Popular music service Spotify today announced that it will be launching a new "Spotify Connect" feature in its mobile and desktop apps, allowing users to wirelessly stream their music to compatible home audio systems and other devices. The feature is similar in many ways to Apple's AirPlay standard, and supports background streaming to allow users to continue using their devices for other tasks while streaming music.
Bring your music home. You walk through the door, listening to a great playlist on your phone. With Connect, just hit play on your living room speakers and the music instantly fires up, right where you left off. You won’t miss a beat.
Then pick up your tablet to control the music from your sofa. Or switch the sound to your iPod Touch in the kitchen’s docking station. Keep the music flowing with Connect.
Spotify has announced partnerships with a number of major home audio system manufacturers, including Pioneer, Philips, and Denon, and Spotify Connect will be "available soon" on iOS devices for subscribers to Spotify's $9.99/month Premium service. Support for Android devices and desktop apps will be available "in the coming months".
Top Rated Comments
Because this is what happens when you deal with Apple and their ridiculous closed protocols. If Apple allowed other devices to use airplay then it might take off but until then Spotify and companies like it don't have a choice but to make their own.
Why would this be any better than AirPlay?
Airfoil (http://www.rogueamoeba.com/airfoil/) lets you Airplay audio from all apps to multiple outputs. I use it with my Airport Expresses and Griffin Twenty amps (http://www.griffintechnology.com/twenty) around the house at a fraction of the cost of a Sonos system.
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5 seconds? My lag is more like 1-2. At least the synching is perfect for multiple audio out from any application.
Agreed. It's straight silly at this point.
You should have a look at the mac program "Airfoil", I think this is a pretty good solution for music streaming to Airplay devices.