Snapchat is adding a musical layer to Snap Map with Now Playing, a new feature that lets users display the Spotify track they are currently enjoying, discover songs through friends, and save music found across Spotlight.
TL;DR
- Now Playing shares a user’s current Spotify track through Snap Map.
- Users control who can view their listening activity and can pause sharing.
- Listening history and the previously played track will not be displayed.
- Songs discovered through friends or Spotlight can be opened or saved on Spotify.
Snapchat wants its map to show more than where friends are, it also wants to reveal the soundtrack accompanying their day.
According to an exclusive TechCrunch report, Snapchat is rolling out Now Playing, a Snap Map feature that allows users to connect their Spotify account and share the music they are listening to in real time. Friends can then view the track and use it as a new route for music discovery.
The integration is starting with Spotify, although Snapchat has not confirmed whether support for services such as Apple Music, YouTube Music, or Amazon Music will be added later.
Users retain control over who can see their listening activity. Snapchat will not show a person’s listening history or previously played song, reducing the possibility of friends reviewing a longer record of their music choices.
Sharing will remain active when the user has opened Snapchat within the previous 24 hours. If the app has not been opened for more than 24 hours, Snapchat will automatically pause music sharing until the user returns.
Snapchatters can also pause Now Playing manually for three hours, 24 hours, or indefinitely. This gives users the ability to temporarily hide their listening activity without disconnecting their Spotify account entirely.
“Music is one of the most personal ways people express themselves, and it becomes even more meaningful when it brings friends closer,” said Manny Adler, Snapchat’s Head of Music.
“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,” added Adler.
Snapchat Brings Music Discovery To Spotlight
Now Playing is not limited to Snap Map.
Snapchat has also integrated Spotify more deeply with Spotlight, its short-form video platform. Users who hear a song in a Spotlight video can save it directly to Spotify or visit the track’s page on the streaming service.
This turns Spotlight into a more direct music-discovery surface and reduces the number of steps needed to identify and save a track featured in a video.
Spotify and Snapchat have worked together before. In 2019, Spotify introduced an integration that allowed listeners to share tracks, albums, playlists, artists, and podcasts through private Snaps or Snapchat Stories. Recipients could swipe up on the Snap and open the shared content in Spotify.
The difference is that the earlier integration required users to select and share individual items. Now Playing makes the experience continuous by automatically reflecting the song being streamed, subject to the user’s privacy and activity settings.
Why Is Snapchat Adding Now Playing To Snap Map?
Snap Map has grown beyond its original purpose of helping users view friends’ locations and public Snaps.
Snap said more than 450 million people now use Snap Map each month. The company also found that friends who choose to share their locations tend to communicate more, talking for nearly one additional day every two weeks.
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The move also comes as music services and social platforms borrow more features from each other. Spotify recently expanded its own social tools with mobile listening activity and group chats for sharing music, podcasts, and audiobooks with friends.
Now Playing is rolling out in regions where Snapchat and Spotify are both available, with Canada expected to follow soon.
