Spotify App Not Coming to Apple TV 'Anytime Soon'

[friedmud]

It feels like Spotify is abandoning the Apple platform. No tvOS app... no watchOS app.

It feels like they've confused Apple (the company) with their customers who use Apple products. They are in a fight with Apple and that's leading to them hurting their own customers.

I'm a very loyal Spotify user (absolutely love the service)... but every time I go for a run and I have to bring my phone with me because Spotify doesn't work on my Watch it makes me think twice. Only a matter of time before this kind of behavior starts to erode their user base.

 

[mdelvecchio]

Spotify could avoid all this "bad blood" if they forgot about trying to sell new subscriptions in-app and just focused on a companion playback app for existing customers. you know, the people paying them money.

to not serve the customer based on drama with apple reveals that they don't respect their customers very much.

amazon is in the same exact boat with its missing Prime video player for tvOS.

 

[orbital~debris]

Why do people want to LISTEN to music on a TV? I prefer to do it on a good set of speaker designed for the job. Currently it is on Sonos speakers. Not the best, but for the price and functionality, it was the best I could find when I bought them. I would like to get Amazon Prime Video on the Apple TV, as that might get me to cut Netflix out.

Because - at least in my situation - my main (and largest) TV is in the living room. Therefore it's where I watch most TV and movies. And as a result, that's where the soundbar and sub-woofer is situated, connected to that TV. And for the same reason, my Apple TV is there too.

Also, the living room is a shared space, so good if a number of people want to listen to music together. Plus you get nice large cover art, and can have the excellent Apple TV screensaver on. It's a relaxing scenario to listen to music.

 

[mdelvecchio]

I wonder if we'll ever see a SiriusXM app for the Apple TV. That would be really nice to have.

request it to Sirius on their twitter, i did. they said they'd forward the requests to their dev team.

but SXM is a rip off in my book. for the tier with app support it's $15/mo...for streaming music. no entire catalog access. apple music is $10 or $15 for an entire family, all with streaming, stations, and catalog access.
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It really is a bummer. I wish I hadn't used my "free 3 months" of Apple Music so early in the game. Now that a lot of the kinks have been worked out, and a more friendly UI is in place with iOS 10, it may be time to switch. I just wish I could give Apple Music a proper trial now.

you can't afford 10 bucks for one month? that's less than 2 beers these days.
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Why do people want to LISTEN to music on a TV? I prefer to do it on a good set of speaker designed for the job. Currently it is on Sonos speakers. Not the best, but for the price and functionality, it was the best I could find when I bought them. I would like to get Amazon Prime Video on the Apple TV, as that might get me to cut Netflix out.

why wouldn't your home receiver have very good speakers plugged into it? mine does. and an apple tv.

 

[KALLT]

Now that a lot of the kinks have been worked out, and a more friendly UI is in place with iOS 10, it may be time to switch. I just wish I could give Apple Music a proper trial now.

I don’t know what issues you had with it before, but IMO the app is not better in any way, the opposite is true. The redesign drove me away for good.

This is a stupid move for Spotify. Devs with less resources have created tvOS apps and Spotify has to "down prioritize" this???? Stupid.

Hey Spotify.... learn from Netflix.... get your app on every device available. It pays off.

Spotify works with many other platforms, just not the Apple TV. Has Apple actually given any insight as to the popularity of Apple TV 4? Just because the Apple TV exists, does not mean that all developers want to develop for it. Spotify has lukewarm support for Apple and I can completely understand why they would want to focus their efforts on something else. Their business model is threatened by Apple.

Also, no one is forcing Spotify to raise their price to $12.99. They do so to cover for Apple's 30% cut, because they don't want to destroy their profit margin. That’s on Spotify, not Apple.

Apple is foreclosing competition in a market they themselves operate in. If Apple Music is getting any bigger, and they are getting closer and closer, I can see that becoming a problem for them at one point.

 

[Carlanga]

another one bites the dust...
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I'm not surprised. This poorly thought out strategy has been taken by other companies that compete with Apple like Amazon and Vudu. These companies think they are punishing Apple and making their company stronger by not making apps but in reality they're digging their own grave as users will switch to Apple or another company's service that is supported on Apple devices. This strategy only works when the company is not the market leader but Apple is clearly the leader.

no they won't. apple is not the leader on the digital content tv box market. No one is punishing apple, most do it to promote their own boxes. Most of them you can airplay from their ios apps. If they were 'punishing' apple they would not let you airplay or even have an ios app.

 

[Karma*Police]

Why do people want to LISTEN to music on a TV? I prefer to do it on a good set of speaker designed for the job. Currently it is on Sonos speakers. Not the best, but for the price and functionality, it was the best I could find when I bought them. I would like to get Amazon Prime Video on the Apple TV, as that might get me to cut Netflix out.

