Spotify Pauses Plans to Add AirPlay 2 Support to iOS App [Update: Spotify Clarifies]

See update at bottom of article



Spotify this week confirmed that its plans to add AirPlay 2 support to its iOS app have been placed on indefinite hiatus.

General Spotify Feature
In an online discussion forum post, a Spotify representative said the streaming music service had been working on supporting AirPlay 2, but the company has paused the efforts "for now" due to "audio driver compatibility issues." The representative described AirPlay 2 support as a "bigger project that we won't be able to complete in the foreseeable future."

AirPlay 2 launched as part of iOS 11.4 in May 2018 with several enhancements to the original AirPlay wireless audio protocol, including multi-room audio, Siri voice control, and improved buffering. An app can support AirPlay 2 by implementing AVFoundation framework APIs, with a four-step process outlined on Apple's developer website.

Spotify has also yet to add native support for the HomePod (or its HomePod mini successor), despite Apple opening up the speaker to third-party music services last year. This is despite Spotify filing a complaint against Apple with the European Commission in March 2019 that accused the iPhone maker of "locking Spotify and other competitors out of Apple services such as Siri, HomePod, and Apple Watch."

We've reached out to Spotify for comment and we'll provide an update if we hear back.

Update (Aug 7, 2021): Spotify has reached out and indicates that the original post was not accurate and AirPlay 2 support is still in the works:

A post on one of Spotify’s Community pages contained incomplete information regarding our plans for AirPlay2. Spotify will support AirPlay2 and we’re working to make that a reality.

Spotify has updated the original post with the revised information.

Popular Stories

iphone 16 display

iPhone 17's Scratch Resistant Anti-Reflective Display Coating Canceled

Monday April 28, 2025 12:48 pm PDT by
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors. Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Reaches Key Milestone Ahead of Mass Production

Monday April 28, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report. iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

20th Anniversary iPhone Likely to Be Made in China Due to 'Extraordinarily Complex' Design

Monday April 28, 2025 4:29 am PDT by
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
apple watch ultra yellow

What's Next for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3

Friday April 25, 2025 2:44 pm PDT by
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too. 2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple didn't update the...
iphone 17 air iphone 16 pro

iPhone 17 Air USB-C Port May Have This Unusual Design Quirk

Wednesday April 30, 2025 3:59 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to launch a dramatically thinner iPhone this September, and if recent leaks are anything to go by, the so-called iPhone 17 Air could boast one of the most radical design shifts in recent years. iPhone 17 Air dummy model alongside iPhone 16 Pro (credit: AppleTrack) At just 5.5mm thick (excluding a slightly raised camera bump), the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air is expected to become ...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Feature

All iPhone 17 Models Again Rumored to Feature 12GB of RAM

Tuesday April 29, 2025 3:36 am PDT by
All upcoming iPhone 17 models will come equipped with 12GB of RAM to support Apple Intelligence, according to the Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station. The claim from the Chinese leaker, who has sources within Apple's supply chain, comes a few days after industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will all be equipped with 12GB of RAM. ...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Tuesday April 29, 2025 1:30 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...

Top Rated Comments

BB8 Avatar
49 months ago

I still don't know why any iPhone people have Spotify over Apple Music
because it's better
Score: 89 Votes (Like | Disagree)
eyalben Avatar
49 months ago

I still don't know why any iPhone people have Spotify over Apple Music
1. It’s better
2. It has more songs
3. It has much better recommendations and radios
4. Apple, being Apple, provides mediocre services and support outside the US and some countries in Europe ( mediocre localization, no localize customer service - English only, much smaller library in Apple Music due to incomplete international licenses, etc…)

In my country, Spotify heavily invested in localization, publicly modifying their recommendation algorithm to to adjust local opinion and preferences.
Score: 46 Votes (Like | Disagree)
User 6502 Avatar
49 months ago

I still don't know why any iPhone people have Spotify over Apple Music
Because it’s a much better service.
Score: 44 Votes (Like | Disagree)
apparatchik Avatar
49 months ago
It just took them 3 and a half years to realize it was "too much effort" and that they better not fancy doing it, sounds right on brand for Spotify.
Score: 43 Votes (Like | Disagree)
hagar Avatar
49 months ago
Seems like Spotify wants to drive as many iPhone users as possible towards Apple Music.
Score: 40 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rychiar Avatar
49 months ago
I still don't know why any iPhone people have Spotify over Apple Music
Score: 38 Votes (Like | Disagree)