Spotify on Sonos + iPad app
This morning I updated the software on my Sonos to v3.3 – bringing support for Spotify. Only issue was my BT Home Hub decided to throw a wobbler part way through, leaving a couple of zones at v3.2 but that was resolved by a quick power cycle. I’ve been a Napster subscriber since getting my Sonos system, and I think I was a bit rash cancelling my subscription & signing up for Spotify before it was all integrated…
The good -
- The bitrate of the Spotify stream is much higher than Napster, and it’s quite noticeable on my kitchen Polk Audio RC60i hooked upto a ZP120
- iPhone app is great, sync playlists over WiFi to play later. As I sync the lossless music in my library to 128kbps AAC for my iPhone in the car, I prefer Spotify when I’m sitting down with headphones.
- Playlists show up on Sonos in the same order as in the client
The bad -
- Unable to play a lot of songs from playlists that work fine in the desktop client on the Sonos. CR100 has a line through the track icon, iPhone shows as below. These are tracks from the user Spotify – Top 100 tracks currently on Spotify.
- Can’t currently play a track from a playlist on the iPhone – probably will be fixed in a v3.3 version?
- Starting streaming from my mobile or client makes Sonos stop playing. OK the FAQ says you can only stream to one computer at a time, but I hoped that wouldn’t count.
Can I use Spotify from multiple locations?
Yes, you can install Spotify on as many computers as you like. You may be logged in to Spotify from several computers simultaneously, but you can only play music on one computer at a time. The music at your other computers will automatically be paused. If you want to install Spotify on more than one computer simply download the program again and log in with your existing username and password, there is no need for an invite token. - £10/month is twice the cost of Napster, which also gives you 5 MP3 downloads per month & allows multiple streams. Napster also has a great selection of playlists, charts etc..
At the moment, I’m undecided as to whether I should stick with Spotify, or go back to Napster. I guess the ultimate option would be to subscribe to both…!
Also new today is the Sonos iPad app. There’s not much I can say about it that’s not been covered elsewhere. The Sonos CR100 & iPhone apps are so easy to use you wouldn’t think they could be improved on, but by having the extra screen-space it’s a lot more functional when customising playlists or generally browsing through a music library.
Update from Spotify about unplayable tracks – the client automagically finds a playable replacement in your country. Sonos doesn’t do that (yet).
