Spotify Updates Mac App With Full Touch Bar Support for MacBook Pro

[MacRumors]

The Spotify Mac app was recently updated with support for the Touch Bar on the new MacBook Pro. Now, when Spotify is open users will be able to search, shuffle and repeat tracks, use traditional play/pause/skip controls, and adjust the app's volume. When in the background, the Touch Bar will update with a Spotify playback scrubbing tool as well as play and pause buttons similar to iTunes.

Users have discovered that auto-pause on connected AirPods works as well, so when one AirPod is removed from the ear while a song on Spotify is playing, the track will automatically stop. Just like with iTunes and Apple Music, when placed back within the ear, Spotify's music will resume automatically. Automatic resuming of music doesn't work when both AirPods are taken out, or when users are only using one AirPod to begin with.

With many Spotify users on the new MacBook Pro, the addition of Touch Bar support should make listening to the streaming music service a more integrated experience with Apple's laptop. Many users are still waiting for Spotify to announce support for other Apple devices, including apps for the Apple Watch and fourth-generation Apple TV. Neither platform is expected to be supported by the company 'anytime soon.'

For those who want to gain the most out of music listening on Apple's products, Apple Music has been the streaming service of choice. Spotify is still the industry leader with 40 million subscribers as of September 2016, but Apple Music is gaining ground on its rival with a reported 20 million paid subscribers now listening to the service.

Article Link: Spotify Updates Mac App With Full Touch Bar Support for MacBook Pro

 

[Qwaf]

Cool. Would like the Spotify icon in the scrubber view to be album art, would make it feel a little more 'integrated'. But either way, definitely a welcome update.

 

[Col4bin]

I have a Apple Music subscription but also use Spotify's free service occasionally. Great to see Spotify keep up with Apple's latest touch bar tech on the MBP. Also didn't realize that wireless AirPods (and perhaps competitor brands?) automatically pause music once an AirPod is removed, and automatically resumes play once reinserted? Then again, I'm still rocking a iPhone 6 Plus with aux jack and wired earphones, but a pretty awesome feature nonetheless.

 

[Dydegu]

Are they able to push information to the TB while Spotify is in the background? Not just have a scrubber? I don't care as much about putting shuffle and search on the in-app TB. Giving us some album art and the current track would be amazing.

 

[v0lume4]

You gotta give it to Spotify. They always seem to be on top of things when it comes to new releases/hardware.

 

[micr0]

You gotta give it to Spotify. They always seem to be on top of things when it comes to new releases/hardware.

Except for the ridiculous refusal to include landscape orientation on iphone and complete lack of apple watch support

 

[v0lume4]

Except for the ridiculous refusal to include landscape orientation on iphone and complete lack of apple watch support

No Apple Watch support?? That I didn't know. What a bummer.

 

[cerote]

I stopped their desktop app a while ago. It always locked up my Mac.

 

[magicschoolbus]

I much perfer Spotifys desktop app over Apple Music - but Apple Music's mobile app over Spotify..

The struggle..

 

[MrGuder]

I was just thinking with all the new apps soon taking part of the touch bar. Could we be granting apps permissions to our laptops in ways you don't know about like behind the scenes, apps still using your laptop even when touch bar is not being used for the app. It makes you think seriously about permissions on apps now.

 

[bizack]

I was just thinking with all the new apps soon taking part of the touch bar. Could we be granting apps permissions to our laptops in ways you don't know about like behind the scenes, apps still using your laptop even when touch bar is not being used for the app. It makes you think seriously about permissions on apps now.

No, it doesn't work that way.

 

[duervo]

Are they able to push information to the TB while Spotify is in the background? Not just have a scrubber? I don't care as much about putting shuffle and search on the in-app TB. Giving us some album art and the current track would be amazing.

That would violate the developer guidelines released by Apple which state that the touch bar is not to be used to display information (ie: Album art and current track info.) It is supposed to be used in a way to make the user have to actually touch the bar to use it, not merely look at it (hence the name, "Touch Bar".)

I would be surprised if Spotify didn't want to include that function, but their hands are tied by Apple ... for now.

