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[iOS] Apple Watch: Spotify Streaming and Offline Listening

Submitted by on ‎2018-09-28 06:50 PM
Status: Implemented

Apple Watch: Offline Listening

 

watchOS 5 should allow Spotify to develop an app that allows offline listening and streaming via cellular data.

 

Vote here to show your support for this development!

Updated on 2021-07-20

Hey everyone,

Thanks for coming to the Spotify Idea Exchange and voting to make this happen.

Тhis has been one of our most upvoted ideas and we've known it's something that our users would really like to see come true. We're happy to announce that this feature will now become available for the Apple Watch Series 3 or later.


It will be gradually rolled out, so it might take a bit until everybody has access to it.  That being said, we'd like to let you know that the roll-out rate has increased a lot in the last weeks, so if you haven't received the feature in the past, try reinstalling the app on your watch again and there's a big chance you'll get Offline listening now.

Once again, thanks for helping us make Spotify better and voting to make this happen, here on the Community.

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Comments
e0tp993rhwxqn6p
Newbie
2020-02-17 04:59 PM

Stopped my premium account, they’ve had there chance, and there lack of any movement on the subject, pretty made up my mind.

 

there’s now others out there willing to implement this option.

 

you can still use the free Spotify and use something like SongShift to move your playlists to Apple Music and other platforms ( and vice versa if coming to Spotify)

 

 

EGodd
Newbie
2020-02-18 04:41 AM

Please, please, please make this feature available! I really love Spotify and the music recommendations. I really want to keep using the service, but I recently got an Apple Watch and if I can’t bring Spotify with me if I go for a run then I might have to consider switching to Apple Music. Please Spotify fix this!

0 Likes
cyptus
Visitor
2020-02-18 10:22 AM

The reason why this is not implemented by Spotify is easy:

 

Spotify calls its Apple Watch App an "Remote Control" for Spotify.

If Spotify would instead create an real "Streaming App", it would need to pay an AppStore fee in height of 15% p.a. to Apple from each iOS user subscription.

Spotify wants to avoid this fee, so this feature wont get implemented as an politic decision. 

 

Here is an statement from apple about this:

https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2019/03/addressing-spotifys-claims/

 

neneonline
Newbie
2020-02-18 11:01 AM
Hmmm,

That is an interesting hypothesis but, after reading through the Apple’s response to Spotify that you linked, I am not sure it is the case.

Apple wants to charge a revenue share of those Spotify subscription that get contracted through the Apps which are distributed over the App Store. It doesn’t say the fees are related to specific operating system capabilities like streaming but related to the channel through which the end customers subscribe to Spotify Premium.

Maybe it is related with Spotify trying to hamper the experience of Apple users to put pressure... but I think they would be shooting their own feet if they did this.


0 Likes
neneonline
Newbie
2020-02-18 12:28 PM

Hmmm,

That is an interesting hypothesis but, after reading through the Apple’s response to Spotify that you linked, I am not sure it is the case.

Apple wants to charge a revenue share of those Spotify subscription that get contracted through the Apps which are distributed over the App Store. It doesn’t say the fees are related to specific operating system capabilities like streaming but related to the channel through which the end customers subscribe to Spotify Premium.

Maybe it is related with Spotify trying to hamper the experience of Apple users to put pressure... but I think they would be shooting their own feet if they did this.

0 Likes
krispy4
Newbie
2020-02-18 08:11 PM

Cyptus, I won't want you to get your facts misconstrued. The Spotify Apple Watch is free for everyone - free Spotify members and Spotify subscribers. Due to it being free, Apple will not require any payment.

Where Apple does require payment is on occasions where someone who downloaded the app from the Apple Store and signs up on the app for Premium, rather than going through Spotify's website, which is what Spotify has an issue with. 

 

The watch app itself has nothing to do with Spotify's complaints, however, they are using it as a method that I can't really explain nor understand, because (as observed by many on this thread) people really have had no choice but to switch to Apple Music.

 

Spotify has the better platform, I must agree, but that is where the buck stops. We, the consumers, would like to enjoy our Apple Watches to the fullest. And unfortunately, Spotify actively discourages that from happening, by their own volition.

cleancreative
Newbie
2020-02-18 10:16 PM

I think we need you, Spotify, as a company to be transparent about the reality of why you have not been able or chosen not to integrate your app into Apple's watch?

 

I actually hate iTunes/Apple Music. But with great anguish, had to switch over to enjoy music on the go when hiking, working out, or heck, not wanting my phone on me at all times 🙂

azanardi
Visitor
2020-02-19 12:21 AM

I‘think I will go back to Apple Music. Spotify not doing a proper standalone watch app is an act of idiocy.

ecr80
Music Fan
2020-02-19 12:46 PM

Spotify please do this for us Apple

Watch users!

0 Likes
aaronlapat
Newbie
2020-02-19 01:52 PM

Hey Spotify - c’mon now, we know you can do it. Let’s get the Apple Watch app capable of off line listening. Whatever your hatred might be of Apple, we dedicated Spotify fans are becoming frustrated with you, not Apple, so please, PLEASE, find a way to make it work.

0 Likes