Spotify Announces AirPlay-Like 'Spotify Connect' for Wireless Audio Streaming

Tuesday September 3, 2013 8:39 AM PDT by Eric Slivka
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".

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Quu
84 months ago
Just support Airplay already! :rolleyes:
Rating: 4 Votes
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WordMasterRice
84 months ago

this? why do we need bazillion features that work the same i know that airplay is different than bluetooth but the average user wouldnt need anything more than bluetooth, and now spoitify connect too, why?


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.
Rating: 3 Votes
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steipete
84 months ago
Why would this be any better than AirPlay?

Why would this be any better than AirPlay?
Rating: 3 Votes
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tsuma
84 months ago

Already aware of this program but it isn't needed with Mountain Lion as that functionality is baked right in.


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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I've used it, it's crap. Why? Laggy.

Start music in Spotify (5 seconds later) music plays on Airport. Change volume (5 seconds later) adjusts on Airport Express. Pause music (5 seconds later) Airport Stops playing Music.

iTunes is INSTANT. This is what I want, instant. Not this laggy 5 second delay stuff. I used Airfoil, it's crap.


5 seconds? My lag is more like 1-2. At least the synching is perfect for multiple audio out from any application.
Rating: 1 Votes
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GoCubsGo
84 months ago

Just support Airplay already! :rolleyes:


Agreed. It's straight silly at this point.
Rating: 1 Votes
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lars666
84 months ago

Not on the desktop client. Which for me is the only one that matters.


You should have a look at the mac program "Airfoil", I think this is a pretty good solution for music streaming to Airplay devices.
Rating: 1 Votes
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WordMasterRice
84 months ago

If I understand this correctly, the difference to Airplay is that you don't stream Spotify directly from the iPhone (using its resources and battery) lto a speaker, but really "change" to this special speaker (which needs to be not only an Airplay speaker, but a special one with "real" Spotify ability) - and from then on, the combined speaker/Spotify radio station does all the computing work and the iPhone only still works as a remote.

Am I right? (If not, I don't see the benefit to normal Airplay either.)


I think you are correct. I think this benefits all platforms because now you aren't restricted to an i-device to airplay from, and it lets you control the stream from any device, not just the one that is "airplaying".
Rating: 1 Votes
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thenaes
84 months ago

Just support Airplay already! :rolleyes:


Umm... they do?

Pass.

I'm either investing in more Airplay stuff next year or i'm going Sonos. This is just another Chromecast.

Spotify has mentioned nothing about this new protocol that isn't already being done.

Except this is better than Chromecast (at least for audio). Spotify has hardware partners and it is being built-into those products. This is similar to being "DLNA certified" or "AirPlay certified". It will co-exist and will just be another set of software running on these devices.

Chromecast is limited to the one device that Google has built.
Rating: 1 Votes
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street.cory
84 months ago
I'm Confused.,.

I've been using Airplay with Spotify since it came out. I'm not sure if this is their way of bridging the iOS/Android gap or if there was something else they wanted to do that they couldn't do with Airplay.

Hmm.
Rating: 1 Votes
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nuckinfutz
84 months ago
Pass.

I'm either investing in more Airplay stuff next year or i'm going Sonos. This is just another Chromecast.

Spotify has mentioned nothing about this new protocol that isn't already being done.
Rating: 1 Votes
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