[iOS] Implement Native HomePod Support

[robotoman22]

Details

Just this week at WWDC (June 22, 2020), Apple announced support for third party music services on the HomePod.  I'm requesting that Spotify implement native support for the HomePod such that one or even multiple HomePods will appear in the "Connect to a device" menu on any Apple device WITHOUT having to connect through Airplay.  This will also allow users to ask Siri to play songs from Spotify on their HomePod(s). 

Apple is opening up the HomePod, and I know there are many other HomePod users that would love to have native Spotify support on their speaker. 

Resources

• WWDC 2020 video and further resources about this topic: https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2020/10061
• More details on this site: https://developer.apple.com/siri/
• Form to request music service integration from Apple: https://developer.apple.com/contact/request/sirikit-media-intent-for-homepod

Please upvote this idea to garner attention for it.  Thank you Spotify and the Spotify community.  Let's get this implemented so it's ready for general iOS 14 release this September!

[tryingtothink]

My goodness.

[kenron]

I've now switched to Apple Music for a week to try it out and while I prefer Spotify overall the Homepod support in Apple Music is just too convenient (and Airplaying to my homepods from Spotify destroys my phone's battery). So I guess I'm dropping Spotify for now. If they ever do implement support I'll come back but until then....

[viettpp]

So I’m tired of waiting for them to do nothing, so I’ve tipped the Verge and Wired about the inconsistencies in their outrage with Apple in their Time To Play Fair fight (https://www.timetoplayfair.com/) which details a list of restrictions by Apple (most of which have been lifted) that they say is hurting us their customers.

As Spotify just hit 150 million subscribers and Apple Walled Garden is coming down, their lack of response and action, on one of the most requested features in the community, is proof that they don’t care about us. Time To Play Fair, could have been one bullet and that is they want more money and don’t want to pay the 30% fee on the App Store.

If you agree, I think we should flood the newspaper about this inconsistency, here’s the Verge and Wireds mails:

https://www.wired.com/about/feedback/

https://www.theverge.com/a/tip-us-secure-contact-email

Feel free to reach out to other news outlets.

[tryingtothink]

I mailed What HiFi and Stereophile, and if I recall correctly someone at
Forbes, and The Guardian and possibly Daily Mail or Sun. I am not 100% re
these as much time has passed. I am 100% sure none troubled to respond.
Despite some actually requesting stories. Perhaps others could have another
go.

[ZJack]

Great work viettpp and tryingtothink, I really hope something comes of it. I think probably in the scope of this HomePod support issue it would be difficult to gather much sympathy, though it is a fairly clear-cut example that we can use to call Spotify out on their b.s. given that Apple now explicitly mentions Spotify on their HomePod help page. 

However, in the scope of this entire forum and the multitude of Apple-related support issues and the sheer number of topics with thousands, some tens of thousands of votes, it is scandalous to me that they cannot muster the courage to dedicate a single hour of community engagement support staff time per week to respond to these topics and make their paying community feel heard. 

[ZJack]

For anybody looking for a well-worded rant to help vent your frustrations that even mentions HomePod support, I just stumbled across this in another Apple-related live idea: https://community.spotify.com/t5/Live-Ideas/Desktop-Developer-Add-support-for-Apple-Silicon-ARM64-on...

Well said! 

[tryingtothink]

Yes, a good summary of their attitude.

[Bshfifbfjdi]

I’ve bounced between Spotify and Apple Music a few times for various reasons. Currently switched back to Spotify and was planning to stick around for good this time but since getting a HomePod Mini the lack of native support for Spotify is really making me think again.

[speedmeup]

I'm waiting for Spotify to implement this too and have cancelled my membership for now and signed up to Apple Music. It works really well with HomePods and is even better with iOS 14.4 now. Highly recommend switching over because the legacy airplay limitation really sucks.

[iamc0rnholio]

Why has Spotify not updated the status of this Idea? This is one of the top voted ideas. Ideas far less voted have been updated. It has already reached its 500 vote threshold. If Spotify is not going to do it then they should at least update the status to “Not Right Now” so that us hopefuls can give up and get Apple Music instead.