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I tried to have it launch spotify when Airpods were connected, but found only Apple music supported. I’ve always wondered, is the lack of Spotify support in Sir

I tried to have it launch spotify when Airpods were connected, but found only Apple music supported. I’ve always wondered, is the lack of Spotify support in Siri, Shortcuts, due to Spotify or due to Apple blocking them?

cj 7y ago
I just got Airpods. I had to sign up for Apple Music yesterday because offline support (when the watch isn't in bluetooth range of the phone) wasn't available with Spotify. Not sure if this is simply a feature Spotify decided not to implement, or if they can't implement it due to Apple Watch restrictions. I have similar questions with the Hulu Apple TV app. Results for content in Hulu aren't always included in Apple TV wide search, while content from other apps is. Apple has done a lot of good things, but they went a little over the top with creating such a strict walled garden. (Another example is their blocking of 3rd party billing system - that's a clear example of Apple hurting the user experience to boost their profits)
- pfranz 7y ago
  > Results for content in Hulu aren't always included in Apple TV wide search, while content from other apps is. I'm unclear if Apple needs to add support or if the third party needs to offer it in a specific format. I do often see Hulu, Netflix, and other third parties show up. Often they pop up before Apple. But other services like Hoopla and Kanopy don't show up. To be fair, searching across services is a mess all around. Third party websites have popped up, but seem to be missing a lot of data or stop working after a few months. > offline support (when the watch isn't in bluetooth range of the phone) wasn't available with Spotify. https://9to5mac.com/2019/06/09/watchos-6-spotify/ https://9to5mac.com/2019/06/09/watchos-6-spotify/ That seems to be up for debate. This article calls out other apps that do this without issue...but it may not be fair to compare it to Overcast, which doesn't have any contractual restrictions on storing it locally in an encrypted format or any other hoops Spotify might need to address.
- GeekyBear 7y ago
  The new version of WatchOS makes audio streaming to the watch a public API. https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2019/716/ https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2019/716/ Spotify can implement the feature any time they like. Similarly, Hulu has long been able to provide the search metadata needed to integrate into Apple's universal search system, if they choose to do so. https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/tech-talks/508/ https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/tech-talks/508/
  - cj 7y ago
    Perhaps one reason they don't choose to do so is that some subscribers have different levels of access depending on the subscription tier. At least that's my guess.
bspammer 7y ago
Very much the latter https://www.timetoplayfair.com/timeline/ https://www.timetoplayfair.com/timeline/
pfranz 7y ago
I'd love for someone to chime in with specifics, but I'm pretty sure it's both--depending on the feature. I remember reading a story where Spotify either bought or sued an app that allowed streaming to the Apple Watch (it may have been something specific like via LTE with no phone involved). Here's an article from June harping on Spotify not allowing offline playback on the Apple Watch [1]. Spotify launched https://www.timetoplayfair.com https://www.timetoplayfair.com and sued Apple in the EU because they can't work with Siri and Apple's Home pod. On the other side, Netflix disables Airplay requesting you use the app on that device. I'm sure this is to enforce their per-device limits at different subscription tiers. So it could be Apple not offering APIs, inaction on their part, or strategically not allowing that feature. [1] https://9to5mac.com/2019/06/09/watchos-6-spotify/ https://9to5mac.com/2019/06/09/watchos-6-spotify/
- kitsunesoba 7y ago
  Spotify is hypocritical to say the least. They complain about Apple controlling their ecosystem too tightly and being too unfriendly to third parties while also refusing to provide a modern replacement for the deprecated and broken libspotify, removing playback capabilities from their other SDKs, breaking numerous Spotify-capable hardware devices, and shutting down third party devs trying to build on their platform. Spotify has no room to complain.
  - GeekyBear 7y ago
    Spotify has previously complained that there was no API to transfer music to the local storage of the watch and play it back from there, but after the feature was added in last year's WatchOS update, they failed to add support for it. Now that cellular music streaming has been added in this year's WatchOS update, we'll have to wait and see if they will update their app to support that feature.
ascagnel_ 7y ago
FWIW, I'm able to create an automation that runs a shortcut to start playing podcasts in Overcast when connecting AirPods. It's not super-clear, but you need to set the automation to "Run a Shortcut" from the Shortcuts app, rather than pick a shortcut from the app itself. Try creating a shortcut in the Shortcuts app to play something in Spotify. Then search for "Run a Shortcut" when you're wiring up the personal automation, and then tap the word "Shortcut" in "Run Shortcut" to pick your Spotify shortcut. The proper fix here should be that all the shortcuts should be direct actions.
- lucasverra 7y ago
  > Try creating a shortcut in the Shortcuts app to play something in Spotify how ?
snotrockets 7y ago
Search for "Launch", choose "Open App" in the actions category, pick Spotify.
- chrischen 7y ago
  I'm able to also launch Spotify with by opening a spotify URL using the actions, but can't get it to auto-play.
  - lucasverra 7y ago
    same here, play/pause do not work either after url action :( so i Subscribed to apple music

