Spotify Jam

There’s a new Spotify feature in town: Jam. So, what is it?

Spotify introduced Jam in a blog post today (September 26) and described it as “a personalized, real-time listening session for your group to tune into together,” adding, “Jam builds on some of our popular social features and combines them with our personalization technology to take real-time listening with pals to the next level.”

Head here for specifics on how to use Jam, but broadly speaking, it works like this: One user (who must have a Premium account) sets up a Jam and invites other users (Premium or not) to join it. Then, all users can add new songs to the queue, allowing people to come together and craft a shared playlist as a team. The user who created the Jam has a bit more control, though, as they’re able to decide what users are allowed into the jam, change the order of songs, and remove songs from the queue.

Spotify explains in the blog post, “There are few things more powerful than connecting over a shared love of music. So over the past few years, Spotify has unveiled a wide range of new features, including Collaborative Playlists and Blend, that make sharing the music you love easier than ever. […] Today we’re introducing Jam, a personalized, real-time listening session for your group to tune into together. Jam builds on some of our popular social features and combines them with our personalization technology to take real-time listening with pals to the next level. […] Get ready for a deeper way to connect through the artists, songs, and albums that unite you — and to discover some unexpected gems with those around you.”

Check out Spotify’s promo video about Jam above and learn more about Jam here.

Today (September 26), Spotify announced Jam, a new feature that aims to bring music listeners together, but what is it and how does it work?

Spotify lays it out in a blog post and describes Jam as “a personalized, real-time listening session for your group to tune into together,” adding, “Jam builds on some of our popular social features and combines them with our personalization technology to take real-time listening with pals to the next level.”

As for how to use the feature (which is rolling out globally today), the first step is to make sure you have an up-to-date version of the Spotify app. From there, one user (who must have a Premium account) can start a Jam, which any Spotify user (Premium or not) can join.

More specifically, Spotify explains, “To get grooving, select a playlist or song you’re feeling excited about. You’ll see a “Start a Jam” button by clicking the speaker icon at the bottom of your screen or by hitting the three dot menu within your favorite playlist or song. You can also select a device to play on, whether that’s your phone or speaker. Those in your household on your shared Wi-Fi will also be prompted to join the Jam when they open Spotify.”

Then, the user who started the jam can invite others to join in one of three ways: “Turn on Bluetooth, then tap your phones together,” “Have your friends scan the QR code on your host screen,” or “Hit ‘share’ to send the link through social, text, SMS, and more.”

Once the Jam has been set up and multiple users are in, anybody in the Jam can “add songs to the queue, see who added which song, and receive recommendations, all from their own devices.” The Jam’s host has advanced control, though, as they can “determine who’s in the Jam, change the order of the tracks, or remove a song that doesn’t fit the vibe.”

Spotify also shared a promotional video showing off the feature, so check that out above and learn more about Jam here.