Spotify Adds Real-Time Listening Activity to Messages

Spotify is deepening its social footprint by integrating real-time listening data into its internal messaging system. The streaming giant announced on Wednesday that users can now view what their friends are currently playing and initiate collaborative listening sessions without leaving the conversation.

This update, which expands on the Messages feature launched in August 2025, aims to capture social interactions that previously occurred on third-party platforms. By keeping these conversations within the app, Spotify looks to improve user retention and drive engagement.

How the New Social Features Work

To enable these capabilities, users must manually opt-in through their settings:

• Navigate to the Privacy & Social section in your settings.
• Toggle on the Listening Activity feature.
• Once active, your current stream will appear at the top of your private chats.

From the chat interface, friends can interact directly with your stream by tapping the activity bar to play the track, save it to their library, or respond with an emoji reaction.

Collaborative Listening via Jam Requests

Spotify is also streamlining the process of starting a “Jam,” its shared listening experience. Premium subscribers can now initiate a request by selecting the “Jam” option in the top-right corner of a chat. Upon acceptance, the recipient becomes the host, allowing both participants to contribute to a synchronized queue.

The feature is currently subject to the following conditions:

• Availability: Rolling out to iOS and Android, with a full release in supported markets expected by early February.
• Eligibility: Restricted to users aged 16 and older.
• Subscription Levels: While the Listening Activity is available to all Messages users, Free tier members can participate in a Jam if invited by a Premium subscriber.

Currently, messaging remains limited to one-on-one interactions with individuals you have previously engaged with, such as previous collaborators on playlists or Jams. While Spotify notes that messages are encrypted at rest and in transit, they do not feature end-to-end encryption.