Spotify serendipity: music streaming service rolls out map showing the social side to music
Spotify has rolled out a new feature: a map that shows two people on the planet listening to the same tune, at the same time.
As you watch, the map dances from place to place, offering audio glimpses of the tracks the pairs are listening to. You can click to decide to continue listening at any point.
To qualify, the pair must have pressed play no longer than 10 seconds apart.
In an interview with Quartz the map's creator Kyle McDonald said that in any one second 10,000 to 20,000 songs started, with 25m to 50m being played at any one time.
As Quartz points out, the music streaming business has huge potential to be integrated into social networks or to form one in its own right. Doing the latter could provide unprecedented success for the company that manages it.
Spotify could have taken a step towards that goal.