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Spotify has become one of the world's most popular music streaming services, with over 450 million active monthly users. Beyond its vast library of over 70 million songs and podcasts, one of Spotify's best features is the ability to connect with friends.
By adding friends on Spotify, you can tap into an incredible source for discovering new music tailored just for you. Once connected, you'll gain access to your friends' public playlists featuring their favorite songs. You'll also see recent artists they've listened to and what they're playing in real time.
Adding friends lets you collaborate on shared playlists where you can both contribute songs. It's a great way to learn about new music from someone you trust while also sharing some of your preferred tunes.
Connecting with friends on Spotify comes with several key benefits:
- Easily find friends by linking Facebook account or searching Spotify usernames
- One-click adding through Spotify profiles
- Real-time feed showing friends' listening activity
- Shared access to each others' playlists
- Collaborative playlist creation
- Sync listening sessions to enjoy same songs
With over 70 million tracks on Spotify, finding new songs can feel overwhelming. By tapping into your friends' collections and listening habits, you can discover music that's a great match for your tastes.
This article will walk through exactly how to connect with friends on both mobile and desktop. We'll cover finding friends through Facebook integration, sending follow requests, engaging with friends' profiles, creating collaborative playlists, and more. Let's get started!
Get Access to Friends' Profile Activity
One of the best parts of connecting with friends on Spotify is gaining access to their profile activity. Once you add someone, you unlock a special feed showing what they've been listening to in real time.
See What Your Friends Are Playing in Real Time
Spotify's Friend Activity feed lets you see exact songs and artists friends have recently played. So if you add your friend Jane, you may see "Jane listened to Rocket Man by Elton John" in your feed. This makes it easy to discover music in a whole new way.
The more friends you add, the more listening activity that shows in your feed. It's an incredible source for new music ideas from people you know and trust. Some key things the listening feed shows:
- Recent and currently playing songs
- Names of playlists friend is listening to
- Links to view playlist details
- Artist names and album covers
Having this activity feed is like getting a behind-the-scenes look at friends' music tastes. And it updates in real time, so you can discover songs just as your friend plays them.
Browse Friends' Public Playlists
Beyond the listening feed, adding friends lets you view playlists they've made public. So you might find a "Jane's Faves" playlist full of songs perfectly tailored to her tastes.
By following Jane, you get shared access to any public playlists on her profile. You can browse her collections to find:
- Playlists for certain moods or activities
- Lists focused on favorite genres or artists
- Collections of throwback classics
- New song discoveries
It's a great way for friends to curate music recommendations just for you based on their playlists.
Share Playlists Too
And just as you gain playlist access from friends, they can view any public playlists on your Spotify profile after adding you. So connecting goes both ways for mutual music discoveries!
Some ideas for playlists that friends might enjoy:
- Your all-time favorite songs
- Workout mix with top pump-up tunes
- Favorite undiscovered indie artists
- Songs that remind you of fun memories together
Additionally, you can make collaborative playlists with particular friends. This creates a special playlist where you and friends can both contribute songs - like making a shared mixtape! Add a few friends, give it a fun name like "Epic Road Trip Mix", and start building the perfect playlist together.
So connect with friends for playlist inspiration, saving you time finding new music you'll love. Gaining this inside look into friends' listening and playlists unlocks a world of new song discoveries.
Add Friends on Spotify Mobile App
Adding friends is quick and easy on the Spotify mobile app. You have two options - search for usernames or connect with Facebook friends.
Search by Unique Spotify Username
The fastest way to add a friend is by searching their Spotify username directly.
Every Spotify user has a unique username identifier used to find their profile. It's a long string of numbers and letters only that person can see.
To find someone's hidden username:
- Have them tap their profile icon
- Select the Settings gear icon
- Tap "Account"
- Under their name is a Profile Username
Then to add them by username:
- Tap magnifying glass search icon on Spotify
- Carefully paste full username into search bar
- Confirm it's your friend's profile
- Tap blue "Follow" button to add friend
For example, search "spotify:user:22ibplworm34n5acqmolwysky".
