Collaborative playlists are available in all versions of the Spotify app. Narisara Nami/Getty Images
Making a mixtape alone is fun. Making one with your best friends can be even better. This is where Spotify's Collaborative playlist feature comes in handy.
As the name implies, anyone can add songs to a Collaborative Spotify playlist — all they need is a link to it. Any song that gets added will show up for everyone, meaning no one ever misses an update.
Here's how to make a Collaborative playlist on Spotify, send it to your friends, and start adding music to it.
You can make a Collaborative playlist in both the mobile and desktop apps. You don't need a Premium subscription.
1. Open Spotify and start a new playlist, or open one you already have that you want to make Collaborative.
Quick tip: You have to be the playlist's owner to make it Collaborative. Playlists that others made but you added to your library won't work.
2. Click or tap the three dot icon underneath the playlist's name and picture, then select Make Collaborative or Collaborative playlist.
Open the playlist's options menu and select the "Collaborative" option. Spotify; William Antonelli/Insider
You've now got a Collaborative playlist. If you ever want to make it private again, just go through the same steps.
Once your playlist is Collaborative, you can share it with other people.
3. Click or tap the three dot icon again and select Share, then pick how you want to share it. The simplest option is just Copy Link, which lets you share a direct link using whatever app or messaging program you want.
All you need is a link to the playlist. Spotify; William Antonelli/Insider
Once you send someone the link to your Collaborative playlist, they can open and listen to the playlist by clicking the link. But unless they want to find and use that same link every time, they should add the playlist to their Library.
Adding a playlist to your Spotify Library saves it to your personal collection of playlists, making it easy to find and open anytime.
To save the Collaborative playlist to your Library, open its link and load it in the Spotify app. Then click or tap the heart icon underneath the playlist's name.
Press the heart icon to save a playlist. Spotify; William Antonelli/Insider
You can add songs to a Collaborative playlist just like any other playlist. This includes:
- In the desktop app, clicking and dragging a song into the playlist
- Clicking or tapping the three dots next to a song and selecting Add to playlist
- Using the Recommended Songs feed at the bottom of the playlist
You can delete songs in the same way, too.
Only the playlist's original owner can change the playlist's picture and title.
Every song that gets added will have a name, initial, or picture next to it that notes who added it to the playlist. And if you're using the desktop Spotify app, you can see when they added it too.
You can tap or click a name to see their profile. Spotify; William Antonelli/Insider
William Antonelli
Editor & Staff Writer for Tech Reference
William Antonelli [he/she/they] is a writer, editor, and organizer based in New York City. As a founding member of the Reference team, he's helped grow Tech Reference from humble beginnings into a juggernaut that attracts over 20 million visits a month. Outside of Insider, his writing has appeared in publications like Polygon, The Outline, Kotaku, and more. He's also a go-to source for tech analysis on channels like Newsy, Cheddar, and NewsNation. You can find him on Twitter @DubsRewatcher, or reach him by email at .
Read more Read lessRemember when you used to crowd around the family iMac with your friends to painstakingly craft the ultimate playlists in iTunes for upcoming road trips, backyard pool parties, or New Year’s Eve? Although those days are long gone, Spotify has only recently nudged playlist creation to the next level, announcing the ability to create Collaborative Playlists you can share and edit with others, in real time. That’s right — you don’t even have to be in a room with your friend to curate the same playlist. You can use your computer, smartphone, or tablet to add, rearrange, and delete songs, and they can do the same from wherever they are. There’s no limit to how many people can contribute to one list, either, and Spotify is regularly rolling out new features, like an Add User button to make the experience even easier. Best of all, you don’t need a Premium subscription to create or participate in a Collaborative Playlist: They’re available to both Spotify Free and Spotify Premium members alike. It is worth noting, however, that users with a Spotify Free subscription will still have to put up with the ads they normally would while listening to a Collaborative Playlist, and they still won’t have the option to skip ahead when they want to. Unfortunately, it’s still shuffle-play or the Premium way.
Spotify released this new feature as a part of the latest update. Now users are able to view avatars in the playlist header that shows who helped create the Collaborative Playlist. In addition, avatars in front of each song title clue listeners into which contributor added the track. You can even create your own Collaborative Playlists.
The developers at Spotify have created a seamless process for users to curate a Collaborative Playlist. In just about ten seconds your playlist can go live. You have the choice of creating your playlist from your desktop or your mobile device. The procedure is a bit different depending on what platform you use, with a few extra clicks required for the mobile version.
Desktop
Step 1: In the left panel, right-click on the playlist you would like to make collaborative.
Step 2: Click on the Collaborative Playlist button.
Step 3: Right-click on the playlist again, then scroll down to Share.
Step 4: Select Copy Playlist Link, then distribute it to your friends via social media or the available messenger apps.
Mobile/Tablet
Step 1: Select Your Library.
Step 2: Tap Playlists and select the one you want to make collaborative [you must be the creator to do this].
Step 3: Tap the Add User icon in the top left to make the playlist collaborative.
Step 4: Select Make Collaborative.
Step 5: Choose Copy Link or one of the available social media platforms offered, then send it to your friends however you choose.
The beauty of Collaborative Playlists is that what you want to share is in your hands. It could be the latest podcasts you’ve discovered, new music, or stand up comedy that will keep you and your friends belly-laughing the entire day.
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