Microsoft is Bringing Spotify to Skype

Microsoft today started testing a Spotify add-on for the modern versions of its Skype app. It’s only available now to Skype Insiders in the United States.

“We are excited to introduce the Spotify Add-in to Skype Insiders,” Sarka Kohoutova writes in a post to the Microsoft Answers site. “Starting today, the Skype Spotify Add-in will be gradually rolled out to all Skype Insiders in the United States on 8.26 builds and higher. Very soon to all Insiders around the world.”

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As you might imagine, this add-on is designed to help music lovers share favorite songs, albums, and artists with others via Skype. It will work via the standard “Add to Chat” (“+”) button next to the message box in a chat window, and let you select Spotify from the list of available items.

With the current preview version of the add-in, you can search for songs, albums and artists, preview and share music, and play music on Spotify, Microsoft says. You must be running Skype 8.26 or newer (and I assume that it works across platforms, meaning Android, iOS, and Windows 10).

 

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Conversation 17 comments

  • m_p_w_84

    08 August, 2018 - 1:47 pm

    <p>Skype looks like a very complete messaging app. The only thing it's missing is users. lol.</p>

    • bart

      Premium Member
      08 August, 2018 - 2:24 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#300369">In reply to m_p_w_84:</a></em></blockquote><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">It are additions like these, features you already see in other messaging apps, that could persuade people to come back. Just video calling and messaging isn't enough anymore these days. Hence, classic Skype desktop can't be killed off soon enough</span></p>

  • bbold

    08 August, 2018 - 1:57 pm

    <p>Interesting timing. I believe Microsoft announced this to add to yesterday's conversation that Apple sparked around music needing to be more social. For me, Spotify is much better and more varied (and matches my 40-something musical taste) than Apple Music, which seems geared to 20-somethings who like R&amp;B and rap. My only problem? Nobody I really know uses Skype. Everyone is on Facebook Messenger.</p>

    • Rob_Wade

      08 August, 2018 - 3:34 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#300374"><em>In reply to bbold:</em></a><em> </em></blockquote><blockquote><em>Similarly, I have VERY specific tastes in music and I don't care what other people are listening to (nor do they care what I listen to). I don't listen to streaming services because, quite frankly, it's impossible to find matches to my taste UNLESS the stream is 100% music from artists I already listen to/own projects from. For me, "streaming" means I can listen to all my music stored on OneDrive. Spotify doesn't support that. Plus Spotify completely sucks on Windows Mobile anyway (it stops working after just few songs). Also, while I have Skype and can see all my contacts who also have Skype accounts, nobody I know actually uses it. So, even if I WAS social when listening to music (which would happen in exactly zero universes), it's hard to be social when nobody you know uses the same social network.</em></blockquote><p><br></p>

      • bbold

        08 August, 2018 - 4:08 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#300408">In reply to Rob_Wade:</a></em></blockquote><p>For my needs, Spotify is perfect, and I love the playlists that are curated. There are ones that mimic what I love and others feature similar artists which I also love. By the way, .000000001 of the population still use Windows Mobile, so I'm sure those affected by Spotify not working that well on W10M devices are a scant few. (I don't meant to knock your use of it, though. I still use my last Lumia phone as a mini-tablet around the house, at times, and love it.) For me, Spotify works seamelessly across my Macs and PC devices. And yes, I stream Spotify through my Cortana Invoke speaker, which I also love. Strangely enough, I also use Groove to just play my localized music on all my Surface devices, too.</p>

        • irfaanwahid

          09 August, 2018 - 1:16 am

          <blockquote><em><a href="#300411">In reply to bbold:</a></em></blockquote><p>Just that Spotify is not available in all countries.. sadly.. but I'm okay with my Apple Music.</p>

  • gregsedwards

    Premium Member
    08 August, 2018 - 2:02 pm

    <p>At what point do Microsoft just announce they're acquiring Spotify?</p>

    • VancouverNinja

      Premium Member
      08 August, 2018 - 2:11 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#300378">In reply to gregsedwards:</a></em></blockquote><p>That move would make a ton of sense.</p>

      • bart

        Premium Member
        08 August, 2018 - 2:18 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#300382">In reply to VancouverNinja:</a></em></blockquote><p>At which point?</p>

  • bart

    Premium Member
    08 August, 2018 - 2:21 pm

    <p>Nice addition to the Skype client. A little feature that goes a long way. Use it a lot to send a song via WhatsApp. </p><p>It are things like these that makes the classic Skype desktop eventually useless IMHO</p>

  • Martin Pelletier

    Premium Member
    08 August, 2018 - 3:16 pm

    <p>On my part, I wish that instead of adding features that they would make Skype more robust. Must be just me because I get notified a day later that I got a message.</p>

  • roastedwookie

    09 August, 2018 - 2:44 am

    <p>:)) Not using that garbage Skype. None of whom I know is using it.</p>

  • VTScott

    09 August, 2018 - 9:27 am

    <p>I just don't grasp why this significant other than to keep you in the Skype service. And of course what happens between consumer and business Skype services.</p>

  • justme

    Premium Member
    09 August, 2018 - 12:25 pm

    <p>I didn't realize there was a need to be able to share music in a communication and messaging program. That said, this feature is not aimed at me as I do not stream music. Personally, I'd rather Microsoft focus on making Skype more robust, but thats just me.</p>

  • Mike Widrick

    09 August, 2018 - 12:53 pm

    <p>I don't understand why skype isn't as easy as old MSN messenger. There was nothing that I missed, and Lync/Skype for business isn't any better. Setting up skype for my son to just message me was bizarrely difficult, and I have every major platform in my house (win10, macOS, ios, android, roku, firetv, fire tablet, sometimes linux).</p><p><br></p><p>Their real challenge isn't features. And this is something that would be a clear win over google and apple, if they'd just fix it.</p>

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