Apple Users Cancel Spotify Over Lack of HomePod Support (macrumors.com) 71
Long-time Slashdot reader tlhIngan writes: We know Spotify has many complaints about Apple, specifically how Apple Music competes with Spotify. This has resulted in many complaints about unfair competition from Spotify, enough to bring about the scrutiny of European regulators. However, it appears Spotify might be the architect of their own complaints, from not supporting AirPlay 2 (which they rapidly backtracked on due to customer complaints), to now, not supporting the HomePod natively.
Apple introduced third-party support for the HomePod, which allows the speaker to natively play audio from streaming services without requiring an iOS device. Most notably, when the list of providers supporting the feature was announced by Apple, Spotify was conspicuously absent. Now Apple users are demanding Spotify add support for HomePod or they are switching to Apple Music.
Apple introduced third-party support for the HomePod, which allows the speaker to natively play audio from streaming services without requiring an iOS device. Most notably, when the list of providers supporting the feature was announced by Apple, Spotify was conspicuously absent. Now Apple users are demanding Spotify add support for HomePod or they are switching to Apple Music.
Re:Whiney users of a closed system complain (Score:4, Insightful)
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Spotify device switching actually works well. I can start playing using Spotify on my phone then switch to PC or even my smart TV and back and forth.
It's actually handy.
Re:Whiney users of a closed system complain (Score:5, Insightful)
People don't like something about a service the pay for, they complain, nothing changes, they stop using and paying for the service.
Customers might make some 'Karen' demands, but ultimately it's their money. If you don't think you need their business, fine, more power to you. But you're certainly not entitled to their money.
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Damn right. My wife and I cancelled Apple Music because the control interface for it with our cars was trash. The cars have a Spotify client built in that works really well, so we now have a Spotify family plan. And you know what? We're perfectly happy with that.
If Apple worked with car manufacturers outside of that shitty CarPlay nonsense, we'd probably still be Apple Music subscribers.
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Huh, interesting. I mean horses for courses and all, but I watch a lot of car reviews and it's now a staple (practically a cliche) of the review that at some point the reviewer will talk about the infotainment and then say "but anyway, it offers CarPlay and Android Auto, which is all anyone ever uses these days and so the car's own system isn't that important". And I've never seen indignant comments under the reviews saying "no, that's not true, we prefer the car's own systems". So I think you're very much
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Tesla is a notable exception they have neither Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, but have their own FM tuner and several streaming audio clients built in, as well as bluetooth audio. And it works better than any other system I've used with the exception of BMW, which is a close second because they already spent 10 years of iDrive being expensive garbage before making it good.
My brother has an F150 with the CarPlay stuff on it, and he hates it. He also has a Subaru which incorporates one or the other, poorly.
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My experience with CarPlay has been that it's pretty good, and definitely better than the built-in infotainment. My car only has wired CarPlay support, so I can't comment on the reliability of the BT connection, although I suspect that's more likely to be the car as the phone. I find the integration with iMessage, map directions etc quite helpful. But everyone is different.
Re: Whiney users of a closed system complain (Score:1)
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Since the OSX Monterey upgrade, my 3rd party usb-c hubs all stopped working. Using the same logic, should I cancel Apple?
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Yes. Do not buy Apple.
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I mean it's sound logic. They want to use their home pod. They want to play music on their home pod. Spotify has chosen to not support the home pod features. Apple Music does, so they are switching.
You want to use 3rd party usb hubs. Apple products don't seem to do that for you. Another vendor might, if they do, you should switch.
The real question is "Why is this news or controversial?"
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The real question is "Why is this news or controversial?"
It's not. The person who posted this probably wants to use spotify with their apple stuff and is hoping to create a slashdot effect.
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The real question is "Why is this news or controversial?"
Because Apple. They are in a set of companies that any time any non-event story gets published, there will be irrational performative outrage for absolutely no reason at all.
Tesla is another example company that this happens to all the time.