When there's nothing on TV, I sometimes launch Apple music and with a swipe down on the Apple TV remote, I can AirPlay it to my JBL's. The ease, convenience and integration with other Apple devices is fantastic.

 

[jdoll021]

So nice of Apple and Spotify to have their customers in mind as they bicker with each other.

 

[naeS1Sean]

I don't know. Maybe I'm the minority, but I've tried Spotify, Google Play Music, and Apple Music and I like Apple Music the best by far. Even before the UI refresh.

 

[yanksfan114]

How about instead of being bitter at competitors you build the best service for your customers? Spotify is just giving other streaming services a bigger edge by abstaining from platforms.

 

[rhoydotp]

Why do people want to LISTEN to music on a TV? I prefer to do it on a good set of speaker designed for the job

are you seriously asking why or are you essentially saying we are wrong in doing so? it sounded like the latter, though.

 

[inhalexhale1]

It feels like Spotify is abandoning the Apple platform. No tvOS app... no watchOS app.

It feels like they've confused Apple (the company) with their customers who use Apple products. They are in a fight with Apple and that's leading to them hurting their own customers.

I'm a very loyal Spotify user (absolutely love the service)... but every time I go for a run and I have to bring my phone with me because Spotify doesn't work on my Watch it makes me think twice. Only a matter of time before this kind of behavior starts to erode their user base.

You can leave the house without your phone, and still stream music from the watch to headphones?

 

[2457282]

Because the TV is typically connected to your main sound system?????

My Apple TV is connected into my 5.1 system.
It's actually a great feature to tell Siri to play the music I want in my living room.
Bummer for Spotify costumers, but you all get a web interface...

Because - at least in my situation - my main (and largest) TV is in the living room. Therefore it's where I watch most TV and movies. And as a result, that's where the soundbar and sub-woofer is situated, connected to that TV. And for the same reason, my Apple TV is there too.

Also, the living room is a shared space, so good if a number of people want to listen to music together. Plus you get nice large cover art, and can have the excellent Apple TV screensaver on. It's a relaxing scenario to listen to music.

why wouldn't your home receiver have very good speakers plugged into it? mine does. and an apple tv.

When there's nothing on TV, I sometimes launch Apple music and with a swipe down on the Apple TV remote, I can AirPlay it to my JBL's. The ease, convenience and integration with other Apple devices is fantastic.

are you seriously asking why or are you essentially saying we are wrong in doing so? it sounded like the latter, though.

Okay, I get it. It seems most people have one sound system connected to the TV and that then is used as the main sound system. Makes sense in that situation. I don't have a TV in the living room or shared space. There is a separate room for the TV in our house. But even when I did have the TV in a shared area, I always had a separate system for music than for TV/Movie watching. It may be my days as a DJ or just that I am older, but to me there is a different speaker need for listening versus watching. Both have sound, but especially in classical music the speakers have to have a much wider range and the sound needs to be separated between base, mid, and tweeters to really get a good music experience. My Sonos are not perfect but they are way better than my the samsung sound bar attached to the samsung TV.

Given the situation described by most, it does make sense to have the app in the TV. Using Airplay from your phone sucks because once you get a phone call it kills everything.

 

[jdillings]

no they won't. apple is not the leader on the digital content tv box market.

Wrong. They are tied in the lead with Roku in sales of set top boxes. They only segment they don't lead in is sticks which they don't sell. Besides, Spotify's decision on what set top boxes to support has zero to do with which has the most sales. Spotify made an app for Shield TV which has at most 5% of the market. And yes they are digging their grave. If you think Apple customers are going to drop Apple to get access to Spotify, you're delusional (just like the decision makers at Spotify). They are just giving current customers more reasons to switch to Apple Music. It's as dumb as Amazon's decision to stop selling Chromecasts and Apple TVs, thinking it will boost the sales of Fire TVs. People will just go elsewhere to buy them.

 

[Rigby]

Spotify could avoid all this "bad blood" if they forgot about trying to sell new subscriptions

Yeah, stop trying to make money and give us a tvOS app.

and just focused on a companion playback app for existing customers. you know, the people paying them money.

Spotify is actually available on many more devices than Apple Music, just not on some Apple devices that only a small number of people use to consume music. Why not blame Apple for not making AM available on Roku, smart TVs, car audios, Sonos speakers etc.?

 

[GeneralChang]

Why do people want to LISTEN to music on a TV? I prefer to do it on a good set of speaker designed for the job. Currently it is on Sonos speakers. Not the best, but for the price and functionality, it was the best I could find when I bought them. I would like to get Amazon Prime Video on the Apple TV, as that might get me to cut Netflix out.

