What Instagram Blend Does
Instagram Blend is a feature that combines your music taste with a friend's music taste into a single playlist. When you create a blend with someone, Instagram pulls songs you both like, songs only you like, and songs only they like, then mixes them into one shareable playlist on Spotify. The blend appears in both your Spotify accounts and updates automatically as you and your friend listen to new music.
The feature is built into Instagram's Stories camera and connects directly to Spotify. You do not need to leave Instagram or manually create anything on Spotify — the blend generates on its own once you both agree to it. Both people must have Spotify accounts linked to their Instagram profiles for the blend to work.
Key Takeaways
- Instagram Blend pulls from your Spotify listening history and your friend's to create a shared playlist that updates automatically.
- You start a blend by opening the Stories camera, finding the Blend sticker, and selecting a friend who also has Spotify connected to Instagram.
- Both of you must accept the blend before it appears in either Spotify account, and either person can delete it at any time.
- The playlist includes songs you both listen to, songs unique to you, and songs unique to your friend, weighted toward your actual listening patterns.
- Blends refresh as you listen to new music, so the playlist changes over time without you doing anything.
How to Start a Blend on Instagram
Open Instagram and tap the Stories camera icon at the bottom left of your screen. Swipe left through the camera effects until you see the Blend sticker — it looks like two overlapping circles or a music note icon, depending on your app version. Tap it to open the blend creation screen.
Instagram will show you a list of friends who have Spotify connected to their Instagram profiles. Select the friend you want to blend with. Instagram sends them a notification that you want to create a blend. They have to tap "Accept" on their end before the blend actually forms. Once both of you accept, the playlist appears in both your Spotify accounts under "Your Library" or "Liked Songs," depending on your Spotify version.
If your friend does not have Spotify linked to Instagram, you cannot create a blend with them. They would need to go to their Instagram settings, tap "Linked Accounts," and connect their Spotify account first. The process takes less than a minute and only needs to happen once.
What Songs End Up in Your Blend
Instagram and Spotify use your listening history to decide which songs go into the blend. The playlist is not a straightforward 50-50 split. Instead, it weights songs based on how much you and your friend actually listen to them. If you both love the same artist, that artist appears more often. If only you listen to a genre, some of those songs still make it in, but fewer than songs you both enjoy.
The blend includes roughly 50 songs, though the exact number varies. It pulls from your top tracks, your friend's top tracks, and songs you have both saved or marked as liked. Spotify also factors in songs you have listened to recently, not just all-time favorites, so the blend reflects what you are both into right now, not just what you liked years ago.
Songs you have explicitly disliked or skipped repeatedly do not appear in the blend. Spotify tracks skips and uses that signal to keep music you do not want out of the shared playlist.
How Blends Update Over Time
A blend is not a static snapshot. Every time you or your friend listen to new music, Spotify recalculates what goes into the blend. If you start listening to a new artist heavily, that artist will begin appearing in the blend within days. If your friend stops listening to a genre they used to love, those songs gradually disappear from the playlist.
You do not have to do anything to make this happen. The blend updates automatically in the background. Both of you will see the same updated playlist when you open it in Spotify, though the order of songs may differ slightly based on Spotify's algorithm.
The refresh happens roughly weekly, though Spotify does not publish exact timing. If you want to see changes faster, the only way is to listen to more music — the more you and your friend listen, the more data Spotify has to work with, and the more the blend can shift.
Sharing and Deleting a Blend
Once a blend exists, you can share it with other people through Spotify's normal sharing options. Open the blend in Spotify, tap the three dots, and select "Share." You can send it via text, email, social media, or any other method Spotify offers. People who receive the link can listen to the blend even if they do not have Spotify accounts, though they will see a preview rather than the full playlist.
Either you or your friend can delete the blend at any time. In Spotify, open the blend, tap the three dots, and select "Delete Blend" or "Remove." The blend disappears from both accounts when ready. If you delete a blend and want to create a new one with the same person, you can start over using the Instagram Blend sticker.
Deleting a blend does not affect your regular Spotify library or any other playlists. It only removes the shared blend playlist.
Why a Blend Might Not Work
If you try to create a blend and nothing happens, the most common reason is that your friend does not have Spotify connected to Instagram. Ask them to check their Instagram settings under "Linked Accounts" and make sure Spotify is there. If it is not, they need to tap "Connect" and sign in with their Spotify credentials.
Another reason is that one or both of you have privacy settings that block third-party connections. If you recently changed your Instagram privacy settings or Spotify permissions, try disconnecting and reconnecting your accounts. Go to Instagram Settings > Linked Accounts, tap Spotify, and select "Disconnect." Then tap "Connect" again and sign in.
If the Blend sticker does not appear in your Stories camera, make sure you have the latest version of Instagram installed. Check your app store for updates. Older versions of Instagram do not have the Blend feature.
Blend vs. Other Spotify Sharing Options
Spotify has other ways to share music with friends, and Blend is different from all of them. A regular shared playlist is one you create and control — you add songs, remove songs, and decide who can edit it. A blend is automatic and equal: both people contribute equally, and neither person controls what goes in.
Spotify's "Song Radio" feature creates a playlist based on one song, not on two people's listening histories. Blend is specifically designed to show musical overlap between two people, which is why it pulls from both accounts.
If you want a playlist you control, create a regular shared playlist in Spotify. If you want to see what you and a friend have in common musically, use Blend. If you want recommendations based on one song, use Song Radio.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I create a blend with more than one person?
No. Blend only works between two people at a time. If you want to create a blend with multiple friends, you would need to make separate blends with each person. There is no group blend feature.
Does my friend see everything I listen to?
No. Your friend only sees the songs that appear in the blend itself, not your full listening history. The blend shows overlap and some unique songs from each person, but it does not expose your complete Spotify library or every song you have ever played.
What if I do not want my friend to see my music taste?
Do not create a blend with them. If you have already created one, you can delete it from your Spotify account. Deleting it on your end removes it from both accounts. You can also disconnect Spotify from Instagram entirely if you do not want to use any features that connect the two apps.
Can I create a blend if my friend uses a free Spotify account?
Yes. Blend works with both free and paid Spotify accounts. Your friend does not need a Premium subscription to create or listen to a blend.
How often should I check my blend to see new songs?
There is no set schedule. Check whenever you want new music to listen to. The blend updates roughly weekly based on your listening activity, so checking more than once a day is unlikely to show new changes. If you want the blend to update faster, listen to more music and encourage your friend to do the same.