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I would frequently agree with this sentiment, but I can't think of an 'Open' smart speaker platform. Of course I generally don't think much of the spseaker itself being 'smart' versus being wired or at most bluetooth connected to an actual smart device so I haven't gone looking.
Re: Whiney users of a closed system complain (Score:2)
Why in the Hell would anyone want a smart speaker system? I can already stream audio from Spotify, Apple Music, and Google Play, all to the same cheap bluetooth receiver hooked up to my audio receiver and speakers.
What is the purpose of a smart speaker? Why would I want a device that needs vendor support?
Re: Whiney users of a closed system complain (Score:2)
I think the principle reason is if you want a smart speaker to integrate with your Smart Home lights or devices. If you have that, you want your speaker to be able to do other things as well, like play music without connecting your phone. I admit, in general, the use case is a bit tenuous; I saw more of a reason for the old, big, expensive HomePod than this new one, because at least the sound engineering on the old one was impressive.
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On the upside, this did remind me to cancel Spotify because my cell phone company gave me a year free of Apple Music.
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I am with you in my personal opinion, but the subject is explicitly the 'smart' facet of Homepod, and at least at the moment, I don't think you can point to any open alternative to Apple's smart speaker, as all the smart speaker platforms are closed, proprietary, and locked in.
I suppose people like having a speaker that responds to voice requests without ensuring there's a better device driving it, but the utility of a more capable interface than sound in and out is hard to go without from my perspective.
Re: Whiney users of a closed system complain (Score:2)
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Because not all values of "bluetooth receiver" are equal. Some will use better codecs (AAC, AptX), others will use dogshit SBC which makes everything sound terrible, with easily audible artifacting and distortion inside the frequency ranges that don't get chopped off.
With a "smart" speaker, it can just play the music without involving bluetooth at all for (presumably) higher quality.
I'm not buying in either, because I have far better equipment anywhere I'm looking to play music, but bluetooth audio is a sh
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Then we need Good Open Systems, that are actually innovative by their own rights, not just a copy of a closed system, but it is just Open.
Closed system manufacturers: We had created such and such innovation, that people like.
Open system manufacturers a few months later: We have that too, and it is just as good, but it is Open.
Customers who are not interested in such details: We already got the product a few months ago from Closed system manufacturer, why should we get an other one that you claim is just as
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I will say, when I stream Christmas music in my home to multiple alexas and it keeps skipping and pause, I do wish I had invested in a local solution.
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But are you going to Dump your investment in Alexa, and go with an open solution, or just deal with the issues and keep what you have. Because while it is annoying it is good enough.
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No - in fact I have doubledowned. I have done a great job locking myself into a vendor
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Or, consumers of a service aren't getting support on devices they bought, which competitive services support just fine.
But because Apple is mentioned, clearly Apple or their users are in the wrong, right? Because other companies can't ever be shitty to their customers, right?
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Yes.
And when I say Trump is an idiot, that is obviously because I think no other politicians are idiots.
Why is this news? (Score:5, Insightful)
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I doubt that it's about "punishing people". For all the faults spotify has with workers who really like punishing people who think wrong thoughts as far as they can see, I doubt that "apple users" are in that category.
It just seems to be a too small of a client category to invest R&D in. If their number grows enough, they'll probably invest in supporting the platform.
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The numbers won't grow -- HomePod has been cancelled quite a while ago.
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Then I guess nothing is going to happen, as the "demand" thread is from june 2020 and spotify reply due to threat having "gained enough votes" was in june 2021 that they're going to look into the issue with their internal teams.
I.e. chances are, it's going to get filed into the nearest trash bin.
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... they just released a new set of HomePod Minis in various colours.
Re: Why is this news? (Score:2)
The new one permanently etches an apple logo on your table instead of just a regular circle.
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I doubt that it's about "punishing people". For all the faults spotify has with workers who really like punishing people who think wrong thoughts as far as they can see, I doubt that "apple users" are in that category.
