspired, confident and entertained while using TikTok.
• 61% of TikTok users feel that advertising on the platform is unique compared with other top social and video platforms.
• Users associated advertising on TikTok with being more authentic, fun, genuine, honest, real and trustworthy compared with other channels.
• 43% of heavy TikTok users feel that ads on the platform blend in with organic content.

Discovery and connection

TikTok wrote, “TikTok is a dynamic platform and allows for constant discovery. This allows for brands to be relevant and discovered in the same. TikTok is an open platform where anyone and any brand can be discovered.”

Nielsen’s findings included:

• TikTok users enjoy the discovery of new and relatable content.
• More than one-half of users are engaged in activities like saving sound clips and searching through hashtags, and 79% mentioned that they take the time to read the comments on videos.
• 88% of TikTok users discover new content that they enjoy while using the app, and about one-half discover new products through ads posted by products or brands.

TikTok wrote in its blog post, “When we introduced the TikTok for Business platform, bringing authentic, creative storytelling back into marketing was our guiding light. We’ve seen our community inspire trends and start movements by showing up as their true selves—telling stories of joy, humor, courage and honesty. This opportunity to spark joy by being your authentic self is not isolated to creators: Brands are recognizing the value of realness, as well.”

Halloween gatherings and trick-or-treating may be limited by Covid-19, but that’s not stopping Messenger From Facebook from offering its users some virtual fun.

Each week during the month of October, users can visit a different room in Dr. Madhaus’ Halloween Mansion via animated 360-degree backgrounds and augmented reality effects in the application’s camera, video calls and Messenger Rooms.

Messenger wrote in a blog post, “Whether you decide to become the headless waiter in the ballroom or prefer to hang out in the laboratory with mad scientists, you’ll be able to virtually celebrate Halloween with any of your friends and family without worrying about finding a costume, doing your own makeup or even decorating your home.”

A new Halloween sticker pack is also available.

Finally, Messenger teamed up with Universal Pictures and Crash McCreery—character and creature designer from films including Batman Returns, Edward ScissorHands, Jurassic Park and Pirates of the Caribbean—on more 360 backgrounds and AR filters enabling people to “dress up” as Bride of Frankenstein, Creature From the Black Lagoon or Frankenstein.

Users can access these Halloween features by starting a video call, creating a Room or taking a photo using the Messenger camera, and then tapping the features at the bottom of the screen.

Enterprise platform Workplace From Facebook is teaming up with global professional services network Deloitte to study ways for employees to continue to connect, share ideas and collaborate as Covid-19 keeps them out of the office.

Facebook global director, Workplace ecosystem and partnerships Ernesto Tey said in a blog post, “Millions of employees may be preparing to go back to work, but others will continue to work from home for the foreseeable future. This mixed workforce makes getting work done while maintaining a team culture difficult. But, as the working world has found over the past three months, the right technology can close the gaps that Covid-19 creates and make teams feel connected even when they’re apart.”

Deloitte will establish a new, dedicated Workplace practice within its Future of Work group, and its current team of 10 includes experts in employee experience transformation, configuration, technology integration, content, risk and cybersecurity.

That team will help clients explore how they can use Workplace From Facebook to connect their organization, revamp their tech stacks, collaborate with third parties and become more remote-friendly.

Deloitte partner Giles Warner said in the blog post, “Deloitte’s and Facebook’s alliance will create new opportunities for employees to connect and share ideas, boosting productivity for organizations and interaction between teams. At a time when many desk-based employees are working from home, it’s vital that businesses are able to deliver new platforms to allow people to engage with their colleagues. Workplace has seen some incredible growth, and we’re looking forward to working closely with them to bring new opportunities to organizations looking to boost productivity and collaboration.”

Workplace From Facebook vice president Julien Codorniou added, “Companies are now laser-focused on serving both their employees and customers. As a result, we’re seeing an increase in demand for easy-to-use, mobile-first tools that enhance productivity, employee satisfaction and make communicating seamless. Workplace passed the 5 million paid user milestone in less than three years, and in the current environment, we’re seeing a greater increase in demand. We’re excited to work with Deloitte to serve the growing need for digital transformation and tech tools that make everyone’s working lives easier.”

TikTok explained how it works with third-party researchers, often referred to as “white hat hackers,” to help find potential vulnerabilities on its platform.

Suhana Hyder and Ben Liu of TikTok’s global security team explained in a blog post that the company actively encourages efforts by these third-party researchers as part of its security strategy, adding, “When a security researcher spots a gap in our security and alerts us, we can fix it before it is exploited by a malicious actor.”

Policies and procedures for third parties who discover potential vulnerabilities within the TikTok platform and a means to report them can be found here, and the company may reach out for additional information.

Hyder and Liu said TikTok plans to expand its collaboration with third-party researchers in the coming weeks.