 

[Qwaf]

I would be surprised if Spotify didn't want to include that function, but their hands are tied by Apple ... for now.

They're not tied by Apple at all, they're guidelines, not rules or restrictions, anyone can release absolutely anything they want that uses the TouchBar. Some already have even done this (added spotify album art and song information to the TouchBar).

Thankfully Apple didn't limit touchbar functionality to Mac App Store apps, so Apple have precisely zero control over it at present.

 

[x-evil-x]

Seems rather pointless if you can't make it stay on the touch bar in the background while using other things.

 

[ilovenewjersey]

This makes me sad. Every time a developer adds Gimmick Bar support, the less likely it becomes that Apple will revert this ridiculous mistake.

Of course, I would be fine with the Gimmick Bar if it were placed one row above my physical escape and function keys, or if Apple offered a non-Gimmick-Bar option on the highest-end 15" MacBook Pro (you know, the machine of choice for pro users who depend on esc and fn keys).

 

[jafingi]

I much perfer Spotifys desktop app over Apple Music - but Apple Music's mobile app over Spotify..

The struggle..

Seriously? I think the Spotify iOS app is miles ahead from Apple Music.

Also love Spotify Connect so I can control my Spotify playing on other devices from my iPhone. It's amazing to control e.g. the music on my Playstation without leaving the game.

 

[music-lover]

Seriously? I think the Spotify iOS app is miles ahead from Apple Music.

Also love Spotify Connect so I can control my Spotify playing on other devices from my iPhone. It's amazing to control e.g. the music on my Playstation without leaving the game.

Does Spotify Connect let you control the volume remotely? Last time I used it you couldn't do it. I use Tango Remote to control my Apple music playing on my iOS devices, but they don't support Spotify, except for volume control.

 

[Michaelgtrusa]

Dev seem to like it.

 

[jafingi]

Does Spotify Connect let you control the volume remotely? Last time I used it you couldn't do it. I use Tango Remote to control my Apple music playing on my iOS devices, but they don't support Spotify, except for volume control.

Yep it does

 

[tangfish]

This update sounds awesome, especially with the AirPods integration. However, I'm just too scared to take any lifespan off of my 2TB SSD after the last debacle with Spotify desktop app.

:'(

 

[x-evil-x]

This makes me sad. Every time a developer adds Gimmick Bar support, the less likely it becomes that Apple will revert this ridiculous mistake.

Of course, I would be fine with the Gimmick Bar if it were placed one row above my physical escape and function keys, or if Apple offered a non-Gimmick-Bar option on the highest-end 15" MacBook Pro (you know, the machine of choice for pro users who depend on esc and fn keys).

Im sure its here to stay for at least 4 years. I like it as i never use the function keys much besides the escape key and don't have an issue with using the escape key now. I use it more now that it does different things. Its fun to have and benefits me personally more than before with physical keys. BUTTTT its nothing that wonderful. Id rather have a surface type 15" macbook pro with tablet style screen thats removable.

 

[saudade]

Spotify 4 appletv or die

 

[t2nerb]

Is there a way to disable the auto-pause AirPods feature?

 

[magicschoolbus]

Seriously? I think the Spotify iOS app is miles ahead from Apple Music.

Also love Spotify Connect so I can control my Spotify playing on other devices from my iPhone. It's amazing to control e.g. the music on my Playstation without leaving the game.

It's pretty good.. but a huge selling point for me is the head unit in my car ... wont access the songs i saved offline in the Spotify app. It will only browse the folder the iPod app is in.

 

[friedmud]

You gotta give it to Spotify. They always seem to be on top of things when it comes to new releases/hardware.

They are schizophrenic. They release this so quickly yet they still haven't made anything for ATV or Apple Watch.

I'm still loyal to Spotify (I like it quite a bit more than Apple Music... and I've tried AM extensively twice now)... but the lack of Apps for two of the major platforms I use daily is extremely annoying...
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Is there a way to disable the auto-pause AirPods feature?

Why would you? Auto-pause is one of the best things about AirPods! Once you get used to it it feels like something you've been missing forever...