Apple and Spotify are reportedly taking time out from their recent spat to discuss a plan that would bring see Siri finally play nice with the groundbreaking music streaming service.
According to a report from The Information, the two companies are discussing the possibility of enabling Spotify users to request music and control playback directly from Apple’s voice-based personal assistant.
Until now a request to play Spotify music has been met with the standard “I’m sorry I can’t do that,” response from Siri. However, that might change as soon as the iOS 13 release this September, the report says.
Related: Spotify vs Apple Music war explained
Lack of integration with Siri is a problem Spotify has laid squarely at Apple’s door. In fact, the company referenced the inability to use voice commands to play Spotify tracks via Apple’s HomePod speaker in its complaint over alleged anti-competitive practices from the iPhone maker.
“Apple also routinely blocks our experience-enhancing upgrades,” CEO Daniel Ek wrote after the company filed an antitrust complaint with the European Commission. “Over time, this has included locking Spotify and other competitors out of Apple services such as Siri, HomePod, and Apple Watch.”
Apple, on the other hand, said it had reached out to Spotify with regards to Siri and AirPlay 2 support on many occasions.
Interestingly, a website detailing Spotify’s complaints against Apple no longer features the following language:“Apple won’t allow us to be on HomePod and they definitely won’t let us connect with Siri to play your jams.” That suggests the icey relationship may be thawing and that Spotify may be able to add integration through iOS 13’s new SiriKit API.
Spotify’s overall complaint is wide-reaching, but the main thrust is that Apple charges a 30% tax on some Spotify Premium subscriptions made through Apple’s billing platform. Spotify alleges this gives Apple Music an unfair advantage. Apple countered by claiming the 30% fee only applies to a fraction of Spotify subscribers.
The tit-for-tat battle could yet result in a full anti-trust investigation, but it’s possible the two firms coming to an arrangement over Siri could lead to a larger cessation of hostilities. It might be like the olden days when warring families would marry off their children and embrace peace.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
