How to Use Spotify With HomePod Through AirPlay

[MacRumors]

Apple's new HomePod smart speaker is designed primarily for Apple devices, and it's heavily tied to the Apple ecosystem. Natively, you can only stream music on the HomePod through an Apple Music subscription, iTunes purchases, or iTunes Match content uploaded to iCloud Music Library.

It might sound like you're out of luck if you subscribe to a third-party music service like Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Prime Music, Google Play Music, Tidal, or another option, but it's not impossible -- you can still play content from these services to HomePod, you'll just need to use AirPlay to do it.

With most music apps, you can start up a song and then choose a device to play to right from within the app. These instructions will be specific to Spotify.

1. Open Spotify and choose a track to play.
2. On the main screen that shows song details, tap on "Devices Available."
3. Choose "More Devices."
   
4. Tap on the icon for your HomePod, and music will be streamed directly to it.

Here's an alternative method that works with Spotify and all other music apps:

1. Start a song in Spotify or another app.
2. Open the Control Center on the iPhone or iPad.
3. 3D Touch or long press on the music widget.
4. Tap on the AirPlay icon in the upper right side of the widget.
   
5. Select the HomePod icon.

It will take a few seconds for the iPhone or iPad to connect to HomePod, but once it's connected, your music will be streamed to HomePod from your iPhone.

You generally need an Apple device to stream music to the HomePod because it requires AirPlay functionality, but some HTC phones support AirPlay, and there are unofficial third-party Android apps that work with AirPlay, so these devices may also work with the HomePod. You can't, however, connect devices to the HomePod over a Bluetooth connection.

When streaming music to HomePod through AirPlay, you're not going to have full Siri support, but you can use Siri to play/pause music, change the volume, and change music tracks.

Article Link: How to Use Spotify With HomePod Through AirPlay

 

[levitynyc]

Seems like a pain in the ass.

I'll stick with my Echo and Sonos.

 

[hounslowfish]

This is presumably still with Airplay 1?

It should lose the delay in playing the music when Airplay 2 is rolled out.

 

[penajmz]

Seems like a pain in the ass.

I'll stick with my Echo and Sonos.

Seriously? Lol

 

[dlemmon]

Seems like a pain in the ass.

I'll stick with my Echo and Sonos.

The struggle is real.

 

[JosephAW]

I wonder if the HomePod will work on an intranet? I don't have internet but use an intranet. That would be a major oops if it only worked if connected to the internet.

 

[ignatius345]

If you're a Spotify user, this lack of support downgrades HomePod from being a voice-controlled "smart speaker" to being just any old AirPlay-connect speaker. From all accounts, the sound is awesome and it may still be worth it for some people, but it's a shame it's not capable of connecting with Spotify in any meaningful way.
[doublepost=1518290781][/doublepost]

I wonder if the HomePod will work on an intranet? I don't have internet but use an intranet. That would be a major oops if it only worked if connected to the internet.

My understanding was that Siri voice commands are all sent off to somewhere else for processing and recognition by some much beefier set of machines in a data center somewhere. I could be wrong about that though...

 

[jontech]

The sound is phenomenal and Siri gets my commands right.

Been using it with Google Play and it sounds great

 

[dampfnudel]

It looks like the only way Spotify would get fully integrated with the HomePod would be if Apple bought them. I understand why Apple is doing it, but at the same time you can’t argue away that Apple isn’t shortchanging their customers compared to the HomePod’s competition. Professional reviewers have also pointed that out. For some of you that doesn’t matter, but for some it does. Of course, the firmware is only one easy change away from fixing that.

 

[ocifersven]

Or ...I don’t know... You could just switch to Apple Music and be done with it. The price is the same and you get Siri support. I had both on iOS and only saw limitations using Spotify.

 

[GadgetBen]

Just get Apple Music! You own an iPhone!

 

[krazzix]

Seems like a pain in the ass.

I'll stick with my Echo and Sonos.

Are you serious? A few years back AirPlay was considered the most user friendly way to play your music wirelessly. And now it has degraded to a pita?

 

[budfoot]

Wow. That’s a process. All I have to do is say: “alexa, play Spotify”.

 

[joshen]

Just get Apple Music! You own an iPhone!

Tell Apple to improve AM and I will

 

[itsmilo]

Or ...I don’t know... You could just switch to Apple Music and be done with it. The price is the same and you get Siri support. I had both on iOS and only saw limitations using Spotify.

