Spotify now testing direct Apple Watch streaming for select users

Certain Spotify users can now stream music directly to their Apple Watch without requiring a connection to their iPhone.

Some Spotify users have begun reporting that they have been given the ability to test out a beta release feature — the ability to stream music from Spotify over the Apple Watch without being connected to an iPhone.

Users who have been chosen see a blue beta badge next to the Apple Watch icon under the connected devices option.

There currently seems to be no rhyme or reason as to who is picked, and there is no way to opt into the beta. An Apple Watch user named Max told iPhone Ticker that the icon appeared on his cellular-enabled Apple Watch Series 3 on the weekend of September 12.

Previously, the Spotify app on the Apple Watch could only control the Spotify app on a user's iPhone. However, this beta allows LTE users the ability to take their music on the go while leaving their iPhone at home.

Spotify was recently in the news for lashing out against the newly announced Apple One services bundle, stating it "threatens our collective freedoms to listen, learn, create, and connect."

Spotify is one of the earliest public voices to speak out against Apple, claiming the company gives itself advantages against competitors such as itself.

7 Comments

mobird 758 comments · 20 Years

About 4 years ago

This type of feature should be a keystone feature for Apple and Watch and Music.

Or is Apple providing Spotify with a Watch feature that Apple themselves has yet to provide? For Spotify to implement this feature, would they not have had to work directly with Apple engineers? Is this tied into the 3rd party platforms on the HomePod? (BTW- has anyone seen a HomePod update for iOS 14?)

Update - after reading the additional post, My apologies for misunderstanding and conflating 2 different features.

ihatescreennames 1971 comments · 19 Years

About 4 years ago

mobird said:

This type of feature should be a keystone feature for Apple and Watch and Music.

Are you referring to playing music without being tethered to your phone? If so, that’s been possible for a long time with Apple Watch and Apple Music. For one thing, music can be transferred to the watch for playback without a phone nearby. For an Apple Watch with LTE the ability to stream from Apple Music has also been a thing for a while, I think since the launch of Apple Music.

I’m curious to know how long this ability has been there for Spotify, as I recall it was one of the things they used to complain about not having an API for.

PassingBy 10 comments · 4 Years

About 4 years ago

This type of feature should be a keystone feature for Apple and Watch and Music.

Or is Apple providing Spotify with a Watch feature that Apple themselves has yet to provide? For Spotify to implement this feature, would they not have had to work directly with Apple engineers? Is this tied into the 3rd party platforms on the HomePod? (BTW- has anyone seen a HomePod update for iOS 14?)

Not sure where you have been... This feature has been available for quite a while .

esquared 5 comments · 11 Years

About 4 years ago

mobird said:

This type of feature should be a keystone feature for Apple and Watch and Music.

Or is Apple providing Spotify with a Watch feature that Apple themselves has yet to provide? For Spotify to implement this feature, would they not have had to work directly with Apple engineers? Is this tied into the 3rd party platforms on the HomePod? (BTW- has anyone seen a HomePod update for iOS 14?)

Correct me if I'm wrong, Apple already has this feature between  Watch and Music.
For years owners have been able to sync playlists to the  Watch and leave their iPhone behind. When LTE connectivity came to the  Watch in Series 3, accessing Music directly, bypassing the iPhone was not longer an issue as long as you paid for  Watch LTE connection.
This article states "this beta allows LTE users the ability to take their music on the go while leaving their iPhone at home." It appears it's just a new feature for Spotify that they did not have before.