Instagram has launched a new way to share music in private chats, letting users send 30-second previews of songs to friends starting Wednesday (February 19).
The new feature is among several that have been rolled out by Instagram this week. It’s available globally for iOS and Android users, and allows users to share song previews directly in chats. The feature integrates with Instagram’s music library and enables sharing through both private messages and broadcast channels.
Users can access the feature through a new music sticker in the chat window. After tapping the Messages icon and entering a conversation, users can select the sticker button, choose “Music,” and browse through Instagram’s song library. The selected preview is automatically sent to the chat, where participants can play or pause the clip at will.
Source: Instagram
The music sharing feature is designed to appeal to young users who often find new music on social media.
Instagram has partnered with artists JENNIE and Doechii to launch the feature, with both set to test music sharing through their broadcast channels, according to TechCrunch. This new feature potentially creates a new avenue for artist-fan engagement on the platform.
The music integration update builds upon Instagram’s October partnership with Spotify, which introduced the ability for users to save songs discovered on Instagram directly to their Spotify libraries with a single tap.
Instagram has steadily expanded its music-sharing capabilities, including a multi-track audio feature introduced in July, allowing users to add up to 20 tracks to a single Reel. In 2023, Instagram also enabled music in photo carousels and on Instagram Notes.
Beyond music sharing, the update introduces several messaging tools. A new translation feature supports multiple languages, enabling cross-language communication. To translate texts within a chat, users can hold down on the message sent or received in another language and hit “Translate.”
Additionally, Instagram users can now pin up to three items per conversation — including texts, images, memes, and Reels — by using a simple hold-and-pin gesture.
Instagram has also made it easier to add people to group chats by adding QR codes. Group chat creators can now make a QR code that they can show to friends in person or send online. They can also create new QR codes whenever they want to control who joins their chat.
These updates enhance Instagram’s messaging experience as it competes with other popular apps like iMessage. While mobile users can access the features immediately, web users will gain access to them at a later date.
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