Meta and Spotify are reportedly working together to bring a new feature to Instagram, allowing users to continuously share their music from Spotify through Instagram’s Notes. This development, if launched, could further enhance the way users interact with music on social media.
Continuous Music Sharing via Instagram Notes
The new feature was first discovered by reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi, who often uncovers unreleased features during development. Paluzzi shared a screenshot on Meta’s Threads showing an option to “continuously share” music from Spotify, as opposed to manually selecting individual tracks from Instagram’s catalog. According to the screenshot, users would have the ability to stop sharing at any time.
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Building on Instagram’s Existing Music Features
This potential addition would build upon a feature launched in 2022, which allowed Instagram users to share 30-second song clips through Notes. Notes are quick status updates that appear above the Instagram inbox, and the song clips feature is available worldwide where Instagram holds music licensing rights. A partnership with Spotify could automate this sharing process, providing content to Instagram even when users are engaged with Spotify.
Drawing Inspiration from Spotify’s Social Features
The feature is reminiscent of Spotify’s current social networking functionalities. For instance, Spotify users can connect with Facebook to see what friends are streaming in a separate tab on the desktop app. Spotify has also tested a Community feature that would show real-time streams on mobile, although it hasn’t been launched yet.
Signs of a Stronger Meta-Spotify Partnership
Additional clues hint at a deeper collaboration between Meta and Spotify. Technologist Chris Messina pointed out that Instagram recently added a “SpotifyiOS.framework” component to its app, around the time of the release of version v.338.0. This integration follows Instagram’s recent music-related features, like allowing users to add songs to their profiles—a feature launched in collaboration with singer Sabrina Carpenter. Messina speculated that these developments could be Instagram’s strategy to compete with TikTok on music discovery.
A Shared Rivalry with Apple
Meta and Spotify have collaborated on music features before, such as the 2021 miniplayer on Facebook that streamed Spotify directly from the app. The companies also share a common adversary in Apple, whose App Store policies they believe unfairly restrict their ability to manage in-app payments and app distribution. Additionally, Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT) feature has impacted Meta’s ad business, while Apple Music competes directly with Spotify.
Awaiting Official Confirmation
While the discovery of this new feature has sparked excitement, it’s important to note that companies like Meta and Spotify regularly test new ideas, and not all of them make it to the public. Both Meta and Spotify have yet to comment on the potential feature.