Apple will be introducing an Apple Music chat extension to Facebook Messenger, making it possible for people to bring the music streaming app into conversations with friends and family members and share music.
Chat extensions are part of version 2.0 of Facebook’s Messenger platform. Spotify, perhaps the biggest competitor to Apple Music, is also introducing a chat extension. Within a Messenger conversation you can access Apple Music — or Spotify — by clicking the newly launched plus sign next to the text box and then finding the extension in the carousel.
Apple Music is available on Android and iOS. Now it’s being packaged up in one of the most popular mobile apps that’s not controlled by Apple itself. Apple Music, which has no free tier and is only available through subscriptions, is one of the most prominent contributors to Apple’s fast-growing Services business, and the company has shown a willingness to make Apple Music widely available. Apple Music in Messenger does make sense in that context.
In December Apple had more than 20 million subscribers. Apple Music does have an iMessage app, but iMessage is not available on Android.