The best speakers in my house are hooked into my TV sound system.

 

[KALLT]

Spotify is just giving other streaming services a bigger edge by abstaining from platforms.

Are you actually serious? Spotify runs on almost everything, including all major desktop and smartphone platforms, it runs on ChromeCast, Google Home, Amazon Echo, Roku, Sonos, Boxee, Samsung Smart TV, PlayStation and so forth. If you ever buy a non-Apple media device, chances are awfully good that Spotify will run, whereas Apple Music will likely not.

 

[gitarrero]

Agreed with other comments. I switched from Spotify to Apple Music primarily to have offline music stored on my Apple Watch. Ditto for Apple TV. And all this despite preferring Spotify interface and music suggestions.

Same here

 

[Good User Name]

Okay, I get it. It seems most people have one sound system connected to the TV and that then is used as the main sound system. Makes sense in that situation. I don't have a TV in the living room or shared space. There is a separate room for the TV in our house. But even when I did have the TV in a shared area, I always had a separate system for music than for TV/Movie watching. It may be my days as a DJ or just that I am older, but to me there is a different speaker need for listening versus watching. Both have sound, but especially in classical music the speakers have to have a much wider range and the sound needs to be separated between base, mid, and tweeters to really get a good music experience. My Sonos are not perfect but they are way better than my the samsung sound bar attached to the samsung TV.

Given the situation described by most, it does make sense to have the app in the TV. Using Airplay from your phone sucks because once you get a phone call it kills everything.

I'm still not quite sure why you didn't/wouldn't have your TV connected to the best sound system you've got. It certainly isn't because you're older as people have had their TVs hooked into their receivers for as long as they've been capable of doing that.

 

[Carlanga]

Wrong. They are tied in the lead with Roku in sales of set top boxes. They only segment they don't lead in is sticks which they don't sell...

lol, hit me up w a link to that tied in #1st place article.

 

[2457282]

I'm still not quite sure why you didn't/wouldn't have your TV connected to the best sound system you've got. It certainly isn't because you're older as people have had their TVs hooked into their receivers for as long as they've been capable of doing that.

There are two reasons for me. First is that I keep the TV in a separate room and I listen to music everywhere else other than in the TV room. Second, I don't really watch TV. In a previous house I had a full blown theater set up with a 110 inch screen that came down from the ceiling and an LCD projector and a 7.1 Onkyo surround sound system. Used it so infrequently that when I moved I gave the system away. Now I have a 42" samsung TV with the matching sound bar and the ATV4. And still I rarely turn that on. When I do, I watch something on Netflix or rent a movie through Apple. Maybe once per month at most.

 

[Hastings101]

Maybe there aren't enough users to justify the app, it's not like Apple TV is the leader of the streaming device market lol. Probably the low market share combined with the 30% fee means no Spotify. Or they're just ignoring them out of spite like the Vita/3DS/Wii/U

 

[69Mustang]

I'm still not quite sure why you didn't/wouldn't have your TV connected to the best sound system you've got. It certainly isn't because you're older as people have had their TVs hooked into their receivers for as long as they've been capable of doing that.

Priority. He said he has a soundbar attached to his TV. That probably more than adequate for his needs. I have 6 TV's. Only 3 of them are hooked to external speakers. Only one is hooked to a proper receiver. My music is on totally separate systems consisting of 5 different zones. Different, but certainly not unique.

 

[yanksfan114]

Are you actually serious? Spotify runs on almost everything, including all major desktop and smartphone platforms, it runs on ChromeCast, Google Home, Amazon Echo, Roku, Sonos, Boxee, Samsung Smart TV, PlayStation and so forth. If you ever buy a non-Apple media device, chances are awfully good that Spotify will run, whereas Apple Music will likely not.

I'm not talking specifically about Apple Music, I meant every streaming service. If you restrict your service from a platform but other services such as AM or Pandora are on it, it could be frustrating for users. Obviously Spotify is generally platform agnostic but the Apple TV is still a decently popular device. Being a competitor shouldn't bar you from extending your platform especially since it's already support on the iPhone anyway.

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

I'm not surprised. This poorly thought out strategy has been taken by other companies that compete with Apple like Amazon and Vudu. These companies think they are punishing Apple and making their company stronger by not making apps but in reality they're digging their own grave as users will switch to Apple or another company's service that is supported on Apple devices. This strategy only works when the company is not the market leader but Apple is clearly the leader.

Apple isn't the market leader though. Android has far more market share than iOS. Apple TV isn't a market leader either - there's no shortage of competitors that are doing about as well as Apple.