Waiting for Spotify Hi-Fi? Spotify built Messages instead, because of course they did

Spotify announced its “HiFi” lossless tier in February 2021. While there have been recent signs of progress, the feature still hasn’t launched. If you’ve been holding your breath for Spotify’s lossless tier to be released finally, you’ll have to keep it in some more, as Spotify has launched a new Messages feature, because why not?

Spotify has announced that Messages will start rolling out to Spotify Free and Premium users aged 16 years and older in select markets on mobile devices. The company says it’s doing so as Spotify users have been asking for a dedicated space within the app to share songs, podcasts, and audiobooks with friends and family.

Messages is a feature of the Spotify app that allows users to share and chat about what they’re listening to with the people they care about. Users can now have one-on-one conversations, share Spotify content, and react with text and emojis. Artists and creators can also use Messages to spread the word about their tracks or podcasts to help drive discovery.

You can access Messages within Spotify by sharing a song, podcast, or audiobook with a friend or by going to your profile photo in the top left corner.

Further, Spotify will also suggest people to message based on things like whether you’ve previously shared Spotify content with them, joined Jams, Blends, or collaborative playlists together, or if you share a Family or Duo plan. Users will have the choice to accept or reject message requests from friends and family. If you hate the idea, you can block other users and opt out of Messages entirely through Settings.

Do you already use a different app to message people and share music recommendations with them? Spotify says you should continue sharing Spotify content through your favorite platforms. Messages on Spotify will complement these platforms, and not replace them. You’d still want to stick with your conventional messaging platform since Spotify Messages are encrypted, but not end-to-end encrypted, and Spotify will scan your messages for unlawful and harmful content, and moderators will also review reported content.