This searches that exact unique username, with profile names that are similar too. Tap your friend's profile to add them when it appears.
While hidden, the username search gives immediate access to any friend's profile for easy adding.
Link with Facebook Friends
You can also find friends to follow by connecting your Facebook account.
Linking Facebook pulls in all friends with Spotify accounts, no remembering usernames required.
Here's how to connect Facebook:
- Tap profile icon in upper right
- Select "Find Friends" from menu
- Tap "Log in with Facebook"
- Enter Facebook sign-in credentials if prompted
- Tap mutual friends to add or "Follow All"
Once connected, Facebook friends already on Spotify appear in a list. Tap "Follow All" to automatically add everyone in just one tap.
Or tap "+ Follow" next to particular friends to selectively follow them.
Connecting Facebook brings over all friend connections with one click. And you can return anytime new friends join Spotify to follow them too.
So search by unique username or connect Facebook to easily add friends! Both methods make finding and following friends on mobile a breeze.
Easily Add Friends on Spotify Desktop
You can quickly find and follow friends using the Spotify desktop app. Connect Facebook or search for unique Spotify usernames to add friends.
Link Facebook Account to Find Friends
One option is linking your Facebook account - this pulls over all mutual friends already using Spotify into the desktop app.
Here are step-by-step instructions:
- Open the Spotify desktop app, installed or web player
- Click on your current username/profile icon in the top right
- Select "Settings" to access account options
- Scroll down and click "Connect to Facebook" blue button
- Log into your Facebook account when prompted
- The Spotify app will import friends with accounts
- Click "Follow All" blue button to add everyone
You can also individually click "Follow" buttons next to particular friends you want to add. Once connected, you can always revisit this section later when additional Facebook friends join Spotify.
The Facebook integration makes staying connected to current and new friends really convenient in just a click or two.
Search by Spotify Username
If neither you nor your friend uses Facebook, you can still easily connect by searching their unique Spotify username instead.
How to search and add friends by username:
- Click inside the search bar
- Type their exact username - e.g. "spotify:user:b81je9sin29kl" - ask them for this info
- Hit enter to display any matching profiles
- Scan results to find your friend's profile card
- Hover over their profile and click the "Follow" button when displayed
Typing a username directly into search only shows profiles linked to that identifier. So it's an accurate way to find a specific friend's profile to follow them.
No Facebook required! Just search the special username to connect in seconds.
So whether connecting Facebook or searching unique usernames, finding and following friends is super fast on the Spotify desktop experience. Use the top profile menu to toggle these handy social options.
Create Shared Playlists with Friends
One of Spotify's most fun social features is creating collaborative playlists. These let you and friends customize playlists together for shared listening.
Making a Joint Playlist
Starting a playlist that friends can all add songs to is simple:
- Tap the + icon to begin a new blank playlist
- Give the collaborative playlist a fun name
- Tap the playlist collaborative icon (person with + sign)
- Copy and share the generated link with contributing friends
This creates a unique link for that playlist. Send the link to friends so they can start adding their song picks!
Some creative playlist name ideas:
- Epic Road Trip Playlist
- Workout Hype Jams
- Favorite Love Songs
- Best Live Versions
Get inventive together! Collaborative playlists make joint projects easy and engaging.
[Screenshot showing the process to create a collaborative playlist]
Friends Add Song Suggestions Easily
Your friends just tap the shared playlist link you sent to join in adding songs.
To queue up tracks, they can:
- Search songs or artists to add
- Browse songs in their personal libraries
- Use Spotify's personalized recommendations
- Add existing playlists they've already made
The more friends adding tunes with the link, the more diverse and exciting the joint playlist becomes!
Friends can keep contributing songs as long as the playlist is open. An eclectic mix of shared selections makes for a can't-miss collaboration.
[Screenshot showing a friend viewing and adding to the collaborative playlist]
Listen and Manage the Playlist Together
Once multiple friends start populating the collaborative playlist with music, anyone who has the link can listen in real time as it grows.
