Spotify for browsers

[djazz]

From this getsatisfaction thread: https://getsatisfaction.com/spotify/topics/please_make_browser_based_spotify

Andres (Employee) over 3 years ago:

"We have no plans to make a browser based version, we feel we can provide a much better product with an app and offer features which wouldn't be possible via a web browser."

Today, webapps are the most spread apps, as they work the same across devices (cross platform).

Three years ago, it would be difficult to build Spotify for browsers, because it would require APIs that you could not simply access from JavaScript. Today, with HTML5, APIs exists for:

• Bi-directional secure (TLS) WebSockets with UTF8 or binary 
• Native audio playback
• A whole new types of input types such as "search" and "range"
• 2D Canvas Context for advanced dynamic drawing of 2D elements (lines, gradients, text, images, shapes, raw pixels)
• Realtime audio processing/analysis with the Web Audio API
• Sandboxed FileSystem access (e.g. for offline playlists, local settings)
• Application Cache for offline usage of the app
• Drag & Drop API (e.g. for dragging tracks to playlists)
• History API for sessions and bookmarking
• Binary data: Typed arrays/ArrayBuffer, Blobs and File API (for reading files, writing files)!
• XHR2: Binary data with Ajax/XHR requests
• WebWorkers, multithreaded JavaScript
• CSS3: Keyframe animations, smooth transitions, shadows, custom fonts, new selectors.
• PeerConnection API for Peer-To-Peer connections!!

Today, Google Chrome (the world's second largest browser) got all of these APIs and more (except WebRTC, but it's in the dev build, so it will soon be here too). Chrome even have it's own built-in appstore (Chrome Web Store) where users can install extension/apps, without having to restart their browser.

Another approach to get Spotify to the web is to use Native Client (NaCl) to compile C/C++ code for the web. An example is the game Bastion that was compiled with NaCl to run in Chrome.

This would be the easiest way for the Spotify developers, as they only had to tweak their code very little to make it compile with NaCl.

( Offtopic: I made a chrome extension for Spotify, which convert spotify links to links with mouseover info, for example image of the album, artist name, title of track, popularity. Get it HERE. Thank you :] )

[RaphaelJolivet]

Thanks,

Great detailed list of the new features of HTML5.

This would enable to develop Web App with all the P2P features necessary for Spotify.

I hope for Spotify that they will take this path of webapps for all devices instead of losing time and money into gazillions of dedicated desktop & mobile applications that are never up to date.

This makes the community angry while the solution is already there : STANDARDS !
 

[On]

I totally agree, this would also allow for people who don't want to install the software an opportunity to check out Spotify. I'm sure there'd be an increase in users.

[bradavon]

I'd prefer Spotift concentrate on their Desktop and Mobile browsers but some sort of website would be useful.

It doesn't have to be particularly pretty, as long as we can login, play our playlists or even just search frankly. It could be more of a hobbie.

[Rorey]

I just wanted to keep everyone updated by reiterating what Andres said. We have no plans to release a browser-based version of Spotify anytime soon. We feel we can provide a better service with an application, instead of a browser based version. Please keep the feedback coming on this idea.

[spotify95]

Yes, please can we have an app for spotify for google chrome? Really need it because i am looking at whether i should buy a chromebook or not, and chromebook needs an app. thank you

[Maga]

Hi,

 Today I can't use Spofify when I am connected on my compagny network because of restriction. 

 Having access to my Spotify through a WEB pages, like Deezer does , will solve the problem.

 Marc

[rainboy]

It is a must for work computers where you are not allowed to install any applications on or use USB sticks.

Not only would it be easier to develop it would also be much cheaper in the long run for spotify (instead of creating a player for every single OS there will be in the future, only one needs to be updated. Hello Investors !! its your money!).

[RonUSMC]

Sometimes I'm on a machinet that i either can't install the software on, or I don't want to install the software. Why not make a web based version to use in those circumstances.

I'm thinking the same lines as Spotify on Boxee.

[jonaspas]

I absolutely agree to all those who consider a browser-based version of spotify as a necessity! There are many computers where you can't install extra-software.

[inter-man]

I would love it, to listen music via Spotify at work. But without a browser based player, I have to stick to simfy, which has a quit good browser player, but an awful desktop player.

Make a browser player, and i will switch to Spotify.