Last August, Spotify introduced an odd feature: direct messages, allowing you to share music, podcasts, and audiobooks with friends and family within the app. It seemed a little strange at the time, given that everyone already used other messaging platforms, but Spotify insisted users asked for the function.
At launch, this feature was available for both Free and Premium users, but the rollout started only in Latin America, with countries like the U.S., Canada, Brazil, and Australia planned for the weeks that followed. It is important to remember that the feature is mobile-only, so forget about using it on your desktop, and you need to be at least 16 years old to participate in these one-on-one chats.
Now, Spotify is finally expanding the feature to allow group chats. To start a group conversation, you simply head into the Messages option inside the app and select "Create group" at the top of the screen. You can invite up to 10 friends and family members to join the conversation. However, you can only add people to these group chats if you have interacted with them before, maybe through a collaborative playlist.
According to TechCrunch, messages are not end-to-end encrypted, though the company does encrypt them while they are in transit and when they are at rest on their servers.
The group chats feature is the latest update Spotify has made to its platform this year. Earlier, the company introduced "Friend Activity," which was previously limited to the desktop app but moved onto mobile devices as a new Friends tab. This feature lets you see exactly what your circle is listening to in real time, showing the song, artist, and album cover so you can tap and listen along instantly, provided your friend has not tweaked their privacy settings to hide their activity.
The company has also increased Premium subscription prices in the U.S. The Individual Plan, for example, went from $11.99 a month to $12.99 a month, while the Duo Plan jumped up to $18.99 a month, and the Family Plan now costs $21.99 a month.