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Spotify 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.

Article Link: Spotify Connect for Computers Turns An iPhone Into a Remote Control for Mac
 
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"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...
 
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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.
 
Spotify please provide better sonos integration!
Long overdue, isn't it?

I actually ended up cancelling Spotify in August and moving to Google Play Music All Access.

Spotify iPhone / iPad apps are better, but actually GPMAA has excellent integration of your own ripped music, great Sonos integration and just as good a library (as far as I can tell).

If GPMAA can sort out the issue that now and again it loses your offline settings (i.e. you have to reselect the music you want on your device for offline listening and wait for it to download again) and makes the app iPad friendly, I honestly can't see myself even thinking of returning to Spotify. Their crippling of Sonos has left a bit of a nasty taste in the mouth (I understand it's Spotify's failure to provide access to features like Your Music in libspotify that is the issue).
 
This is not a "new feature" - this is an old feature that they're slowly spreading across more devices as their apps for every device try to unevenly catch up to each other (each has a good feature that others are lacking, none is all-inclusive). iOS devices had connect/now playing with each other for many months, but having it finally actually do something that makes sense like control a computer is a good touch even though that should have been that way from the beginning …

For example, I keep getting notifications on my iOS Spotify app on my 6+ that I have new songs by artists I follow AND I have a badge on my ****ing app icon but nowhere within the app can I access this list … even in my inbox I can't respond to messages from friends only listen to the songs they sent me one at a time in order they were received … I have to either go to my mail inbox, then click on the html link, then that opens safari which then creates a loop of opening spotify every single time I try to go back to Safari which in turn opens spotify. Or I can wait until I'm at a computer and access the list then, but not the inbox in the same format of time, but only by sender. It's completely compartmentalized and ridiculous how each version of their app is so hindered and unequal.
 
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Glad to see they finally added this feature. Rdio has had it for a while and it was one of the many reasons I switched off Spotify in favor of Rdio.

I am guessing you can't access the Spotify Desktop apps with this feature, but let me know if I am wrong.
 
I generally stream from either my iPhone (if I'm out, through headphones) or through an iPod Touch that sits parked in a dock in my kitchen and AirPlays to a pair of speakers there. I am sometimes able to hand off playback right from my phone to the iPod when I get home, which is pretty cool.
 
Finally!

I think it's been at least a year of waiting since announcement for them to finally put it on the desktop side.
 
Glad to see they finally added this feature. Rdio has had it for a while and it was one of the many reasons I switched off Spotify in favor of Rdio.

I am guessing you can't access the Spotify Desktop apps with this feature, but let me know if I am wrong.

you are wrong.
 
Is Apple Remote not functional with Spotify?

That's true, it isn't.

I use iTunes anyways, so a) no ads OR paying every month and b) a complete experience c) 25 bucks a year to not rent music, but to rent easier access to what's already mine. And it's highly optional and really just a comfort feature.

Go Team iTunes! :apple:

Ooops, thought you meant the app. :)

Glassed Silver:mac
 
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Is Apple Remote not functional with Spotify?

Not out of the box, but there are third-party apps that let the Apple Remote control Spotify. I use one (Spotify IR or something? can't remember the name right now, but you only have to install it once and then forget about it). I keep the remote in my kitchen so I can control my computer's music in the other room--seems more convenient than needing to get my phone out, which I also tend to leave in that room.

Also, can Spotify Connect allow a phone to start controlling music playing on a computer where the playing was initiated on the desktop? This makes it sound like you need to start playing on the mobile device first, then tell it you want to use the computer. That also seems less useful, since I tend to start music on my computer while I'm in that room, and then maybe later I'll want to control it if I leave the room. But maybe I'm reading this wrong.
 
you are wrong.
Glad to hear. I have always preferred the desktop app to the iOS app. I checked my Spotify account and as fate would have it, this is my last day of paid Spotify. I will check it out when I get home*, but I am still going to stick with Rdio. Its iOS app is better, IMO, and most of the music I listen to is via iOS.

I also have iTunes Match for my own collection, but with Rdio, I have access to 30 million songs and with my collection it is only around 25,000. I am happy to have both.:cool:

* Spoke too soon. They cancelled premium at about 4pm...before I got home. I would like to test it, but not enough to spend another 10 bucks.
 
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Spotify please provide better sonos integration!


Agree with your goal, but is it Spotify's fault, or Sonos'? Similarly, Sonos needs to provide full Tunein integration. Sonos is good, but could be so much better!
 
Agree with your goal, but is it Spotify's fault, or Sonos'? Similarly, Sonos needs to provide full Tunein integration. Sonos is good, but could be so much better!

From the sonos forums they put it on spotify

I just wish they'd work better

Which sonos components do u have?
 
I am confused.
What is the point of this?
Why would I play it through my Mac and speakers when I can just control and play it on my phone directly???
 
This is awesome. I'm not sure I'm ready to pay $120 a year for that feature though... :confused:
 
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