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Spotify rules out AirPlay 2 support on iOS

Spotify appears to have ruled out bringing support for Apple’s AirPlay 2 casting technology to its iOS app; at least for now.

In a post on the Spotify community forums, a moderator said although the idea of adding AirPlay 2 had been discussed internally, it has been abandoned due to compatibility issues.

The firm says the issues with audio drivers won’t be resolved in the “foreseeable future”, which is a blow for Apple users who rely on the connectivity platform.

That means no multi-room/stereo audio for Spotify users on iOS with AirPlay 2 compatible speakers, including Apple’s own HomePod products.

“We’ve discussed this Idea internally and while we are working on supporting AirPlay2 in a proper way, we have decided to close it for now,” wrote moderator Xenia.

“The reason for this is that due to audio driver compatibility issues, this seems like a bigger project that we won’t be able to complete in the foreseeable future. Please keep adding your votes and comments here and as soon as we have anything new to share, we’ll check back with an update.”

Posters in the thread have accused Spotify of deliberately holding back on features that would benefit Apple users. The two companies have been reluctant bedfellows in recent years, especially since the launch of Apple Music.

Spotify resents having to hand over commission to Apple for purchases made within the App Store ecosystem. It has also accused Apple of making it more difficult for it to support Siri voice commands, HomePod and, for the longest time, an Apple Watch app.

Apple, of course has denied all of this, but relations between the two companies remain frosty.

“It feels as though Spotify actively neglects adopting features that are important to Apple users, due to Spotify’s ongoing tantrum with Apple over App store commission,” wrote WillSkinnr on the forum thread. “If this is the case, please stop. It’s frustrating, especially seeing as many users signed up outside of the App Store in support of Spotify’s stance.”

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