The company is now getting so many submissions in a few cities that it’s expanding Live Stories to include multiple snaps for each moment.
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The feature has launched on both the NY and Los Angeles live stories, with plans of rolling out further in the near future. The feature, called Story Explorer, can be activated simply by swiping up on particular snaps, allowing users to see more from the same moment. It will roll out to other cities’ Live Stories “very soon”, Snapchat says.
Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel has repeatedly spoken of the vital role of the human editor.
The new feature could also help boost Snapchat’s business. The Financial Times reports that Snapchat is on track to generate $100 million on an annualized basis, driven by new monetization efforts such as paid photo filters for brands and users. This is because it is aimed at encouraging users to stay on the app longer, meaning there’s a longer time that they could be shown ads.
The app likes to surprise users with new features such as creative lenses, which turn selfies into animated cartoons. The infrastructure behind it is reportedly extensive – according to the LA Times, Snapchat’s invested heaily in a video-analyzing computer array dedicated exclusively to processing Story Explorer uploads. The more video content, the logic goes, the more opportunities to serve those users advertisements. Indeed, Facebook and Twitter repeatedly deal with false reports based on algorithms.
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For example, if you’re watching a Snapchat Story of a college football game and want to see a touchdown from another angle, Snapchat may prompt you to “explore” the moment, which will allow you to scroll through ten more related pictures and videos.
