Spotify Connect on Apple TV - Make it always available as Airplay or Chromecast

[Tonilou]

Premium, Spain

Apple TV 4k, tvOS 13.3

My issue is with the Spotify Connect visibility on an Apple TV.

Currently the Apple TV as a Spotify Connect destination is only visible (for example, from an iPhone) whenever the Apple TV Spotify app is open and displayed in the Apple TV. Whenever I open another app on the Apple TV (but Spotify is still running in the background), the Apple TV disappears as a valid Connect destination.

This behaviour is not consistent with Spotify Connect on other platforms. For example, Spotify Connect on a Mac (or Android, or iPhone) are always ready as valid destinations, even if the app does not have the focus on those systems.

What I request is that Apple TV Spotify Connect service always runs in the background while Spotify app is not closed, as happens on other systems. This would be the same as already happens with Airplay or Chromecast destinatiions, available as long as the device is on.

Steps to reproduce:

- Install Spotify on a source (iPhone for example)

- Install Spotify app on an Apple TV (let's call it "AppleTV"). We want to use the iPhone to send Spotify music to the Apple TV

- On the Apple TV, log in to Spotify. This creates an "AppleTV" Connect destination visible from the iPhone.

- On the iPhone open Spotify, select "AppleTV" from the devices menu and play any song. The music will start playing on the Apple TV, ok.

- Now go to the Apple TV, click on the Menu to go to the main desktop and open another app.

- Notice that the Apple TV Spotify app continues to run on the background and the iPhone-sent music continues to play on the Apple TV. This is ok.

- On the iPhone change the destination to "This iPhone", to temporarily stop the connection to the Apple TV.

- On the iPhone open again the devices menu and notice that "AppleTV" is no longer available as a Connect destination, even if the Apple TV Spotify app is running in the background.

[gugavieira]

This will be such a big improvement! Spotify connect on Apple TV is quite useless. If I need to open the app on the Apple TV I might as well play it from there.

[MirageSu]

Me Too

[Rjuun]

I would not say this is a big improvement, but is a small detail that I also would like to have solved.

In my setup, I have an Applet TV connected to my Onkyo Receiver. 

It was nice when Spotify Connect worked on the Onkyo Receiver cause then

it would output streamed audio to my Speakers and Apple TV material to a projector.

Unfortunately, it appears like Onkyo is since 2019 not supporting anymore Spotify Connect. My solution was to install Spotify on the Apple TV and having it streamed via the receiver.

The problem is that one needs to:

a) turn on the Apple TV,

b) turn on the Projector

c)  navigate to the app and turn it on

Only then the option to send music to Spotify connect will be available in my other devices - Computer, Smartphone, iPad - for me to be able to enjoy Spotify in my Stereo Setup.

Having said that, an option to have Spotify Connect "Always Available" on Apple TV would really be a nice touch ;-).

Cheers.

[davidwho1424]

This is definitely needed!

[Noel18]

This is unfortunately impossible for the Spotify devs to fix. Apple doesn't allow background services so the only why it will work is while the app is running. The proper person to complain to is Apple.

[kizi12]

Spotify? any reply to this?

[Matthew0007]

I have the same problem. I hate it so much i will have to go back using Apple Music 😞

[ideefiks]

I am in a very similar situation. I use airplay to stream to my Apple TV, which is connected to my main audio system. Now the Spotify app for Apple TV allows me to use the wired connection from the Apple TV and use any iOS device as a remote. But only if I launch the app first ... and I really don’t want to turn on my projector to do that ... 

[ideefiks · Accepted solution]

I just found out you can use shortcuts on your iOS device to launch the Spotify app on Apple TV !!! My scenario is now:

1. Use universal remote to turn on the audio system
2. use shortcut to launch Spotify app on Apple TV
3. Launch Spotify app on iOS device

Still looking to integrate step 2 in either step 1 or 3 but I do not have to turn on my projector and do not have to use airplay (which occasionally cuts out). That makes having the Spotify app on my Apple TV a real benefit 

UPDATE

You can use an automation in the shortcut app on iOS to integrate step 2 into step 3. The trigger or event is that I launch Spotify on my iOS device, which then automatically launches Spotify on Apple TV as well, making it instantly available for Spotify connect! You can even have it ask you first if it should run. Result.

[eugenschranz]

Great!

can you please share the shortcut with us, so we can download it?

thx!

[petp763]

Definitely the solution provided is just a work around. This is a request for a year now. I wonder Why Spotify doesn't voice out why some requests can't be implemented.

The user voice is so important, yet feels quite ignored here for some users. 

[ideefiks]

Hi,

As far as I know you cannot share a shortcut for downloading, but this is very easily done. Open the standard shortcuts app on your iOS device, go to the automation tab, add an automation and enter the info as in the screenshot (you’ll need at least iOS 13).

cheers

[ideefiks]

A workaround it may be, but it achieves exactly the behaviour we wanted, so I am not sure what more you expect. Also, I am pretty sure this is fully out of Spotify’s control and depends on how TVOS deals with apps.

[eugenschranz]

• Thank you! 
  
  BTW. You can share any shortcut with the Share Button. 

[ideefiks]

Unfortunately there is no share button for automations, only for shortcuts. The steps are as follows:

1) the trigger is self explanatory, pick Spotify, pick is opened

2) the action: pick apps, pick Apple TV remote, pick open app on Apple TV, pick your Apple TV, pick Spotify

[Mihail]

Hey everyone,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts with the Community!

We've gathered all your feedback and have shared it with the right folks at our developer team. Keep in mind that this request also touches upon the way that Apple TV's are designed to work, so implementing this might be a bit tricky.

We noticed that @davidwho1424 went ahead and created this idea requesting this feature. You can add your support there by up-voting the idea. We'll inform on any developments there, as soon as there are any. So make sure to subscribe, if you haven't already. 

Hope this info is useful. Let us know if there's anything else we can help with.

[user-removed]

Nice workaround, thanks! I still want to see ATV featuring the Spotify Connect tho.

[kizi12]

The automation is only for IOS, it is not a workaround for someone using an Android phone to start the Spotify app

[matou2]

Automation failed

"When "Spotify" is opened"

encountered an error: Could Not Run

Open App on Apple TV...

I'm running the latest IOS and TvOS