Spotify today unveiled a new in-app messaging feature, enabling users to share and chat about their favorite music, podcasts, and audiobooks—all without leaving the platform. The feature, now rolling out in select markets on mobile devices, is available to both Free and Premium users aged 16 and above.
How It Works
Users can start a chat by tapping the share icon in the Now Playing view and selecting someone they’ve connected with via Spotify features like Family Plans, Jams, Blends, or collaborative playlists.
Shared content lands in a dedicated “Messages” inbox, accessible under the user’s profile picture. Conversations are 1-on-1, support text and emoji reactions, and are safeguarded with industry-standard encryption.
Users retain full control over their messaging experience: messages can be accepted or rejected, users can be blocked, and the messaging function can be opted out. Spotify also monitors the platform for harmful or unlawful content and allows users to report problematic messages.
Why It Matters
After pulling a messaging feature in 2017 due to lack of engagement, Spotify is giving it another shot—this time backed by its significantly larger user base, now drawing in 696 million monthly active users.
The new feature is designed to keep users engaged within the app longer and enhance social content discovery, especially as Spotify faces rising competition from platforms like Apple Music, Amazon Music, and YouTube.
