Instagram Adds Song Previews to Spotify Shares in Stories

Instagram is enhancing its music-sharing capabilities by allowing users to add playable previews of Spotify songs to their Stories. Previously, Stories shared from Spotify displayed only album art and a link to the streaming platform, without including any audio. With this update, viewers will be able to hear a snippet of the track directly within Instagram.

The feature, announced on June 30, marks a shift in how music is integrated into the app’s broader experience. The addition aims to make music discovery more seamless by reducing the need to switch between platforms. Users can now sample songs instantly, potentially increasing engagement for both creators and listeners.

The change follows a similar update made earlier this month to Instagram Notes, where users can share their currently playing Spotify tracks in short music snippets visible to their followers. Together, the updates indicate a push by Instagram to carve out more space in the music-sharing landscape, an area where rival TikTok has seen considerable influence—especially in driving viral hits and chart performance.

Instagram is also experimenting with visual features tied to music. As part of the same announcement, the company revealed that new fonts are being rolled out for Stories and Reels. The first is a stylized font inspired by the handwriting of Spanish pop star Rosalía. Users typing specific characters like “:-)”, “***”, or “<3” will see hand-drawn symbols appear in the text.

These updates underscore Instagram’s broader strategy to become a more integrated platform for real-time expression, music sharing, and visual creativity, while reinforcing its competitiveness against other social media platforms heavily invested in audio and entertainment content.