Spotify launches feature for group music sessions: Details here
What's the story
As the world stays under lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Spotify is working aggressively to help with the entertainment side of things. The music streaming giant recently inked a deal with Saregama to expand its library of retro songs, and now, it has launched a feature that lets you have group music sessions with friends and family. Here's all about it.
Feature
Group Session to share DJ duties
Aptly dubbed 'Group Session', the feature in question lets you share DJ duties with anyone in your immediate vicinity. This means you can share music playback controls with anyone around, giving them the ability to play, pause, skip tracks in the queue, or add new ones of their own choice - for a collaborative group streaming experience in real-time.
Working
How you can have group sessions?
To start a group session, a Spotify user or the 'host' will have to open a scannable code - accessed from the 'Start a group session' option in the devices section of the Spotify player - on their phone. The second user will then have to scan this code with their Spotify app, which will link the two accounts for joint playback.
Limit
No limit on how many people can join a session
Once a session starts, Spotify says whatever "you play or skip is what plays or skips for them too, and vice versa." However, the company has not yet defined an upper limit for how many people can join a single session. It says the session will automatically end after an hour of inactivity and will be evolved according to user feedback.
Caveats
Some important caveats to keep in mind
Spotify says the new feature will be useful for people who are working, playing, cooking together with music running in the background, during the lockdown. But, before you try to start Group Sessions, it must be noted that the option is currently in beta and only available for paying 'premium' subscribers of the service. There is no word on its release for free users.