A music game for Zoom, Teams and FaceTime nights

How a call game works

1. 1

   Start a call game

   Pick “On a call” and share the invite link in the call chat.

2. 2

   Previews play on every phone

   Everyone hears the same 30 seconds at the same moment.

3. 3

   Score and reveal

   Secret scores, then the Big Reveal on everyone’s screen.

What you need

• A video or voice call that everyone is on. Any app will do.
• A phone each to play on. The call can run on the same phone, or on a laptop next to it.
• Nothing else. No TV and no music app: every phone plays each track’s 30-second preview from Apple Music.
• Between 3 and 10 players, or up to 20 if the host has a lifetime tier, wherever they are.

A round on a call, step by step

1. The host picks “On a call”, taps “Copy invite for the call chat” and pastes it in. Everyone taps the link and picks a nickname.
2. In the lobby, everyone taps “Tap to enable sound” once so their phone can play the previews.
3. A card is dealt on every phone. Everyone picks a track in secret and locks it in.
4. On each turn, every phone plays the same preview at the same moment and shows the title. Everyone except the picker scores it in secret.
5. After the last round, the Big Reveal and the podium appear on every phone, with the night’s playlist to open afterwards.

Tips

• Turn your phone’s volume up after you tap to enable sound. The music comes from your phone, not through the call.
• Want more than 30 seconds? “Open in” takes anyone straight to the full track in their own music app.
• If a track has no preview, its picker plays it from their music app and shares their sound on the call, or pastes the song’s link in the chat.
• Keep your camera on. Half the fun is watching faces when a guilty pleasure starts playing.
• Big call? Use the arrows in the lobby to set the turn order, so everyone knows who’s up next.
• If someone’s phone drops out, they open Top Tracks again in the same browser and tap “Rejoin game”, or tap the invite link. Their seat and points are kept.

Variations to try

• Full tracks instead of previews

  The host can switch “Play previews” off in the lobby. Then each player plays their track from their own music app and shares their sound on the call.

• Teams on a call

  Split the call into 2 to 6 teams. Teammates suggest tracks privately, and each team’s captain locks one in.

• A remote league

  Can’t all make the same evening? A league owner can switch a league to Remote (asynchronous). Rounds then run over days: everyone picks before a deadline, then listens and scores in their own time. Everyone taking part needs the Remote leagues add-on as well as the full game.

Questions people ask

Which call apps work?

Any: Zoom, Teams, Meet, FaceTime, WhatsApp. Top Tracks runs alongside it on your phone.

Will the music echo on the call?

Mute your mic while previews play, or use headphones.

Can we play every week?

Yes, and leagues keep a season table.

Do we need a TV?

No. Every phone shows the card, the scores and the results. You can still connect a TV if you want to share it on the call.

Are any cards left out?

Yes: Perform and Shuffle cards, because they need everyone in one room. The rest of the deck plays as normal.

Does everyone need a music app?

No. Previews play on every phone, so a phone and a web browser are enough. A music app only matters if the host switches previews off, or for a track with no preview.