cj 7y ago

I just got Airpods. I had to sign up for Apple Music yesterday because offline support (when the watch isn't in bluetooth range of the phone) wasn't available with Spotify. Not sure if this is simply a feature Spotify decided not to implement, or if they can't implement it due to Apple Watch restrictions. I have similar questions with the Hulu Apple TV app. Results for content in Hulu aren't always included in Apple TV wide search, while content from other apps is. Apple has done a lot of good things, but they went a little over the top with creating such a strict walled garden. (Another example is their blocking of 3rd party billing system - that's a clear example of Apple hurting the user experience to boost their profits)

pfranz 7y ago
> Results for content in Hulu aren't always included in Apple TV wide search, while content from other apps is. I'm unclear if Apple needs to add support or if the third party needs to offer it in a specific format. I do often see Hulu, Netflix, and other third parties show up. Often they pop up before Apple. But other services like Hoopla and Kanopy don't show up. To be fair, searching across services is a mess all around. Third party websites have popped up, but seem to be missing a lot of data or stop working after a few months. > offline support (when the watch isn't in bluetooth range of the phone) wasn't available with Spotify. https://9to5mac.com/2019/06/09/watchos-6-spotify/ https://9to5mac.com/2019/06/09/watchos-6-spotify/ That seems to be up for debate. This article calls out other apps that do this without issue...but it may not be fair to compare it to Overcast, which doesn't have any contractual restrictions on storing it locally in an encrypted format or any other hoops Spotify might need to address.
GeekyBear 7y ago
The new version of WatchOS makes audio streaming to the watch a public API. https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2019/716/ https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2019/716/ Spotify can implement the feature any time they like. Similarly, Hulu has long been able to provide the search metadata needed to integrate into Apple's universal search system, if they choose to do so. https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/tech-talks/508/ https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/tech-talks/508/
- cj 7y ago
  Perhaps one reason they don't choose to do so is that some subscribers have different levels of access depending on the subscription tier. At least that's my guess.

bspammer 7y ago

Very much the latter https://www.timetoplayfair.com/timeline/ https://www.timetoplayfair.com/timeline/

pfranz 7y ago

I'd love for someone to chime in with specifics, but I'm pretty sure it's both--depending on the feature. I remember reading a story where Spotify either bought or sued an app that allowed streaming to the Apple Watch (it may have been something specific like via LTE with no phone involved). Here's an article from June harping on Spotify not allowing offline playback on the Apple Watch [1]. Spotify launched https://www.timetoplayfair.com https://www.timetoplayfair.com and sued Apple in the EU because they can't work with Siri and Apple's Home pod. On the other side, Netflix disables Airplay requesting you use the app on that device. I'm sure this is to enforce their per-device limits at different subscription tiers. So it could be Apple not offering APIs, inaction on their part, or strategically not allowing that feature. [1] https://9to5mac.com/2019/06/09/watchos-6-spotify/ https://9to5mac.com/2019/06/09/watchos-6-spotify/

kitsunesoba 7y ago
Spotify is hypocritical to say the least. They complain about Apple controlling their ecosystem too tightly and being too unfriendly to third parties while also refusing to provide a modern replacement for the deprecated and broken libspotify, removing playback capabilities from their other SDKs, breaking numerous Spotify-capable hardware devices, and shutting down third party devs trying to build on their platform. Spotify has no room to complain.
- GeekyBear 7y ago
  Spotify has previously complained that there was no API to transfer music to the local storage of the watch and play it back from there, but after the feature was added in last year's WatchOS update, they failed to add support for it. Now that cellular music streaming has been added in this year's WatchOS update, we'll have to wait and see if they will update their app to support that feature.

ascagnel_ 7y ago

FWIW, I'm able to create an automation that runs a shortcut to start playing podcasts in Overcast when connecting AirPods. It's not super-clear, but you need to set the automation to "Run a Shortcut" from the Shortcuts app, rather than pick a shortcut from the app itself. Try creating a shortcut in the Shortcuts app to play something in Spotify. Then search for "Run a Shortcut" when you're wiring up the personal automation, and then tap the word "Shortcut" in "Run Shortcut" to pick your Spotify shortcut. The proper fix here should be that all the shortcuts should be direct actions.

lucasverra 7y ago
> Try creating a shortcut in the Shortcuts app to play something in Spotify how ?

snotrockets 7y ago

Search for "Launch", choose "Open App" in the actions category, pick Spotify.

chrischen 7y ago
I'm able to also launch Spotify with by opening a spotify URL using the actions, but can't get it to auto-play.
- lucasverra 7y ago
  same here, play/pause do not work either after url action :( so i Subscribed to apple music