Instagram announced a new update on Monday, allowing users to share Spotify songs with audio previews directly on their Stories — a long-awaited feature that enhances music sharing on the platform.
Previously, when Instagram users shared a Spotify track to their Stories, followers could only view the song’s title and cover art, with a link redirecting them to the Spotify app. With the new update, users will now be able to listen to a short preview of the song within Instagram itself, making for a more seamless and engaging experience.
Meta, Instagram’s parent company, said the feature will make it easier to discover new music without leaving the app, reducing friction between users and content.
The rollout follows a similar integration with Instagram Notes, a feature introduced earlier this year, which allows users to stream their current Spotify tracks directly to their Notes section. This enables followers to get a glimpse of what someone is listening to in real-time — a move that further integrates music into Instagram’s social experience.
The changes come at a time when TikTok continues to dominate the intersection of social media and music. The Chinese-owned platform has been credited with popularising countless songs globally, even reshaping the way hits climb the music charts. Instagram’s new music-forward tools appear to be an effort to remain competitive in that space and encourage users to spend more time within its app ecosystem.
In a separate announcement, Instagram also revealed that it is introducing a new set of fonts for Stories and Reels throughout the year. Among the additions is a limited-time font inspired by Spanish singer Rosalía’s handwriting. Users can also access custom hand-drawn symbols, including stylised versions of “:-)”, “***”, and “<3”, by typing specific characters.
The company did not specify a timeline for the full rollout of these features but said they would begin appearing for users globally in the coming weeks.
