Snapchat's newest update brings together Spotify and Snap Map features.

      The newly introduced Now Playing feature offers real-time music sharing along with customizable privacy settings.

      Snapchat is transforming Snap Map with a musical upgrade. The company has unveiled Now Playing, a feature that allows users to share the music they're currently listening to in real time directly on Snap Map. Initially launching with Spotify, this integration enables friends to explore each other’s favorite songs, save tracks, and access Spotify without leaving Snapchat. The feature is being rolled out in areas where both Snapchat and Spotify operate, with Canada expecting it soon.

      How Now Playing operates

      After linking a Spotify account to Snapchat, users can opt to showcase the song they are listening to on Snap Map. Friends can tap on the track to open it in Spotify, save it to their Liked Songs, or browse through Snapchat Spotlight videos that feature the same music. Songs found through Spotlight and Snapchat’s Sound Pages can also be saved directly to Spotify, creating a platform for both music sharing and discovery.

      Snap

      Snapchat also provides users with complete control over who can view their listening habits. Music can be shared with all friends on Snapchat, only with friends who already have access to the user's location on Snap Map, a selected list of custom friends, or not shared at all. Listening activity is not permanent—if Snapchat is not opened for over 24 hours, sharing pauses automatically, and users can manually pause sharing for three hours, 24 hours, or indefinitely.

      Advancing social music discovery

      This feature enhances Snap Map’s evolving function beyond mere location sharing. According to Snap, the map now has over 450 million monthly users, and Now Playing offers another avenue for friends to bond over shared interests as opposed to just locations.

      This also reflects the trend of music streaming becoming more social. Instagram allows users to showcase their Spotify activity through Notes, while TikTok has enabled users to share and save tracks from streaming platforms for a while. By integrating real-time listening directly to Snap Map, Snapchat aims to provide more personal music recommendations from friends compared to algorithm-driven suggestions. Whether it will become a key discovery tool is yet to be seen, but for Spotify users, it's an easy way to make everyday listening more shareable.

      Varun is a seasoned technology journalist and editor, bringing over eight years of experience in consumer tech media to his work.

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      What actually occurred?

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