Spotify is taking another deliberate step away from being just a passive streaming service, rolling out group chats that allow users to talk to one another while sharing the podcasts, playlists, and audiobooks they are listening to.
The feature, announced this week, expands on the messaging tools Spotify introduced last August and strengthens the company’s broader effort to turn listening into a more social, interactive activity.
The new group chats allow up to 10 people to communicate within the app. Users can only start a chat with people they already have a listening connection with, such as collaborators on a shared playlist, or friends they have previously joined through Spotify’s Jam or Blend features. That limitation appears designed to keep conversations anchored in shared music or audio interests, rather than opening the door to unrestricted messaging.
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Spotify’s approach suggests a careful but clear shift toward becoming a music-focused social media platform. Over the years, the company has steadily layered in social features that mirror familiar elements of social networks. Users can follow one another, see what others are listening to in real time, comment on podcasts, and collaborate on playlists. Group chats now add a conversational layer that allows those interactions to happen directly alongside listening, instead of being pushed to external apps.
The company has previously said its messaging tools are meant to complement, not replace, sharing on platforms such as WhatsApp or Instagram. Even so, each added feature increases the amount of social interaction that happens natively within Spotify, reducing the need for users to leave the app to discuss or recommend content. That shift has implications for engagement, as conversations tied to music discovery can keep users active on the platform for longer periods.
Spotify’s decision to cap group chats at 10 participants and restrict who can start them also points to a focus on intimacy and relevance rather than scale. Rather than replicating open social feeds or large group forums, the company is emphasizing smaller circles built around shared listening habits. This aligns with Spotify’s long-standing strategy of personalization, where recommendations and features are shaped by user behavior.
Security and privacy remain part of the conversation. Spotify said messages are encrypted both at rest and in transit, offering protection while data is stored and while it moves across networks. However, the chats are not protected by end-to-end encryption, meaning Spotify can access message content if required, including for moderation or legal purposes.
That distinction may matter to users accustomed to fully encrypted messaging apps.
The group chat rollout comes as competition among streaming platforms increasingly extends beyond music catalogs, which are largely similar across services. Product differentiation is now driven by user experience, discovery tools, and community features. By building social interactions directly into listening, Spotify is positioning itself not just as a distribution platform, but as a space where cultural conversations around music and audio happen in real time.
Taken together, Spotify’s expanding social toolkit signals a strategic pivot. The company is gradually transforming its app into a music-centric social environment. While it is not yet a full-fledged social network, the direction is becoming clearer that the streaming platform wants to own not just what people listen to, but how they talk about it, discover it, and connect through it.