Spotify is taking another decisive step toward making music streaming a more social, interactive experience. The company has officially launched two new social features within its mobile app that aim to bring friends closer together through real-time listening and shared music sessions. With the introduction of real-time listening activity in Messages and a smoother way to start group Jam sessions, Spotify is reinforcing its vision of turning private chats into dynamic, shared music spaces.
These updates build on Spotify Messages, a feature introduced in August last year. Since its launch, Messages has seen impressive engagement: nearly 40 million users have sent close to 340 million messages, according to Spotify. What began as a simple chat function is now evolving into a platform for live music interaction, blending conversation and listening in a way that feels more immediate and personal.
Real-Time Listening Activity in Messages
At the heart of the update is real-time listening activity, a feature designed to let users see what their friends are listening to at any given moment. When a user is actively playing music, the track appears instantly in their Messages activity. If they are not currently listening, Spotify instead shows the last song they played. This creates a subtle but powerful window into friends’ musical moments, encouraging discovery through everyday interactions.
Importantly, Spotify has emphasized user control and privacy. The feature is entirely optional and can be enabled or disabled through the app’s privacy and social settings. Listening activity is only visible to friends or family members with whom a user has already interacted via Messages. Users can turn off visibility at any time and even remove specific tracks they do not want to appear in their personalized “Made for You” lists.
Once enabled, listening activity appears both in the Messages side drawer and at the top of private chats. Tapping on a friend’s activity opens up several options: users can play the song instantly, save it, add it to their library, open the track menu, or react using one of six default emojis. Notably, users can still see others’ listening activity even if they choose not to share their own, as long as the other person has opted in.
Making Shared Listening Easier With “Request to Jam”
Alongside real-time activity, Spotify has rolled out “Request to Jam,” a feature designed to simplify shared listening. Jam allows multiple users to listen together and contribute songs to a single queue, even when they are in different locations. While Jam has existed for some time, the new integration with Messages significantly reduces friction, making it easier to start and manage group sessions.
Spotify reports that daily active usage of Jam has more than doubled year over year, highlighting growing interest in collaborative listening. With the new update, Spotify Premium subscribers can send a Jam request directly from a Messages chat using a dedicated button. The recipient can accept or decline the request, and if accepted, becomes the host of the session.
Once a Jam is active, both users can add tracks to the queue and continue messaging while the music plays. Invitations that are not accepted expire after a few minutes, keeping sessions timely and relevant. Participants can see each other’s display names and receive song recommendations based on their combined listening habits, adding an algorithmic layer to the shared experience. Users are free to join or leave a Jam at any time.
While starting a Jam is limited to Premium subscribers, free users are not excluded entirely. They can still join a Jam if they are invited by a Premium user, ensuring broader participation even without a paid subscription.
Availability and Age Restrictions
The real-time listening activity feature is beginning to roll out to all users who have access to Spotify Messages. “Request to Jam” is available to Premium members as a starting feature. Both updates are launching on iOS and Android in countries where Spotify chats are already supported, with wider availability expected no later than early February.
Because these tools are embedded within Messages, they carry an age requirement of 16 years and older. This aligns with Spotify’s broader approach to social features and user safety.
Overall, these updates signal Spotify’s commitment to social listening as a core part of its platform. By transforming private chats into live, shared music experiences, Spotify is moving beyond conversations about songs and toward moments where listening itself becomes the connection.
