nstagram has introduced a long-requested feature that allows users to share Spotify tracks to Stories with a 15-second audio preview included. Previously, when sharing a song from Spotify, it would appear as a silent sticker with a link, forcing followers to tap away to hear it. This limitation led many users to rely on workarounds, such as adding music separately through Instagram’s music sticker or, for those determined to share actual audio, uploading screen recordings of the track playing on Spotify.
With this update, Stories will now play a snippet of the shared song directly within Instagram, letting followers hear what’s being shared without leaving the app. The feature enhances the integration between Spotify and Instagram and offers a smoother experience for those who regularly share music recommendations or daily listening updates through Stories.
While this move gives Spotify a slight edge in ease of sharing, other streaming services are still catching up. YouTube Music, for instance, tested similar functionality in 2020 and rolled out its sharing feature in 2022, allowing users to share tracks to Instagram and Snapchat. However, as of early 2025, YouTube Music users continue to report that their shares do not include audio playback, leaving Spotify ahead in this area for now.
In addition to the music preview update, Instagram is introducing new fonts for Stories and Reels. Among the first is a limited-time handwritten font by singer Rosalia, which includes hidden custom symbols she designed that can be unlocked by typing specific words or phrases.
Meanwhile, Spotify is also making changes elsewhere on its platform, specifically around how podcast play counts are displayed. The company initially rolled out a system showing the exact number of plays for every podcast episode. While this might have benefited large shows by highlighting their reach, smaller and independent creators argued it made their episodes appear insignificant in comparison, potentially affecting listener perception and discovery.
Following considerable backlash from the podcasting community, Spotify has adjusted its approach. Now, episode play counts will only be displayed publicly once they reach 50,000 plays. Even then, instead of revealing precise figures, the count is shown as rounded milestones such as “50K” or “100K.” This change is intended to protect smaller creators from being overshadowed while still acknowledging significant episode milestones.
These updates reflect Spotify and Instagram’s ongoing efforts to refine user experiences across platforms. For Instagram, native audio previews strengthen its role as a sharing hub for music fans, while Spotify’s play count changes suggest a shift towards supporting the visibility and confidence of independent podcast creators.
