Spotify says it won't support AirPlay 2 anytime soon despite earlier plans [Update]

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Spotify (Image credit: iMore)

What you need to know

  • Spotify says that it isn't going to be able to add support for AirPlay 2 despite earlier plans to do exactly that.
  • A representative said that AirPlay 2 is a "bigger project that we won't be able to complete in the foreseeable future."

Update, August 8 (11:50 am ET): Spotify backtracks, says it will support AirPlay 2 after all.

Despite previously planning on bringing AirPlay 2 support to its apps, Spotify now says that it won't be able to do so in the foreseeable future."

In an online forum post first spied by MacRumors, A Spotify representative gave the impression that the company has hit a technical roadblock, saying that "audio driver compatibility issues" are to blame. They went on to note that AirPlay 2 support is a "bigger project that we won't be able to complete in the foreseeable future."

HomePod

HomePod (Image credit: Rene Ritchie / iMore)

What this means for Spotify and AirPlay 2 support isn't clear, but fans of the music streaming service should probably start looking elsewhere if it's something they had their heart set on. AirPlay 2 allows for multi-room audio, improved latency, and Siri voice control. None of that is coming to Spotify any time soon — a fact that makes Apple Music a great option for many.

If you do switch away from Spotify, there are some great AirPlay 2 speakers on the market right now, many of which you can ungodly amounts of money for. Others, like the HomePod mini are much more reasonably priced, however.

Update, August 8 (11:50 am ET) — Spotify backtracks, says it will support AirPlay 2 after all.

Spotify has posted an update to its forum clarifying that the company will in fact Apple's AirPlay 2 technology. The company did not say when exactly the feature will come to its app, but said they will "post updates when they become available."

Hello everyone,We apologize for any confusion we have caused. To clarify, Spotify will support Airplay 2. Please continue to use this thread to add your votes and comments.We'll post updates when they become available.

You can see the update on the Spotify Community website.

Oliver Haslam
Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.