It just seems to be a too small of a client category to invest R&D in. If their number grows enough, they'll probably invest in supporting the platform.
I don't think that implementing a streaming protocol is going to bankrupt Spotify. They have 160-170 million customers out of which Apple device users are around 10-15%. Now, if Spotify wants these ~16-20 million Apple device owners to go to Apple Music, Amazon, Tencent, Google, Netease and friends that's Spotify's choice. Just don't try to tell me that is financially sound decision because implementing and maintaining Apple's streaming protocol cost peanuts compared to the 18 million * $10 revenues these p
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This isn't about apple device users. This is about a specific tiny subsection of apple users. The thread linked has barely over four thousand likes. It took them a year of bitching just to hit that number.
Spotify works just fine for almost all apple users.
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I have to disagree, 4000 is a lot of votes. This is impressively high compared to other suggested ideas on the Spotify Community page: https://community.spotify.com/... [spotify.com]
Spotify is being bullheaded and is punishing their customers due to their dislike of Apple. Both are corporations acting in their own interests.
It appears you believe that it's not about what is fair to the consumers, rather you believe that the "tiny subsection" should simply suffer as somehow it is their fault.
Re:Why is this news? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: Why is this news? (Score:2)
Either that or Apple is demanding a very high cut of Spotify's revenue if they want their app on homepod. I don't think Spotify is going to cave on something like that even if it meant they would lose all ten homepod customers.
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The typical Apple cut used to be 30% For subscription users that got cut long ago to a relatively low percentage.
You lose 10 million Apple users, which pay $10 a month: you lose $100,000,000 in revenue. Even with a 99% Apple cut: it would be a bargain not to lose them.
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This isn't about apple device users. This is about a specific tiny subsection of apple users. The thread linked has barely over four thousand likes. It took them a year of bitching just to hit that number.
Spotify works just fine for almost all apple users.
Spotify tried to screw Apple users by not supporting Airplay 2, it literally says so in the summary. That's screwing millions of Spotify Premium subscribers out of features they have a right to expect. Providing these customers with up-to-date streaming features will not bankrupt Spotify any time soon. 16 million iPhone users paying $10 per month for Spotify Premium, net Spotify $160 million, monthly. The only explanation for this behaviour is that Spotify managers are either punishing Apple users who pay f
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> If Spotifty instead decides to be petty and punish Apple device owners
From what I can see Apple itself abandoned Homepod in favor of Homepod Mini and switched to the Thread protocol.
Why should Spotify support a device Apple abandoned? Apple always rapidly abandons most of its non-phone non-Mac devices. It's just how it's always been. Buy the Mini. Or in Apple speak "Don't Be Poor".
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Apple always rapidly abandons most of its non-phone non-Mac devices.
Any examples for that? Never hear about such a thing.
Re: Why is this news? (Score:2)
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The Newton was a product that suddenly no longer got sold.
No idea what you mean with Timemachine. It is no longer sold either?
And what has that to do with the topic?
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Why does Spotify have to do anything? Don't they have a web interface? Can't you get audio from a website into Apple's fancy speaker?
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I don't know about HomePod, but generally speaking the smart speakers are all fragmented proprietary implementations and any service that wants to be used directly through the speaker must separately work to enable each platform. Sure, you can probably output audio from your phone or computer to the speaker and be fine, but there's the notion of voice commands to just make the speaker access content without a controlling device.
I personally favor speakers and monitors being 'dumb' output devices of phones
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This is correct, but it should be noted that the HomePod is notably bad when used in this fashion. This is the very reason HomePods are not considered serious competitors in the space, Siri is terrible.
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Why does Spotify have to do anything? Don't they have a web interface? Can't you get audio from a website into Apple's fancy speaker?
You can. Actually, anything a Mac or iPhone / iPad can play can be sent straight to a HomePod. (No idea what's possible with Android devices). However, you can use many services _directly_ from a HomePod. Just not Spotify.
