Spotify on my wifi tablet

[Bodthebrave]

I know there have been similar threads already posted on this and I am also aware that Spotify is limited to premium for mobile devices. 

The reason for my post is that I wish to purchase a new tablet preferably an android one. My research regarding tablets and spotify has highlighted that it is possible for me to buy and operate a tablet on Spotify Unlimited (or free) as long as it is running on Windows 8 (not RT). As Spotify sees the OS and not that it is a "mobile" device. This to my mind is somewhat prejudiced as it means that I can listen on  "free" or "unlimited" spotify on a W8 tablet but not an equivalent android device without paying double the "unlimited" subscription. 

As has been mentioned previously a wifi only device is simply that and a wifi only tablet has the same limitations as a wifi only laptop, so why the extra cost just because of the different OS.

In order to further emphasize this inconsistency I have just set my mobile phone up as a hotspot and connected my laptop to it so that it was purely running from my phones data connection. I was then able to play tracks using "Spotify Free" on my laptop via my mobile data, which confirms that it is the OS that constrains the "free" and "unlimited" subscriptions. 

I therefore see no justification why I should have to pay for a premium subscription just because I wish to use Android (or presumably IOS), when Windows 8 users can obtain exactly the same functionality at half the cost. 

Would be interested to hear what others think.

[Joe]

I think that a spotify premium subscription is incredibly good value. The arguments you make are valid but irrelevant. There is a clear price structure and the choice of subscription is yours to make. If you want mobile spotify at the unlimited price then by all means drag your laptop around, hooked up to your mobile hotspot.

[Bodthebrave]

Personally I feel the choice is not restricted to which spotify subscription I choose but to the type of tablet OS.

My point regarding the laptop and hotspot was not intended to be a realistic option. It was intended to demonstrate that a device considered to be non mobile i.e. laptop could be used in a mobile environment, whereby a device considered to be mobile i.e. W8 tablet could actually be used as though it were a non mobile device and therefore attract a lesser subscription. 

There is actually no clarity on what constitutes a mobile device when W8 tablets are regarded as being different than Android or IOS tablets. 

Would it not be simpler and fairer to offer spotify unlimited to all wifi only devices without an offline mode. This would then offer parity across the board and ensure that the subscription was operated as intended. I for one would be happy with this. 

I would concur that the spotify premium does offer good value, that is if I required offline services, which I do not. I simply wish to use spotify on a tablet in my own home using my own wifi connection without having to sit at a laptop or pc (or W8 tablet) 

[Bodthebrave]

It would be nice to hear the views of Spotify regarding the disparity between Unlimited and Premium subscriptions with regard to Android tablets and those tablets running Windows 8. 

It would also be interseting to hear from Chromebook  users (which are effectively laptops) to seeif they are regarded as mobile devices. 

I appreciate that this is not something limited to Spotify, however I feel that there would be many more Unlimited subscriptions (as opposed to free) if people had the opportunity to use tablet and laptop devices in the same manner. Furthermore I am absolutely not against the Premium subscription, it is just that as I do not need the offline functionality and I do not see why I should have to pay an additional £5/month for the priviledge of using an Android tablet or Ipad

Would the developers at Spotify and service users agree that it would be fair and reasonable to be able to use a tablet on an Unlimited subscription, in the same way as a laptop or PC when within their own homes.

D

[Joe]

This idea is a year old and there hasn't been anything in the way of an official response from Spotify. Unfortunately,

[Bodthebrave]

Thanks for the reply and thanks for the link to the previous thread, nice to see that others concur. I will add my voice to the "Allow Tablets To Be Used With Unlimited Subscription *Vote*   

[Bodthebrave]

I am not sure if this breaks any rules and I am sure that most of the tech savvy out there already do thisbut it is possible to listen to Spotify (or any music service) on a tablet using free or unlimited by remote accessing your PC/Mac.

I have done this using "splashtop" which provides very good audio quality for a RA app (will even do videos). Furthermore it was very straight forward to setup. It is a bit small on a phone but should be ok for tablet screens.  

I was even able to play music through my bluetooth speaker via my phone. Obviously having to RA ones pc is not for everyone. However if Spotify continue to prevent wifi only tablets from using the unlimited service, it will be a method that I would seriously consider on a permanent basis.