Spotify.pngSpotify on Friday added a new feature that allows subscribers to use an iPhone or iPad as a remote control for playback on their Mac. The new feature is available for free as part of Spotify's $9.99 monthly premium subscription.

We've just released a great new Premium feature, which lets you play Spotify through your computer, using your phone or tablet as a remote. Use the Spotify app to control the sound. It's brilliant if your laptop’s hooked up to your speakers. Or if you just don’t want to get off the couch.

Using the new Connect for Computers feature is simple, according to Spotify's setup instructions. After downloading the latest version of the mobile and desktop app, subscribers only need to log in, tap the "Now Playing" bar and hit "Connect" to direct music from an iPhone or iPad to a computer and its connected speakers.


Spotify is among the leading music streaming subscription services, sitting behind market leader Pandora and edging out Apple's Beats Music in App Store Revenue. Spotify recently introduced a new Family Plan feature that allows premium subscribers to add up to four additional lines for $4.99 each.

Top Rated Comments

T-Munns Avatar
118 months ago
"The new feature is available for free as part of Spotify's $9.99 monthly premium subscription."


It's free as long as you pay for it...
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bookwormsy Avatar
118 months ago
Finally! Spotify Connect has been available on mobile-to-mobile and mobile to other devices for a while, but finally! Mobile-to-computer! Now for computer-to-mobile.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Fofer Avatar
117 months ago
To those saying use AirPlay, this is much better for me and I'm sure for many other people too.

AirPlay requires both devices to be on the same WiFi network - and only a home WiFi network. Even if they're on the same enterprise or university WiFi network then they won't be able to see each other.

Spotify Connect tells their servers what song is playing on which device. So if I play a song on my iPhone, I can select to play it on my Mac. Even if my phone is on 4G and the Mac is on ethernet, then it will still see it and can select songs - these will stream from the ethernet on the Mac and play on there.
Yes! This is very cool indeed. I just tested the interaction of Spotify Connect between my iPhone 6, the beta of Spotify on my MacBook Air, and my new Yamaha receiver (that has Spotify built into it.) I was able to send Spotify music from the iPhone to the Mac and the Yamaha, and from the Mac to the iPhone and the Yamaha too.

I even took my iPhone off WiFi, and used LTE, and was still able to keep these devices in sync. Odd, then, that this note says that "all devices [must be] on the same WiFi."

https://support.spotify.com/us/learn-more/guides/#!/article/spotify-connect

(Because that's simply not true.)
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JaJaWa Avatar
118 months ago
To those saying use AirPlay, this is much better for me and I'm sure for many other people too.

AirPlay requires both devices to be on the same WiFi network - and only a home WiFi network. Even if they're on the same enterprise or university WiFi network then they won't be able to see each other.

Spotify Connect tells their servers what song is playing on which device. So if I play a song on my iPhone, I can select to play it on my Mac. Even if my phone is on 4G and the Mac is on ethernet, then it will still see it and can select songs - these will stream from the ethernet on the Mac and play on there. If I introduce my iPad too then that also knows what's going on and I can select songs on there, all devices update live and show the current position in the song whilst still playing out the speakers connected to my Mac.

I was listening on a song on my Mac directly earlier today. Later in the day, I pulled my iPhone out of my pocket to go to the shop, and it told me what I was listening to on my Mac earlier and asked if I'd like to resume playback on my phone. I did.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tkermit Avatar
118 months ago
This is awesome. I'm not sure I'm ready to pay $120 a year for that feature though... :confused:
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Glassed Silver Avatar
118 months ago
"The new feature is available for free as part of Spotify's $9.99 monthly premium subscription."


It's free as long as you pay for it...

Exactly lol

Meanwhile, I'll enjoy Apple's free Remote app.

Glassed Silver:mac
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

apple card 1

Apple Ending Apple Card Partnership With Goldman Sachs

Tuesday November 28, 2023 3:09 pm PST by
Apple is ending its credit card partnership with Goldman Sachs, according to The Wall Street Journal. Apple plans to stop working with Goldman Sachs in the next 12 to 15 months, and it is not yet clear if Apple has established a new partnership for the Apple Card. Apple and Goldman Sachs will dissolve their entire consumer partnership, including the Apple Card and the Apple Savings account....
ios 17 namedrop

Police Departments and News Sites Spreading Misinformation About How iOS 17 NameDrop Feature Works

Monday November 27, 2023 5:11 pm PST by
Apple with iOS 17.1 and watchOS 10.1 introduced a new NameDrop feature that is designed to allow users to place Apple devices near one another to quickly exchange contact information. Sharing contact information is done with explicit user permission, but some news organizations and police departments have been spreading misinformation about how functions. As noted by The Washington Post,...
Apple Logo

Apple Discontinued These 5 Products This Year

Monday November 27, 2023 7:03 am PST by
As the end of 2023 nears, now is a good opportunity to look back at some of the devices and accessories that Apple discontinued throughout the year. Apple products discontinued in 2023 include the iPhone 13 mini, 13-inch MacBook Pro, MagSafe Battery Pack, MagSafe Duo Charger, and leather accessories. Also check out our lists of Apple products discontinued in 2022 and 2021. iPhone Mini ...
iOS 17

iOS 17.1.2 Update for iPhone Likely to Be Released This Week

Monday November 27, 2023 8:24 am PST by
Apple will likely release iOS 17.1.2 this week, based on mounting evidence of the software in our website's analytics logs in recent days. As a minor update, iOS 17.1.2 should be focused on bug fixes, but it's unclear exactly which issues might be addressed. Some users have continued to experience Wi-Fi issues on iOS 17.1.1, so perhaps iOS 17.1.2 will include the same fix for Wi-Fi...
iOS 17

Everything New in iOS 17.2 Beta 4

Tuesday November 28, 2023 12:18 pm PST by
Apple is wrapping up development on iOS 17.2, with the update expected to come out in December. While we're getting to the end of the beta testing period, Apple is still tweaking features and adding new functionality. We've rounded up everything new in the fourth beta of iOS 17.2. Default Notification Sound Under Sounds & Haptics, there's a new "Default Alerts" section that allows you to ...
All New CarPlay Five New Features Article 2

What to Expect From All-New CarPlay, Still Listed as Coming 'Late 2023'

Tuesday November 28, 2023 7:44 am PST by
At WWDC in June 2022, Apple previewed the next generation of CarPlay, promising deeper integration with vehicle functions like A/C and FM radio, support for multiple displays across the dashboard, increased personalization, and more. Apple's website still says the first vehicles with support for the next-generation CarPlay experience will be announced in "late 2023," but it has not shared...
Google Drive

Some Google Drive Users' Files Have Mysteriously Vanished

Tuesday November 28, 2023 3:55 am PST by
Google Drive users have been warned not to disconnect their account within the Google Drive for desktop app, after a spate of reports of files going missing from the cloud service. Alarm bells began ringing last week on Google's community support site when some users reported files mysteriously disappearing from Google Drive, with some posters claiming six or more months of data had...