Meta and Instagram Working on New Social Music-Sharing Feature

Meta and Instagram are developing a new feature focused on social music sharing. This upcoming tool will allow users to share and discover music more easily, enhancing social interactions on both platforms. The feature aims to create a more immersive and connected experience for music lovers, marking a significant addition to Meta and Instagram's suite of social tools.

Meta and Spotify are exploring a deeper integration of music within Meta’s Instagram app. New reports suggest that the companies are testing a feature that would let users continuously share the music they’re listening to via Instagram’s Notes.

This potential new feature was first identified by reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi, who often uncovers unreleased features still in development. However, it's important to note that companies like Meta and Spotify frequently test new ideas, so this discovery doesn’t guarantee a public launch anytime soon.

In a screenshot shared by Paluzzi on Meta’s Threads, a new option is shown that allows users to “continuously share” their music from Spotify, rather than picking a song from Instagram’s catalog. The screenshot also notes that users can stop sharing their music at any time.

If released, this feature would expand on an update from a little over a year ago, when Instagram introduced the ability to share 30-second song clips in Notes. Notes, introduced in 2022, allow Instagram users to post status updates or quick messages above their inbox. The song clip feature in Notes has been available in all markets where Instagram has music licensing rights.

A partnership with Spotify could automate these music shares, offering Instagram content even when users are engaged with another app. This concept is similar to Spotify’s current social networking features, such as the ability to “connect with Facebook” to see what friends are listening to on its desktop app. Spotify has also tested a Community feature that would show real-time music streaming on mobile, although this has not yet been launched.

While Spotify continues to add social features, like podcast commenting and enhanced user profiles, the company recognizes that music discovery often happens on social networking platforms where users have established connections and frequently interact.

There have been other signs of a potential Meta-Spotify collaboration. Technologist Chris Messina informed TechCrunch that Instagram recently added a “SpotifyiOS.framework” component to its app, likely around the release of Instagram version v.338.0 over a month ago.

Previously, Messina highlighted a new feature that would allow Instagram users to add music to their profiles, which was officially launched last week in collaboration with singer Sabrina Carpenter. Messina speculated that Instagram might eventually integrate this feature with Spotify to compete more effectively with TikTok in music discovery.

Meta and Spotify have a history of collaborating on music features. In 2021, they partnered on a music initiative that included a miniplayer on Facebook that streamed Spotify directly within the app. Additionally, both companies share a common adversary in Apple, as they believe that Apple’s App Store monopoly hinders their ability to manage in-app payments and distribute apps independently. Apple’s app tracking transparency (ATT) feature has negatively impacted Meta’s ad business, while Apple Music remains a direct competitor to Spotify.

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Source: techcrunch‍