Social Music Networking

Spotify is the most popular music app in the world, leading also in podcasts and audiobooks. It has now added a feature that could bring it into the fold of social networking. Termed ‘Messages’, Spotify users will be able to have conversations with each other. Anyone listening to a song or podcast could, by
tapping an icon, share it with a friend. It appears as a message request that has to be accepted. Once done, they will be able to text and send emojis and Spotify content.

All this was already happening but on other social media platforms. Spotify therefore decided to provide the function on its own app. But the company is not pitching it as a com­petition to traditional social media. Its press release states: “As always, you should continue sharing Spotify content directly through your favourite platforms like Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, Snapchat, TikTok, and more. Messages on Spotify are designed to complement these integrations, not replace them.”

The company says it will also help those who make content because music and recommenda­tions are intimately connected. People who enjoy a track or podcast want those close to them to enjoy it too. The conversations will be encrypted and tools are used to prevent the exchange of harmful content in the messages.

Photo Editing Upgrade

Months after adding native image editing capabilities to the Gemini app, Google is fixing frustrating problems of AI photo editing: maintaining character likeness and scene con­sistency. When editing photos using AI tools like ChatGPT and Grok, the images often distort faces or alter back­grounds. Google says an upgrade will keep people, pets, and objects looking true to life, even after multiple changes.

Meta’S New Wearables

Meta is preparing to launch a new set of wearable devices at its Connect confer­ence in September 2025, including its much-anticipated Hypernova smartglasses whose right lens will house a hidden mini-display for notifications, text alerts, and small apps. The social media giant is expect­ed to also launch a gesture-controlled wristband and an upgraded version of its voice-only smartglasses.

In Apple’S Target

Apple’s woes in getting its AI division off the blocks have been visible for all to see. Media reports say it is holding discussions internally about acquiring AI startups Mistral and Perplexity. This would be a shift from its historically conservative merger and acquisitions posture, but Tim Cook signalled last month that Apple was open to larger AI-related acquisitions to accelerate its roadmap.

AppleaudiobooksGemini appGoogleMetapodcastsSpotify