Snapchat now lets you share what you’re listening to in real time - TechCrunch

What the report says

TechCrunch reports that Snapchat is adding a Snap Map feature called “Now Playing,” allowing users to share the music they are currently streaming with friends in real time. The rollout begins with Spotify integration: users can connect their Spotify account, control who is allowed to view their listening status, and see songs that friends are playing through Snap Map.

The feature is also tied to Spotlight, Snapchat’s short-form video feed. According to TechCrunch, users who find a track in a Spotlight video can save it to Spotify or open the song’s page on the streaming service. Snapchat says the feature does not display listening history or the last song played. Sharing stays active if the user has opened Snapchat in the previous 24 hours, pauses automatically after longer inactivity, and can also be paused manually for three hours, 24 hours or indefinitely.

Manny Adler, Snapchat’s head of music, told TechCrunch in an emailed statement that the feature is meant to add music-based expression and discovery to Snap Map. The product update comes as major social platforms continue building around music sharing: TikTok has become influential in music discovery, Instagram lets users post listening activity through Notes, and Spotify has introduced its own real-time sharing tools.

Snap Map, launched in 2017 as a way to view friends’ locations and public Snaps, now has more than 450 million monthly users, according to Snapchat figures cited by TechCrunch. The company says “Now Playing” is rolling out in regions where both Snapchat and Spotify operate, with Canada expected to follow.