Steve Jobs failed with Apple Ping; Spotify is giving it another try in 2025
Spotify has introduced a new in-app Messages feature, allowing users to share and discuss music, podcasts, and audiobooks directly with friends and family.
Remember Apple Ping? Steve Jobs introduced it in 2010 at an Apple music event in San Francisco as a bold experiment: a “social network for music” built into iTunes 10. It let users follow artists, see what friends were listening to, and share music directly within iTunes. Now, in 2025, Spotify is giving the idea another shot.
The company has launched a new Messages feature, providing users with a dedicated space to share and chat about music, podcasts, and audiobooks inside the app. Rolling out this week, it will be available to Free and Premium users aged 16 and older in select markets on mobile devices.
Currently, sharing a Spotify link usually means copying it or sending it via WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, or other apps. Spotify believes giving users the option to share content directly inside the app will make recommendations more seamless and social. For context, Apple Ping never caught on and was quietly discontinued within two years.
From a user’s perspective, it might only appeal to people who bond over music often. But for Spotify, it could be a new source of data to personalise recommendations. Spotify may consider who you’re sharing with and what kinds of tracks spark conversation to help refine recommendations and discoverability. So, it’s going to be important to have friends with good music taste!
How Messages work
Messages function as one-on-one chats where users can share Spotify content, respond with text, and react with emojis. To start, listeners can select the share icon from the Now Playing screen, choose a contact, and hit send. Once a message request is accepted, both users can continue the conversation with music, podcasts, or audiobooks while chatting inside the app.
Contacts will be suggested based on past interactions, including whether users have previously shared Spotify content, participated in collaborative playlists, joined Blends or Jams, or shared a Family or Duo plan. Messages can be accessed from the user’s profile photo in the top left corner.
Spotify has clarified that Messages are not meant to replace integrations with other platforms such as Instagram, WhatsApp, or TikTok. Instead, the feature is intended to complement existing sharing options by giving listeners a native space to discuss their recommendations.
Users have full control over their conversations. They can accept or decline message requests, block accounts, and opt out of the feature entirely through Settings. All conversations are encrypted both in transit and at rest. Spotify will also use proactive detection technology to scan for harmful or unlawful content, while moderators will handle reports of violations.
According to the company, this is only the beginning of its efforts to make sharing more seamless within the app. Spotify plans to expand and refine Messages further in the coming months for a wider audience globally.
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