Update (5/12/20 @ 10:25 AM ET): Spotify is now rolling out Group Sessions for Premium subscribers.
Spotify is one of the most popular music streaming services on the planet right now. They continue to add features to the platform and apps. The Android app recently got a sleep timer and now it appears a new "Social Listening" feature is in the works.
Discovered by app scooper Jane Manchun Wong, Spotify is in the early stages of testing a Social Listening feature. Users can scan a code generated from the app or visit a special link to join a shared queue. People can then add their own songs and control the music from their own devices. The UI seems pretty well-developed already.
If this sounds familiar, it's certainly not a new concept. There have been a few popular apps that have attempted similar things, but they all lacked the user base and huge library of music that Spotify can offer. Chances are your friends already have Spotify accounts, which makes this a feature people are likely to actually use.
Currently, Social Listening is in the early stages and it can only be used by Spotify employees. Wong was able to get the screenshots from code hidden in the Android app. There's no guarantee that this feature ever makes it to the big stage, though we really hope it does.
Source: Twitter
Update: Rolling Out
After first being spotted in testing nearly a year ago, Spotify is finally rolling out Group Sessions. The feature allows you and your friends to listen to music together and have access to a group queue. Everyone can add music, remove music, reorder the list, and control what's playing.
To create a Group Session, tap the "device connect" button on the music player screen. There's a new "Start a group session" section with your profile photo and a barcode. Friends can scan the code to join, or you can tap "Scan to join" someone else's group. The music will play from the speakers of the original device, but it can also be casted to speakers.
This feature is currently only for Spotify Premium subscribers. Free users can still create shared playlists to get a similar experience, but Group Sessions are more for parties and people in the same space.
Source: Spotify