Best daily deals

Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. Learn more.

How to listen to Spotify with friends

Get your squad together with Spotify music!
By
October 29, 2023

Spotify enables you to listen to music with others through group sessions and listening parties. With the option to connect Spotify and Discord, you can share music no matter the distance. Let’s explore how to listen to Spotify with your friends. If you’re unsure how to locate them on the platform, we’ve made a comprehensive article on how to find and follow your friends on Spotify.

QUICK ANSWER

To listen to music with your friends on Spotify, you need to be a Premium subscriber, and launch a group session. Start playing something from the Spotify mobile app, then tap the Spotify Connect button. Select Start a remote group session. Tap Invite friends, and you can share a link with up to seven people.


JUMP TO KEY SECTIONS 

What is Spotify group sessions?

With Spotify group sessions, users can listen to the same music in real-time. Everyone involved can control what plays, and leave whenever they feel like it.

It’s a really neat feature, but there are some important caveats. For one thing it’s limited to eight people, which is usually more than enough, but does put a kibosh on silent raves. More importantly, it’s limited to Spotify Premium subscribers — and only those listening from an Android or iOS device.

How to start a group session on Spotify

  • Start playing something in the Spotify mobile app.
  • Tap the Spotify connect button in the lower-left, which usually looks like a speaker sitting in front of a screen. However, if you’re already listening to something on a speaker, you may see another icon in its place (like Google Cast, pictured). If you don’t want session audio to be limited to that speaker, you’ll have to switch back to phone/tablet output.
  • Press Start a remote group session.
  • For speaker listening, make sure Multiple people can join and control this speaker is toggled on.
  • Once you’ve started a session, tap Invite friends.
  • Then, choose the invite option that you’d prefer.

How to end a Spotify group session

  • To end a Spotify group session, press the Spotify connect button again. At the bottom, you’ll see a section marked Remote group session, including icons for active listeners.
  • Tap End session, then Confirm.

What is a Spotify listening party on Discord?

Listen Along for Spotify and Discord

If you’re a Discord user and a Spotify Premium subscriber, you can host desktop listening parties with the Listen along feature. These are similar to group sessions, but hosts are in complete control, and people can talk to each other via text chat (voice chat won’t work).

There’s no limit to the number of people who can listen, but it may not work properly for secondary (non-host) listeners with Spotify Free. Discord claims that Free listeners will get an error message, but Spotify says that Premium listeners will simply hear silence while Free ones get ads.

How to start Spotify listening party on Discord

  • First, make sure you have Spotify connected to Discord and open both desktop apps.
  • On Discord, go to any channel where you can send messages — this includes private messages. In the field where you type text, you’ll see a gray plus icon.
  • Switch over to the Spotify app and start playing music.
  • Go back to your Discord app. The gray plus icon should now have a green play circle on it.
  • Click the button to open up a menu.
  • Select Invite [user or channel] to Listen to Spotify.
  • In the Listen Along Invite section, click Send Invite.