Goodbye Spotify - No Chromecast support and...

[audioguy_net]

I've been paying for Spotify premium for about a year.  Today, I cancelled my subscription.  The in-ability to transmit wirelessly to my audio/video system is the main reason for canceling.  Chromecast is a HUGE leap forward in Android technology.  Airplay for Apple is awesome and now Android can have this ability via Chromecast.  Yet Spotify won't even acknowledge postings on Chromecast.  

I just got done testing 3 different Miracast devices.  Just because I really want wireless access to my audio/video system.  Unfortunately, Miracast has many issues.  Google Music via Chromecast is light years ahead of Miracast.  I hate to learn a whole new platform with Google Music, but the convenience outweighs the inconvenience of a new platform.

Another issue is not being able to delete Playlists.  Really...this is just an elementary feature.  I hate having my Android's Spotify app so cluttered up with useless playlists that I created to test or just needed for temporary purposes.  

Just wanted to give some feedback to my cancellation.  Google is now getting my monthly fees.  

[Josh]

Hello!

You can delete playlists you long press on the playlist you want to delete and click delete, or right click on the playlist on your computer and press delete. Chromecast is fairly new, and a lot of services don't support it yet, here is an idea on adding it: http://community.spotify.com/t5/Spotify-Ideas/Add-support-for-Google-ChromeCast/idi-p/482900?nobounc...
Add your kudos 🙂

[Joe]

I think he meant radio stations.

[audioguy_net]

My mistake.  You are correct.  I meant radio stations.  

[tlp95129]

You can always run Spotify in a Chrome browser tab and then cast the tab. Not as nice, but it does work.

But I agree that Spotify should get with the program and allow casting from an app.

[audioguy_net]

If the page isn't optimized for Chromecast (and Spotify isn't), then you get sub-par audio quality.  I did use my Chrome browser on my laptop to Chromecast with Spotify and my DAC showed a sampling rate of 32 (if my memory serves right).  If I connect the computer directly to my DAC, then it's 48.  One of the benefits of Spotify is their higher quality music (higher rate MP3) which the Chrome to Chromecast defeats.

Also, I really enjoy using my tablet.  It's nice to carry it everywhere.  Kind of a pain doing the same with a laptop.  

[Leob19]

Considering doing the same.

Right now I have Google music & Spotify subscriptions.

I love spotifify, but the one running in my living room is Google Music now. Just because of it being so nice to control all your music from any device.

All the best,

[Guardius]

I really don't want to do the same, but I'm getting to that point. I need to be able to move my music to any streaming platform that I have available.

[Farshin]

Regarding Spotify, why don't you see this way that Google can simply prevent Spotify from being included in Chromecast catalogue. Pandora is only radio station and no selection you have with them, means no trouble for Google but Spotify is not good for both Google and Pandora and they can share users 30/70.In fact Google has never been that type of person to block. Cyanogen they had to and made sense. next time read terms properly and you won't get bust. Apple is popular to do this type. Since Chromecast and Google Music both are in their child form, I would say this could be the reason.

Anyway, if the answer to why Spotify is not there is what I think, then they did it for you guys to come and change like this. What you can do is to still change but with awareness of situation!!

I'll ask them in twitter. may answer here but no guarantee. Generally labled with ADHD but never officialled by a Dr.

Have fun everyone!

[lance_gun · Accepted solution]

I am also in the position that I will cancel Spotify this month because there is no miracast or chromecast wireless support.

I am sure not buying a new "connect" enabled Amp/Receiver. Also, we still don't have a proper tablet layout for the app.

Time to leave.

[Matze]

Of course it is frustrating that Spotify doesn't work with Cromecast if you have one. But you also have to consider the following things:

1) Chromecast is only available in the US right now. While this is a big and important market for Spotify, there are many other markets which also need attention. If Chromecast will become available to more contries next year, I guess Chromecast support might become a higher priority. 

2) I don't think that Chromecast is a huge step forward at the moment. Why would Google introduce another standard that only works with one (!) device right now? There are so may devices out there with network acces (amp, receiver, tv). As long as Chromecast isn't integrated into other devices like airplay or bluetooth it is and will always be a niche product. 

So in conclusion I think it is absolutely reasonable that Spotify wants to wait how Chromecast will develop over the next months before they possibly waste developing resources which could be used somewhere else (for example in development of a decent tablet version of the android app). 

[CraigIW]

Chromecast is available in the UK via Amazon, and has been for at least a couple of weeks.  I, and many people I know, have one.  Never mind 'wasting resources', Spotify is wasting revenue, and losing paying members, by not being an early adopter.  If they 'wait a few months to see' then they will be too late.

[Matze]

The Spotify android app has so many bugs and problems which should be adressed first. There are also features which have been promised for a long time now (e.g. collections - I'm waiting for a whole year now...) which need to be implemented first before adding something new. But I guess everyone has different priorites, let's agree to disagree 😉

Btw: There is no other music streaming service with chromecast support (besides google of course) and the Chromecasts you can buy in Europe are imported from the US. It's not officially available here. 

[bajskorv]

The Chromecast is number 4 on the top ten sellers of a big electronic warehouse here in Sweden.

Yes, the android app is a mess. Spotify apparently isnt very interested in android at all even tough it has a huge market share.

I switched to Play Music All Access (using a VPN to register). The app is MUCH better, and Chromecast is awesome. Cant justify two monthly streaming audio subscriptions, guess who won. 😉

[shherr]

The Chromecast sdk hasn't been released publicly, yet and so far, it's limited to select partners. I'd assume spotify isn't one of those partners, because the limited nature of the sdk at the moment puts Google's All Access into the spotlight for chromecast users.

The lack of spotify has nothing to do with any theories that spotify doesn't care about android (chromecast works from iOS devices, too).

[Guardius]

While I certainly agree with you, they really should provide some details about their plans to support the platform. Clearly they will hemmorage customers who might otherwise stick around if they had the right information.

[Peter__]

Unfortunately if history is anything to go by, Spotify never comment on upcoming features (with a few exceptions) or release dates.

[bajskorv]

I know about the SDK. The media streaming server Plex listened to their users, and managed to get in already. And Im sure they have fewer customers and developers than Spotify.

Spotify has actually answered about chromecast, its not a priority for them. Here

They answered:

"Hello everyone. The request for ChromeCast has become uncommonly popular since the product was launched so we're currently having discussions about how best to implement this. However, due to several prevailing priorities we're going to have to say "not right now" to this idea. Please subscribe to this thread for updates since the status will likely change when we're ready to implement ChromeCast support."

I know CC works on ios, but what I meant with that is that the Spotify app for Android has been missing features for YEARS. Simple stuff takes ages to fix. We are still missing features we had in the first, old app.

[Peter__]

@bajskorv - Such as? It's taken a while but I struggle to remember any features which I used which haven't returned in the new application. 

[G3K]

@bajskorv @Peter The ability to play local files is sorely missed -- having to sync with a PC/Mac over WiFi is like five unnecessary steps. Was present in the original app although it didn't work very well.

But yeah I don't think of Chromecast as a niche product. The number of people I know that own one has grown exponentially in past months (especially since I bought several for my family for Christmas!) I think now is the crucial time for service providers including (and especially) Spotify to get on Chromecast already.