Spotify launches a new function within the app with which users can send messages directly to each other. With Messages, the streaming service wants to make it easier to share music, podcasts and audio books with friends and family, without having to leave the app.
The message function will be rolled out to mobile users in selected markets from this week. Everyone aged sixteen and older can use it, both with a free and a premium account. Via the option in the ‘Now Playing’ view, listeners can easily select songs or episodes, choose a contact person and send a message. As soon as the recipient accepts a request, a one-to-one conversation is created in which text and emojis are also possible.
No competitor
Spotify emphasizes that the new service is not intended to replace platforms such as WhatsApp, Instagram or Tiktok. It must above all be a supplement, where conversations about music and audio can now take place directly in the Spotify app. The messages appear in a separate inbox screen that can be reached via the profile photo at the top left of the app.
Privacy
With regard to privacy and safety, users get a lot of control, says Spotify. They can refuse requests, disable incoming messages and block or report accounts. Messages are encrypted with standard encryption and automatically checked for harmful content, but the conversations are not encrypted end-to-end.
Old ambition
With the introduction of Messages, Spotify grabs back on an old ambition: in 2017 there was a brief message function, which was then removed again due to lack of use. Now the streaming service seems to take the step again, partly because the platform has a much larger reach worldwide with nearly 700 million active users worldwide. With this, Spotify hopes to strengthen the interaction between listeners and to stimulate the spread of content from artists and makers.