Group session: desktop client can't control session, but does receive control

[sbrudenell]

Plan

Premium

Country

US

Device

PC

Operating System

Windows 10

My Question or Issue

My brother and I are testing out the Group Session feature. I've been hoping for this feature in a streaming service for like a decade, so I'm excited!

However, using a desktop client seems to break it.

1. My brother and I join a group session via our phones and play song A

2. My brother opens his desktop client, goes to the "devices" menu, and clicks "listen on this device"

3. My brother starts to play song B on his desktop client

Expected Outcome:

 - We both hear song B

Actual Outcome:

 - My phone continues to play song A

 - At a random time (apparently when song A ends in the group session), my brother's desktop client stops playing song B, and starts playing the next song in the group session.

Seems like the desktop client is still being controlled by the group session, but the group session isn't responding to control inputs from the desktop client.

It seems like group sessions only work if everyone uses their phones exclusively the whole time, which means we can't really use the feature, though we really want to.

[MattSuda · Accepted solution]

Hey @sbrudenell 

Good news! Jam (previously known as Group Session) is now available in the desktop app! 🥳 🖥️ 💻

Now you can start or join a listening party with your friends, family, colleagues, and classmates, with the Spotify desktop app in addition to the mobile app.

Jam is now rolling out to Premium users using the desktop app. Free users can join an in person Jam using the mobile app.

To see how to use Jam and post your feedback about Jam and the Queue sidebar in the desktop app, please check out the main post:

➜ Desktop: Jam now available