AM sucks ass tho. I would literally pay twice as much for Spotify just for their categories and playlists

Are you serious? A few years back AirPlay was considered the most user friendly way to play your music wirelessly. And now it has degraded to a pita?

Spotify Connect is great cuz it actually streams from the speaker and you just use another device to control it so it doesnt interrupt anything on the device you are controling it with and has little to no impact on battery life cuz it doesnt need to constantly push the stream to the speaker. With airplay on the other hand i actually have to stream it to the HomePod from the iPhone

 

[Michael Scrip]

If you're a Spotify user, this lack of support downgrades HomePod from being a voice-controlled "smart speaker" to being just any old AirPlay-connect speaker.

True... the voice-controlled "smart" features are very cool.

But I'd imagine most of the world is still initiating music on their phones and beaming it to Bluetooth speakers anyway.

And gosh... remember when you had to actually put your phone in the dock of the speaker? Madness!!!

In other words... if you buy a HomePod and have to start Spotify on your phone... it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

At least it's possible to use Spotify with a HomePod.

But yeah... if you want to play Spotify with your voice... perhaps the Apple HomePod isn't the speaker for you.

 

[Steeley]

'Cause baby you're a [DING]rk
Come on [DING] 'em what your [DING]th
Make 'em go "Ah, ah, [DING]
As you shoot acr[DING] the [DING]yyy

AirPlay sucks.

 

[unobtainium]

Just get Apple Music! You own an iPhone!

Apple Music sucks.

Specifically
- Music discovery sucks compared to Spotify
- Lack of year-end playlists (your most listened tracks etc.) and other fun features...sucks
- UI sucks
- Lack of free tier sucks for some people
- In conclusion, Apple Music sucks and the only reason to get it instead of Spotify is if you’re desperate to be as far up Apple’s #*@# as possible.

 

[jontech]

Wow. That’s a process. All I have to do is say: “alexa, play Spotify”.

So you get a choice or crappy sound and easy voice controls when using third party service, or great sound with a more complicated process.

I’ll take the better sound, but that’s just me. On the other hand for years I’ve bought iTunes movies over blu Ray for expediency and convenience and sacrificed quality. Depends on what value it has for you.

I’m happy we have so many options!

 

[-BigMac-]

I wonder if the HomePod will work on an intranet? I don't have internet but use an intranet. That would be a major oops if it only worked if connected to the internet.

LOL Nope.
Its marketed towards Siri and Apple Music.
Both of which require internet for full functionality.

 

[jonatron]

Seriously? Lol

The Sonos app is a HUGE pita and so cumbersome. Its prevented me from buying their speakers so many times. Much prefer Airplay and I'm sure a lot of others do too.

 

[JosephAW]

I wonder how well the HomePod works with older iOS devices like my iPhone 4, 5C and iPhone 7+ on iOS 10?

 

[mdelvecchio]

LOL Nope.
Its marketed towards Siri and Apple Music.
Both of which require internet for full functionality.

Nope. If you’re on a private network without internet, AirPlay still works as normal. Of course cloud-based services won’t function but neither would they for any other brand.
[doublepost=1518303003][/doublepost]

If you're a Spotify user, this lack of support downgrades HomePod from being a voice-controlled "smart speaker" to being just any old AirPlay-connect speaker. From all accounts, the sound is awesome and it may still be worth it for some people, but it's a shame it's not capable of connecting with Spotify in any meaningful way.
[doublepost=1518290781][/doublepost]

A few years ago I paid 300 bucks for an AirPlay speaker that did nothing else and sounded like crap. 350 both high quality sound plus native AM and iTunes Match and iCloud Music Library support? Awesome.

Don’t give a crap about Spotify.

 

[skorpeon]

there is an App, SongShift, to change all your playlist from not only Spotify but others like audeeze or youtube playlists into Apple Music. And is the same price tag enjoy your home pod, is ****ign awesome
[doublepost=1518303216][/doublepost]

I wonder how well the HomePod works with older iOS devices like my iPhone 4, 5C and iPhone 7+ on iOS 10?

it doesn't matter what device you use. it work's on its own. it's having his own A8 chip processor and is linked to your apple music through wi-fi ) nothing to do with you iphone 4 although I think for 4's, 5's owners is time to upgrade

 

[jadot]

If the question is quality then buy vinyl.
If the question is convenience then Apple Music on the HomePod will work.
If you really want Spotify buy a Sonos with Alexa.
I don’t get the whining.