IPhone users have been asking Spotify to add support for AirPlay 2 for years, but yesterday Spotify told users that they shouldn’t expect the feature to be added anytime soon.
AirPlay 2 was added to iOS over three years ago, and users have been asking Spotify to support it for many months. Offers lower latency, multi-room support, and Siri integration. Apple provides ways for developers to connect experiences with it, and sometimes works directly with leading app developers looking to implement it. Many other major audio apps on the iPhone support it. AirPlay 2 is also available on various non-Apple products, such as recent TVs from manufacturers such as Samsung and LG.
In a thread requesting the feature on the official Spotify community discussion forums (originally viewed by MacRumors), a representative from Spotify told about this.
According to The Verge, some doubt was cast on AirPlay 2 inclusion when a tech website spotted a forum post, where a Spotify forum moderator claimed that “audio driver compatibility issues” might mean the feature wouldn’t be added for the foreseeable future.
In the past, Spotify would not have been able to support many of the iPhone’s platform-specific features as they were reserved for Apple’s own services or select partnerships. But Apple has since lifted many of those restrictions and provided tools and documentation to help third-party apps work closely with Apple ecosystem functions like Siri, AirPlay, and HomePod.
Spotify has a less-than-friendly relationship with Apple, even going as far as filing an antitrust complaint and publicly calling it a bully, and a choice to not prioritize incorporating AirPlay 2 makes even more sense.
However, it’s good that it is still happening, but for any Spotify subscriber on iOS, it’s hard to not feel like they’re caught in the crossfire between two tech giants on the outs.
