A few years ago the running joke was that Google would eventually add a separate messaging service into all of its apps, regardless of how little sense it made. The search giant has thankfully given up on that idea, but Spotify is here to make it live on, in a way.
The streaming giant just announced Messages, which – you guessed it – is a messaging service built right into Spotify. Why? Well, according to Spotify, users have told it that “they want a dedicated space within the app to share songs, podcasts, or audiobooks they’re excited about with friends and family, and an easy way to keep track of recommendations”.
So that’s how Messages was born. It will begin rolling out this week to both free users and Premium subscribers aged 16 and older “in select markets”, but interestingly only on mobile devices.
Spotify says “the right recommendation can spark a great conversation with those closest to you” and “Messages are a fast and convenient way to share and chat about what you’re listening to with the people you care about” but never once explains in its official press release why you couldn’t do all of that in WhatsApp or iMessage or Instagram or Facebook Messenger or Telegram.
Messages in Spotify are one-on-one only, unlike in the aforementioned apps where you can also share (and chat about) stuff in groups. You can share Spotify content and start a message with people you’ve interacted with before through Spotify. Otherwise, you’ll have to use a message request system.
When you’re listening to a song, podcast, or audiobook, you can tap the share icon, select a friend, and send it to them. Once you accept a message request, you can react with emojis, send texts, and “seamlessly share Spotify content back and forth” – you know, just like you have been able to for years on the messaging apps you’re already using for everything else.
To access Spotify’s new Messages section, go to your profile photo in the top left corner. You’ll see suggested people to message based on whether you’ve previously shared Spotify content with them, joined Jams, Blends, or collaborative playlists together, or if you share a Family or Duo plan.
You can thankfully just ignore this and continue to share content to other platforms like before – you can even opt out of Messages entirely through Settings. Messages on Spotify “are designed to complement these integrations, not replace them”, the company says.
When it comes to privacy, it’s complicated. Spotify says the conversations “are protected with industry-standard encryption” when the data is “stored and when it’s on the move”. However, “Spotify will utilize proactive detection technology to scan messages for certain unlawful and harmful content”, and its moderators will review that content.