Is Spotify the next big dating app? This new feature can start your next love story with a playlist

Spotify has introduced a new way for listeners to flirt. The streaming giant announced that it is rolling out Messages, a direct messaging tool that allows listeners to send songs, podcasts, and audiobooks to one another inside the app. The feature, available to users 16 and older, is meant to create “a dedicated space within Spotify to share what you love,” the company said.

At launch, Messages will be one-on-one only, with conversations limited to people you’ve already interacted with on the platform, such as through collaborative playlists, Blend mixes, or shared Family and Duo plans. Users will also need to accept a message request before a chat can begin.

According to the Spotify website, for artists, authors, and creators, it will be easier to share more word-of-mouth recommendations and help create new fans. Their goal is to give users what they want and make those moments of connection more seamless and streamlined in the Spotify app.

Here’s how Messages will work

• Start a chat: When listening to a song, podcast, or audiobook in the Now Playing view, tap the share icon, select a friend, and hit send.
  
• Eligible contacts: You can only start conversations with people you’ve already interacted with on Spotify, for example, by sharing playlists or joining a Blend. Suggested contacts will also appear in the Messages tab.
  
• Message requests: Once the recipient accepts your request, you can send text replies, react with emojis, and share Spotify content back and forth.
  
• Access: Messages are available by tapping your profile photo in the top left corner of the app.
  

“I have often observed how the language surrounding love and desire evolves with technology,” says board-certified relationship expert Allie Thiess, according to the Cosmopolitan website. “DMs have become a cultural signal, and ‘Sliding into the DMs’ carries a flirtatious weight because it feels private, fast, and intentional. It feels kinda naughty. That mix of secrecy and intimacy is why people often interpret DMs as romantic by default, even when the intent could be casual. DMs have become the modern love note, sometimes sweet, sometimes risky, always carrying more weight than the platform intended.”

The announcement immediately sparked a reaction suggesting the new feature could double as a dating app. Critics warn that adding chat could create an additional burden for Spotify. Some users worry the app is becoming cluttered with features unrelated to music. Additionally, the platform allows users to report illegal or harmful content or requests via its ‘report’ feature, and the user holds the power to accept or reject the message request.

Messages may soon generate a new category of romantic lore. A typical dating app profile reveals little more than a handful of photos and short bios, but a listening history can be an unfiltered reflection of a person’s personality and taste.