Have you heard about Spotify’s new Blend feature and wondered what it’s all about? Blend is Spotify latest social listening experience that allows two friends to merge their musical tastes into one curated playlist.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about Spotify Blend including how it works, who can use it, key features and tips to create your perfect blended playlist. Let’s dive in!
What is Spotify Blend?
Spotify Blend is a new feature that allows two friends to merge their musical tastes into one curated playlist. The feature matches your and your friend’s listening history and favourite songs to generate a playlist that combines both of your musical preferences.
In other words, Blend creates a personalized playlist that blends your unique music tastes together. The goal is to create a fun shared listening experience that allows you and your friend to discover new artists and songs through each other’s libraries.
Think of it like getting a musical DNA test of your compatibility. The Blend playlist unveils musical similarities and differences between you and your friend.
Spotify launched Blend globally in August 2021 as an extension of its focus on social and shared listening experiences.
How Does Blend Work?
The Blend feature uses Spotify’s data on your listening habits and favourite songs to create a blended playlist.
Here are the basic steps to create your Blend playlist:
- Open the Spotify app and tap “Made for You” on the homepage.
- Scroll down and select the “Blend” icon.
- Enter your friend’s name to invite them to Blend with you. They’ll get a notification to accept.
- Once your friend accepts, Spotify will analyze your recent music listening history and liked songs.
- It matches and combines music preferences between you and your friend to generate the Blend playlist.
- Preview the playlist creation process and view your shared musical profile.
- Listen to the finished playlist and share it with your friend!
The algorithm looks for musical patterns and preferences you both have in common. For example, similar artists you both listen to, favourite genres, and release years of music you like.
It then recommends tracks that blend these shared tastes into a fluid playlist. So you get a mix of music you both already know and love, plus new song suggestions outside your usual playlists.
Think of it as getting a personalized mixtape based on what you and your friend vibe to. The feature makes music social again in the streaming era!
Who Can Use Spotify Blend?
Spotify Blend is available for all free and premium Spotify users. However, both you and your blend partner need to have a Spotify account to create the playlist.
The feature works between two friends rather than groups, so you can only blend playlists in pairs. You can blend multiple playlists with different friends though!
Both you and your friend must have listened to enough music recently for Spotify to analyze your listening patterns. If one of you is a new user, you may need to listen more before creating your first Blend playlist.
The Blend feature is currently available on Spotify’s iOS and Android mobile apps. You can’t access it on the desktop app. Simply update your Spotify app to the latest version to start blending.
Overall, Blend makes sharing and enjoying music fun again! It’s perfect for blending with friends who have different music tastes that you want to explore.
Creating Your Blend Playlist
Ready to blend your music tastes with a friend? Here are step-by-step instructions to create your first Blend playlist:
- Open the Spotify app on your phone and tap on “Made For You” at the bottom.
- Scroll down and tap the Blend icon (two abstract profiles overlapping).
- Enter your friend’s name to invite them to blend with you. Make sure they have a Spotify account!
- Your friend will get a notification to accept the Blend invite. Once they accept, the blending magic happens!
- Spotify compares your recent listening history and liked songs to find musical matches. Be patient as this can take a few minutes.
- Preview how your tastes blend as Spotify creates the playlist. You’ll see a musical profile for you and your friend.
- Listen to the finished Blend playlist! Like or save any new faves you discover.
- Share the link to the Blend playlist with your friend so you can enjoy it together.
That’s it! With just a few taps, you can create a personalized blended playlist with a friend. The more varied your music tastes, the more exciting your Blend mix will be!
Pro tip: For best results, both you and your friend should listen to Spotify regularly with public listening history enabled. This allows Spotify to blend your recent favourites.
Blend Playlist Features
Blend playlists showcase cool features that make them stand out from other Spotify playlists. Here are some fun highlights:
- 50/50 blend – The playlist contains an equal split of songs from each person’s taste profile. You get half your flavour, half your friend’s for perfect harmony!
- Match scores – See musical compatibility scores based on your listening history matches. Find out your Blend BFF by comparing match scores.