You'll get notifications when new songs are added so you can re-open it to hear updates. Some ways to enjoy the joint playlist:
- Stream through Bluetooth or Spotify Connect on speakers
- Download for offline listening
- Follow playlist updates in activity feed
- Add your own songs or remove existing ones
It becomes an evolving collection you can all listen to, manage, and customize together over time. The perfect shared background playlist for a party!
Additionally, anyone following the playlist will see updates in their feeds as it expands.
So start a collaborative playlist to discover new favorites while streamlining shared listening fun with friends!
Resolve Common Spotify Friend Problems
While adding friends is fairly straightforward, occasional minor issues can pop up. Here are some troubleshooting tips for common friend connection problems.
Friend Activity Feed Not Appearing
If you don't see the live feed showing friends' listening activity after adding them:
Check App Settings
- Go to Settings > Display Options
- Confirm "Show Friend Activity" is enabled with the toggle on
- This allows friend profiles and listening feed to display
Expand Desktop Window Width
- Feed can disappear if desktop app window is too narrow
- Expand width to over 1190 pixels to trigger feed
Refresh Spotify App
- Try fully closing out of the Spotify desktop app
- Reopen application to reload connections
The Friend Activity feed relies on precise app access permissions and connectivity. Toggling the display settings or rebooting the app typically fixes viewing issues.
[Screenshot showing Friend Activity setting toggle]
Trouble Finding Facebook Friends
If your connected Facebook friends aren't appearing as follow options within Spotify:
Confirm Facebook Connection
- Go to settings and ensure Facebook account shows as linked
- If not, re-enter credentials to re-connect accounts
Check Friends Use Spotify
- You can only see Facebook friends who also have Spotify
- Search names individually to check they have accounts
Connect Different Facebook
- Try unlinking current Facebook and use another account
- Your access token could be outdated
Relink Facebook Account
- Fully unlink then reconnect Facebook again
- This refreshes data pull authorize friends
Both your and friends' accounts must be actively connected for cross-platform visibility.
Too Many Friends' Activity Notifications
If the real-time feed of friends listening is too frequent or disruptive:
Turn Off Notifications
- Go to Settings > Notifications
- Disable notifications from "Friend Activity"
Hide Feed on Desktop
- Right-click or ctrl+click Friend Activity panel
- Select "Hide Friend Activity"
Mute Particular Friends
- In feed, click "..." next to spammy friend
- Choose "Mute" to stop updates
Customize your app and feed display to your preferred notification level. Set activity feed as needed per friend as well.
Getting issues? Just tweak these Spotify app controls for the optimal social experience!
FAQ
How do I add friends on spotify without Facebook?
You can add friends without Facebook by searching their unique Spotify username directly. Have them share their profile > Account > username with you. Then paste it into the Spotify search bar prefixed with "spotify:user:".
How do I invite someone to spotify?
There's no direct way to invite someone to create a Spotify account through the platform itself. But you can email friends links to download the Spotify app or send them a gift subscription offer if you want them to join.
Why can't I see my friends activity on Spotify?
If you've added friends but don't see their listening activity, first confirm the "Show Friend Activity" setting is enabled in your Spotify app settings. Also check friends haven't recently entered a private session, which hides their activity.
How does Spotify know if you live together?
Spotify doesn't have a direct way to confirm if users live together. It may make assumptions about location if connecting to the same WiFi network routinely. But there's no definite way for Spotify to verify shared households.
How do you find someone's name on Spotify?
You can find someone's Spotify profile by searching their first and last name in the mobile/desktop app search bar. For more accuracy, ask them to share their exact profile link or unique username directly with you instead.
Connect With Your Social Circle on Spotify
Adding friends unlocks a great new way to discover music and share playlists tailored just for your taste. Between seeing listening activity, browsing favorite public songs and artists, and making collaborative playlists, Spotify friends connect your social profile to exciting music features.
Whether finding friends through Facebook, searching unique Spotify usernames, creating joint collections for shared listening, or troubleshooting issues, this guide covered all the possibilities to link up.
So tap that āFollowā button on friend profiles and open whole new doors for music exploration with your community. Enjoy exclusive friend access only Spotify's social integration makes possible!
