Music is a wonderful experience, especially when shared with friends. That’s why Spotify has Jam, a social listening feature. Here’s your complete guide on how to start a Spotify Jam and everything else there is to know about it.
What Is a Spotify Jam?
Jam is a shared music session with your friends where everyone listens to the same track together. To create a Jam, you need a Spotify Premium membership. And even if your friends aren’t paying for a subscription, they can still hop in and join the session. That said, to actually listen to songs on their devices, they will require a Premium subscription.
Once the session kicks off, you can invite a maximum of 32 friends to join in. Everyone participating can choose songs and include them in the collective Jam playlist. The host can decide whether invitees can change tracks or play the songs they prefer.
How Spotify Jam Works
Gather your friends or family, and Jam will recommend songs tailored to everyone’s tastes and find common ground in what you all enjoy. You’ll also be able to see who added each track, whether you’re cooking together or hanging out outdoors.
- To begin, select a playlist or song that you're enthusiastic about.
- Look for the Start a Jam button, located either by tapping the speaker image at the base of your screen or within the menu of your playlist or song.
- Decide where you want the music to play, such as on your phone or a speaker. Those on your shared Wi-Fi will receive a prompt to join when they launch the app.
After you begin a Jam, you can bring in a circle of friends or family — whether they’re Free or Premium users, or a combination of both. Premium subscribers have the flexibility to join from anywhere, close by or in a different part of the world.
Once everyone has joined the Jam, they can contribute songs, see who added each one, and receive music suggestions. As the host, you have the power to manage who’s part of the Jam, arrange the songs in the queue, and remove any tracks that don’t match the mood.
How to Make a Spotify Jam on Mobile
Here’s how to start a Jam session on Spotify from a mobile device:
- Open Spotify on your iOS or Android device and start playing a song.
- Press the icon resembling devices situated at the music player’s bottom-right corner.
- Then, tap Start a Jam on the next screen.
- You’ll see options to add other users.
How to Start a Jam on Spotify on Desktop
Here are the instructions for your laptop or PC:
- Launch the Spotify desktop or web app.
- To see more options, either right-click on a playlist or click the three dots next to a song.
- Choose Start a Jam from the list of options.
Can I Control Volume in a Jam?
In a session, the host holds the authority to determine whether guests can tweak the volume or not. They have two choices: they can take charge of the volume adjustments themselves, or they can grant all participants the ability to control the volume by activating shared volume control manually.
To do this, the host needs to tap the current device being used in the app and toggle on Let guests change volume. Please know that shared volume control is supported on devices like Chromecast and Amazon Cast, but it’s not an option for Bluetooth devices or Apple AirPlay.
How to Invite Friends to Join a Jam
You have a few options here.
On iOS and Android:
- Tap Share Link to create an invite link and send it to your friends.
- Another option is to touch the QR code and request your friends to scan it.
- If your friend is nearby and has Bluetooth enabled, you can invite them by tapping your phone with theirs.
After receiving the invitation, your friends just have to select their audio source and tap Join.
For desktop:
- Click Invite from the Jam sidebar or Copy link to share the link with your friends.
- Your friends can join the session by scanning the QR code too.
That’s it! Your friends can now click Join to be part of the Jam session.
How to Remove Friends From a Jam
On iOS and Android:
- Touch the icon for Session details located at the top.
- Select the three dots near the user’s name.
- Tap Remove from session.
- To remove all friends, tap Remove all participants.
On desktop:
- Click on the icon with multiple profiles in the Jam sidebar.
- Choose Remove next to the user’s name.
- Confirm your action by selecting Remove once more.
- If you want to remove everyone, click on Remove all guests.
Who Controls What’s Playing in a Jam?
The host has the power to decide if guests can pick what’s playing or just add songs to the playlist.
When the host turns off the option “Let others change what’s playing”, guests can only add songs to the Jam, but they can’t switch between tracks or control the current song playing.
How to Add Songs to a Jam Session
Once your friends are on board, it’s time to create the perfect playlist. Songs can be added to a Jam by both the host and participants while it’s in progress. Here’s how:
Method 1:
- Tap the Add Songs button at the top of the Jam playlist.
- You'll see a list of recommended songs. Swipe right to see songs you’ve liked.
- Tap the + icon next to the song you want to add.
Method 2:
- Locate a song and tap the three-dot icon.
- If your Jam playlist is playing, tap Add to Queue to add it.
When someone adds a song, you’ll see their profile icon next to it.
How to Remove a Song From a Jam Playlist
If there’s a song that either you or your friends dislike, here’s how to remove it:
- Press the circle icon next to the song to pick it.
- Once chosen, tap Remove located at the bottom left corner.
Participants can delete songs if the host has given permission.
Why Doesn’t Spotify Jam Work?
If you can’t host a Jam, make sure that you have an active Premium subscription and that you’re connecting to the right speaker from the list of available devices. Likewise, if you’re having trouble joining a Jam, double-check that you’ve accepted the invitation from the host and that you’re connecting to the correct speaker from the list of available devices.
If you can’t control the volume of the speaker in a Jam, check if your speaker supports shared volume control and if the host has enabled shared volume control in the Jam settings.
How to End or Leave a Jam Session
If you’re the one hosting the jam session, you’re the only one who can officially end it. On mobile (iOS or Android), select End at the top of the playlist, confirm your choice, and it’s done.
If you’re the last one remaining in the session, it automatically ends. But if you’re just a participant, you can leave the session by choosing Leave at the top.
On the desktop, ending a session is similar. You click End in the Jam sidebar, confirm, and it’s over.
Final Thoughts
If you’re a Premium user, don’t miss out on trying the Jam feature. While we’ve laid out step-by-step instructions, the reality is that it’s quite intuitive and won’t require much time to grasp.
However, despite its cool concept, the need for a paid subscription makes Jam less attractive, especially when your friends aren’t physically present. Also, if the host hasn’t allowed certain permissions, it takes away from the social aspect of the experience for participants.
An alternative way to enjoy music with friends is by creating a Blend playlist. This choice is open to users who don’t have a paid subscription and don’t need anyone to have a Premium account.
