Spotify is sliding into DMs

Spotify‘s new feature completes its transformation into a social media platform. The streaming platform based in Stockholm has introduced Messages, a feature that is exactly what it sounds like: An in-app hub dedicated to DMs and other forms of interpersonal communication.

According to Business Insider, the rollout for Spotify’s messaging service began during the last week of August. Initially, Spotify is limiting access to its new feature, which will only be available in “select markets.” Users in Latin America will be the first ones to slide into the new DMs, with an expansion to the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand planned for the “coming weeks.” For now, Messages is a mobile-only feature.

Spotify’s Messages will look familiar to those who have sent DMs on other platforms. When sharing a song or podcast with a friend, users will have the choice to route their recommendation through the in-app service. In keeping with common security practices on the internet, recipients will have to manually accept incoming correspondence from people they haven’t interacted with before.

In other words, Spotify Messages would not be out of place on TikTok or Instagram. Spotify already has partnerships with those apps, so its latest update feels a bit redundant. In a post on the For the Record blog, Spotify explained that its Messages will “complement these integrations, not replace them.”

If you want to know why Spotify felt the need to introduce its own DMs, look no further than the features other platforms have added to their respective messaging services. Earlier this year, Instagram loaded up its DMs with 20 new features, transforming a classic communication format into a hub for audience engagement and revenue generation.

Could Spotify add some monetization features to its in-app conversations? On platforms like Twitch and YouTube, chat-based formats form the basis for robust revenue streams. Spotify’s communication infrastructure isn’t there yet, but Messages could provide a solid foundation for future development — and given Spotify’s focus on creator monetization, I wouldn’t be surprised if the platform’s leaders are thinking along those lines.

“Spotify users have told us they want a dedicated space within the app to share songs, podcasts, or audiobooks they’re excited about with friends and family, and an easy way to keep track of recommendations,” reads the For the Record post. “For artists, authors, and creators, easier sharing means more word-of-mouth recommendations and helps create new fans. Our goal is to give users what they want and make those moments of connection more seamless and streamlined in the Spotify app.”

There’s one more wrinkle to this story: YouTube. Spotify has fashioned itself into a challenger to Google’s video throne, but that’s a difficult mission to accomplish. YouTube’s ability to provide focused entertainment and communication has allowed it to remain on top of a crowded industry. With more social features, Spotify can show its users that they can find an all-in-one social media experience without leaving the green-tinted app. We’ll see how eagerly consumers adopt the new DMs as the feature’s global rollout continues.