How to host an online listening party

A good listening party is part playlist, part hangout. Here's how to plan one, get everyone in, keep it in sync and make it fun, using a free Music2gether lobby.

Updated

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1. Pick a theme and a time

A loose theme makes the queue easier to build and gives people something to talk about. A few that work well:

  • An album release night: the whole record, front to back, the day it comes out.
  • “Songs that got me through”: everyone brings two tracks and a story.
  • A genre deep dive, a decade, or one artist's live performances.
  • A remote DJ night mixing SoundCloud sets and YouTube videos.

If your friends are spread across time zones, share the start time in each zone. Parties of 60 to 90 minutes tend to keep everyone's attention.

2. Build the queue before you start

Start a lobby a few minutes early and load the first songs, so nobody arrives to silence. You can search YouTube from the lobby, paste a YouTube playlist to add it all at once, or paste individual SoundCloud tracks. Use Shuffle if you want a surprise order.

Reuse your set: sign in (it's free) and use Save as Playlist. Next time, add the whole playlist to a new lobby in one click.

3. Invite people

Share the invite link in your group chat, or read out the five-character code on a call. Codes skip easily confused characters like 0/O and 1/I. Guests choose a nickname when they join; people with an account appear with their name and photo.

4. During the party

  • Talk in the chat. Every lobby has a built-in chat, and on a laptop you can pop it out into its own window next to the queue.
  • React to the music. Emoji reactions float over the video for everyone.
  • Let everyone add songs. Anyone can add to the queue, and notifications show who added, moved or skipped what.
  • Agree on skipping. Everyone has the same controls, so for larger groups decide up front whether anyone can skip or only the host.

5. Fix common problems

Someone can't hear anything

Browsers, especially on phones, don't allow audio until you tap the page. Ask them to press Start Listening or the play button. Their volume slider only affects their own device.

Someone is out of sync

Lobbies correct small drift automatically. If a device is badly behind (for example after sleeping), refreshing the page puts it back at the right moment without affecting anyone else.

A song got skipped

Some videos and tracks can't be played on other websites, or are blocked in some countries. They're skipped with a notice so the party keeps going.

6. After the party

The History tab lists everything that played, so you can queue a favourite again or save the night as a playlist. When everyone has left, the lobby, its queue and its chat are deleted after 15 minutes.

Ready? Start a lobby, or read how to listen to YouTube together.

Frequently asked questions

What is an online listening party?

A group of people listening to the same music at the same time from different places, usually with a chat or call alongside. It's the remote version of putting a new album on with friends.

How many people can join a listening party?

Music2gether doesn't set a small cap. It's built for groups of friends, communities and small online events, and each person's browser plays the music itself, so extra listeners don't slow anyone down.

Can the host stop other people from skipping songs?

Not yet: everyone in a lobby has the same controls, and every play, pause, skip and queue change shows who did it. For bigger groups, agree on skip etiquette at the start.

What if someone can't hear anything?

Browsers block audio until you interact with the page, so tap Start Listening (or the play button). If a device falls out of sync, refreshing the page rejoins the lobby at the right moment.

Can we keep the playlist afterwards?

Yes. With a free account, save the lobby's queue as a playlist and add it to any future lobby in one click.