How to use Spotify Connect?

[mikorsten]

Looking for a way to stream Spotify from my Lenovo Ideapad to my Samsung DA-E 750 which is fully Airplay-compatible. Heard about Spotify Connect and thought it was the solution for that but I don't even see a speaker symbol in Spotify. Uninstalled and installed again but it makes no difference. Streaming from my Windows-Notebook works perfect with Airfoil but they don't habe an Android App. Ans Ideas?

[Peter__]

Is your Samsung device Spotify Connect enabled (normally requires a firmware update from the manufacturer)?

[mikorsten]

I thought that connect works with Airplay Devices and that it's not a new protocol for it doesn't seem to make any sense to me.....?

[poisike · Accepted solution]

Airplay and Spotify Connect are not the same. To use Connect, you need hardware that supports it. I have never seen any announcement from Samsung about Spotify Connect, so I don't believe your device has Connect.

But there is a solution, you can use Airplay on Android if you are ready to root your Android device. I have been using AirAudio app (requires root) to stream Spotify to my Airplay enabled Yamaha AVR.

[mikorsten]

Thanks poisike! Have seen AirAudio in the store and I think I have to buy it to get rid of the Bluetooth Connection which isn't reliable. I just think that it's a shame that Spotify is trying to do their own thing as Airplay seems to be the future Standard, so I wonder that they don't just implement a Piece of Software like AirAudio of Airfoil, should be a piece of Cake for a Software Developer.

[poisike]

Its probably not that simple. Airplay is probably covered by 100 patents and knowing Apple, they will never allow using it on Android.
So the only way, if you want to make it work on all platforms, is using something your own.

[Joe]

Probably because connect is really cheap to implement in third party hardware devices so it is economical for even low-end devices, unlike airplay which is aimed at high-end systems. Also airplay uses streaming from the source device whereas connect doesn't. Once you connect to speakers, they stream directly from a spotify server.

Airplay might have established a niche in the market but connect is going to dominate once manufacturers all start incorporating one of the two cheap chipsets in their equipment

[mikorsten]

Maybe not that simple but Apple should know that it makes it easier to set Airplay as a Standard, don't you think? And Airplay is even included in my Samsung Sound Devise' Apple and Samsung are not best Friends..... Every Developer can write compatible Software such as Airfoil etc. so you don't need to buy Licenses.

[mikorsten]

Thanks for your answer Joe, but it'll be a pretty Mess on the Market as there are a lot of Streaming Services and no Hardware Vendor can implement every Protocol on it's Devices. And what about the Customers? Today I'm using Spotify, maybe next year I decide to switch to another Streaming Service because of any reason but I couldn't do that if my Devices only work on Spotify, could I? Although the Idea of having a fully useable Spotify-Client inside a Soundbar seems to be pretty charming, I must confess....

[poisike]

mikorsten: I'm with you, but this is never going to happen. Basically we (as consumers) need to make our choices based on what's available for us.
I actually bought a new AVR because of Spotify Connect, yet I still don't have it. Yamaha has not released the firmware update to enable Spotify Connect, it was supposed to be released mid November... So even if something is advertised as compatible, it may not work.

Google has its Chromecast and is pushing that. I tried Google Play All Access with Chromecast and for audio, its useless. Chromecast is actually more like Spotify Connect, but yet it seems that there will never be spotify on Chromecast.

It seems that every company wants to rule your living room but no one actually does...

[Peter__]

Its got to be said, I have a Pioneer speaker which is Connect enabled, and it is excellent - sound quality is much better than with Airplay since as mentioned above it streams from Spotify on its own. 

Its actually really handy, you can start playback on your iOS or android device, transfer playback to the speaker, control it from any of your devices and you can kill the Spotify application to save battery when you aren't using it and the speaker will continue to play on its own. 

Well worth the wait on firmware updates!

[poisike]

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@Peter wrote:

Its got to be said, I have a Pioneer speaker which is Connect enabled, and it is excellent - sound quality is much better than with Airplay since as mentioned above it streams from Spotify on its own. 

Its actually really handy, you can start playback on your iOS or android device, transfer playback to the speaker, control it from any of your devices and you can kill the Spotify application to save battery when you aren't using it and the speaker will continue to play on its own. 

Well worth the wait on firmware updates!

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Yes, I know that in theory it should be better then Airplay and Connect works great on my Android and IOS devices. The problem (for me) is that the companies are not keeping their promises and I can't use what I paid for. Yamaha has Spotify Connect banner on their European website first page (and on all product pages), yet none of their devices actually supports it at the moment. When I bought my new Spotify Connect capable AVR, I was told the firmware update will be released mid November. When I asked yamaha support about it again beginning of December, they told me that they don't know when it will be released. And now they told first week of January. I guess we will see soon, but the waiting is starting to get a little frustrating... I should have known that you can't buy any tech based on a promise that some feature will be available "soon".