Snapchat is now letting users share the music they’re listening to in real time via a new feature in Snap Map, TechCrunch has exclusively learned.
Called “Now Playing,” the feature lets users link their streaming service account (starting with Spotify) and share what they’re currently listening to via Snap Map, and see the songs their friends are enjoying.
The feature has been integrated with Spotlight videos, which are Snapchat’s TikTok-like short-form videos, too: You can save any songs you discover in a Spotlight video directly to Spotify, or visit the track’s page on the platform to do so.
Users can choose who can see their listening activity, and the feature won’t show your last-played song or listening history, though sharing will remain active as long as you have opened Snapchat within the past 24 hours. If a user is inactive for more than 24 hours, sharing will be paused automatically, and only resumed when the app has been opened again. You can also pause sharing for three hours, 24 hours, or indefinitely.
The new feature comes as social media platforms continue to embrace music discovery and sharing. TikTok, where viral trends often shape global music charts, lets users share songs from streaming services to the social network, and also save songs they come across. Instagram, meanwhile, allows users to share what they’re listening to through Notes, which are the short status updates that appear at the top of users’ DM inboxes.
Even Spotify itself has leaned into social music sharing, launching a feature that allows users to share what they’re listening to with their friends in real time.
“Music is one of the most personal ways people express themselves, and it becomes even more meaningful when it brings friends closer,” Manny Adler, Snapchat’s head of music, said in an emailed statement. “Now Playing adds a new layer of expression and discovery to Snap Map, helping Snapchatters share the soundtrack to their day and find new music through the people they already know.”
The integration adds another feature to Snap Map, which has more than 450 million monthly users. Launched in 2017, Snap Map was initially meant to be a way for users to see their friends’ locations and browse public Snaps from around the world. Over time, the feature has expanded to include local hotspots, activities, and now, music discovery.
Snapchat says the new feature is rolling out to users in regions where both Spotify and Snapchat are available, with Canada coming soon.