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Yes, you can. Of course you can. It should also be noted that Apple enables this through AirPlay, their own proprietary protocol, and through NO OTHER PROTOCOL, because Apple, of course, does not have to support anyone else despite the industry having to support them.
The height of hypocrisy, do not criticize Apple for not playing fair, criticize Spotify for not catering to Apple. The HomePod sucks, Spotify is merely making a reasonable business decision.
Of course, you can't ask Siri to play music from Sp
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Why would a speaker have a web interface?
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This is no news indeed, but rather a post on Slashdot with a link to a forum. Odd...
You say 'Spotify should give their paying customers what they want', but that is not actually so.
HomePod users may be a completely ignorable niche market to Spotify and in that case they should NOT be giving them what they want, but instead focus on the development of stuff they please the larger part of their user base with.
Spotify have a pretty good working 'Spotify Connect', which is available on a large number of devices
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Yes, exactly, and Spotify can be used with HomePods in the preferred way to use HomePods (which is not direct streaming and Siri). A total nothing-burger.
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It's news because Spotify is going to the EU regulators saying Apple Music is competition to them and stealing their customers. "Their customers" being Apple users.
However, it's a bit rich to say "Apple Music is stealing customers" when you're not doing anything to keep them either.
In other words, Spotify loses customers - must be because of Apple Music, therefore Apple is bad because they are competing illegally. While that may be true to an extent, if Apple users are leaving because you refuse to support
Re:Why is this news? (Score:4, Insightful)
"If Spotify instead decides to be petty and punish Apple device owners..."
No Spotify users are paying "cash money" for HomePod support since it has never existed and was previously not possible. Spotify is "punishing" no one for not doing new work to support a third rate product. HomePods are thus far a failure and Apple has taken a "iTunes only" approach to their support until recently.
Furthermore, Spotify isn't "dragging" anyone into a "silly little feud" with Apple. They choose what technologies to invest in, if Apple wants Spotify support for their closed, POS smart speaker maybe they should make a more competitive one...and open it to streaming companies like Spotify from the start.
But by all means, spin this an an evil Spotify move despite all evidence to the contrary. Apple can do no wrong, after all.
Cue tiny violin (Score:1, Flamebait)
Apple users openly mock standards. Their undying support for Apple is one of the biggest detriments to interoperability. They don't see anything wrong with Apple-only protocols and services that exclude people who dare to choose devices from competing manufacturers. Apple users are spoiled brats.
Apple Homepod users? (Score:2)
Spotify should not do it. (Score:2)
Apple users will always end-up using the alternative with an apple logo on it, no matter how bad or over-expensive it is.
It's only a matter of time before those with an homepod (which also most likely have a Mac and an iPhone, and probably more Apple devices) switch to Apple music anyways, no matter how great Spotify is.
On all the speakers and streaming solutions they could chose, they chose the homepod, one of the only few not compatible with Spotify. So it sounds to me they don't care that much about Spot
Re: Spotify should not do it. (Score:2)
Spotify should develop the technology, then brand it as an Apple only service for twice the revenue. Apple users are suckers for a product that does the same thing as competitor products, but costs more money.
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the problem is if Spotify charges even $1 for it, Apple users will move to Apple music anyways, which is the same monthly price as Spotify.
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Interestingly, I subscribe only to have music services for friends when they visit. My friends, without exception, all use iPhones as do I.
I canceled my iTunes subscription because no one would use it, they all use Spotify. Also, they don't know how to play music other than by using AirPlay or Sonos. My roommate uses Spotify with HomePods in the only way he knows how, via AirPlay.
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In the mid 20th century US automakers blamed their failure on the prejudice of European auto consumers. Of course
All three of them! (Score:2)
Sure they did.
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I have it under good authority that there are actually five of them. https://entertainment.slashdot... [slashdot.org]