- Genre Guide – View the genre breakdown to see each person’s contribution. Discover which genres you and your friend share or differ in.
- Mood Guide – Get insights into the vibe and energy level of the Blend based on audio qualities. See your shared chill, energizing or feel good songs.
- Decade Guide – Find out which release decades you both enjoy, from the 60s to today’s hits. See each decade’s highlights in your blend.
- Your Top Artists & Songs – View your personal most-streamed artists and tracks that made it into the playlist.
- Shareable – Send the link to your friend or post to social media. Compare your musical profile through the Blend playlists.
Overall, these data insights help you explore musical connections between you and your friend!
Tips for Making the Best Blend Playlist
Want to create a stellar Blend playlist that perfectly fuses your music tastes?
Follow these pro tips for making an awesome mixtape with your friend:
- Pick someone with different music taste – Blending with a friend who listens to different genres creates more discoveries. You’ll enjoy new artists you may never find on your own!
- Do a test blend first – Blend with Spotify’s AI bot to preview how well your tastes may mix before sending a friend request.
- Refresh playlists periodically – Redo your Blend every few months to keep the music fresh as your listening changes.
- Blend with multiple friends – Make various Blend playlists to explore more musical connections in your friend circle.
- Share blended profile analysis – Compare your genre and mood guides between different friends. Discuss your musical DNA matches!
- Make it collaborative – Build a playlist together by having each person add more songs that fit the blend vibe.
- Share discoveries and highlights – Chat about standout new songs and artists you each enjoy in the Blend playlist.
Blending is meant to be fun! Use it as a conversation starter about music with your friends.
Blend Playlist Updates
One cool thing about Blend playlists is that they evolve over time as your listening changes.
Every few weeks, Spotify will refresh your Blend playlist with new tracks reflecting current music you and your friend are into. It stays up-to-date like a music magazine subscription!
When your Blend playlist updates:
- The cover art changes
- The playlist title adds the current month and year (Blend: July 2022 Edition)
- Older songs get removed and new ones added in
- The genre, mood and decade guides all update
So remember to revisit your Blend playlists once in a while to check out the new tune selections. It’s a great way to stay on top of what you and your friends are vibing to lately.
You can also restart a Blend from scratch whenever you want. Just create a brand new Blend with the same friend to analyze your latest listening history. Then you get a fresh new mixtape capturing your current musical profile. Happy blending!
Spotify Blend FAQ’s
Lastly, here are answers to some frequently asked questions about Spotify’s Blend feature:
How many Blend playlists can I create?
You can create unlimited Blend playlists! Blend with as many friends as you like to explore more musical connections.
Can I remove songs from the Blend playlist?
Yes, you can remove any tracks you don’t like from the Blend playlist. But new ones may be added in during automatic updates.
What if my friend and I have very different music taste?
Don’t worry if your tastes seem totally different at first glance. The Blend algorithm is great at finding hidden musical matches between any two people. Give it a try!
Why can’t I Blend on desktop?
For now, Blend is only available on Spotify’s iOS and Android mobile apps. But the feature may expand to desktop in the future.
Do both people need premium Spotify?
Nope, Blend works between any two free or premium Spotify accounts. No need to subscribe to blend playlists.
How often do Blends update?
Your Blend playlist refreshes every few weeks with new songs. Check the title for the latest month/year edition.
Can I make Blends with groups or more than 2 people?
Unfortunately group Blends aren’t possible right now. You can only blend playlists between two people.
What happens if my friend deletes their Spotify account?
If your Blend partner deletes their Spotify, the Blend playlist will no longer update. You can still listen to the last saved version though!
Conclusion
That sums up the complete guide to Spotify’s new Blend feature! Blend empowers you to merge music tastes with friends in exciting new ways.
It’s a fun way to bond over shared musical passions and find hidden genre gems you would never discover alone. With endless combinations, you could create fresh Blend playlists for years.
Want to explore your musical connections? Try blending playlists with friends old and new. See how your music DNA matches up and find your shared groove.
The next time you or a friend discover an amazing new song, add it to your Blend. With the perfect mix of familiar favourites and new finds, Blend playlists make sharing music memories more social than ever.