Improve BluOS integration with Spotify

Answered

Comments

9 comments

  • Official comment
    Tony W.
    Product Support Manager

    Hi Rick - Spotify's desired and only connection method is Spotify Connect allowing you to get the most out of your Spotify experience. If Deep integration is what you are looking for, we can recommend other on-demand music services such as TIDAL (Which allows for both direct integration or end-point integration), Amazon Music or Deezer to name a few.

  • Paul Genovese

    I've just joined the Bluesound family for whole house audio for our winter home.  I've never been a fan of Sonos and started streaming with Slim Devices Squeezeboxes since way before Logitech bought and ruined that company.  I still have, and love, our whole house Squeezebox using the Media Server system in our primary home.

    We have enjoyed full integration with local music and Spotify in that system for many years, an obsolete system does this so you would think it could certainly be done within BluOS as well.

    I'd also suggest the BluOS marketing managers and developers have a look at the iPENG app on IOS that was created by an individual to control the Squeezebox platform.  There are lots of UI features and idea that could really enhance the usability of BluOS Controller apps.

    1
  • Paul Genovese

    Rick,

    I've been streaming music throughout my house for longer than I can remember.  Started with some concoctions of my own making connected to individual amps, to the revolutionary Slim Devices Squeezebox with their open source SlimServer, which became the LMS Logitech Media Server. 

    I've currently got several Squeezeboxes sending audio throughout our house via a Russound multizone distribution amp.  It requires two apps to control, the Russound app to manage the zones, and handle Airplay devices, which we use to stream SiruisXM.  We use a third party app called iPeng to control all of the Squeezeboxes.  It works great.  We use XLiveX and Pandora streams as well as Spotify, Tidal, and a relatively large library of local RIP music.  I can, and am very used to, intermix tracks from Spotify, Tidal, and my local audio library at will within playlists and the live queue.

    I've played with Sonos but never went very far with them since my Squeezeboxes, even in its long since abandoned state today, outperformed Sonos.  The only thing my Squeezeboxes can't do that Sonos can is stream SiriusXM (it used to but that support ended when Logitech abandoned the product). But I can still handle that via the Russound.  Pretty much everything else I care about my Squeezeboxes do better.

    So when it was time to outfit our newly purchased second home I started investigating, even as I was somewhat resigned that I would have to go with a Sonos based system.  Then I found Bluesound and decided to give it a try. I like the BluOS but it still doesn't reach the level of my old Squeezeboxes and iPeng.  I'm not pleased that BluOS doesn't support Pandora, but it does handle SiriusXM. 

    I know of Roon and others, but really have no direct experience.  Honestly I don't see the need to add the complexity.  The current method does what I need and is very usable for my wife and guests.  I have high hopes for BluOS but must encourage them to have a look at the iPeng user interface. It is miles above both the BluOS and Sonos UIs in my opinion.

    1
  • RickW

    Ahh very interesting Seppi thx! Tony thx for responding—maybe BlueSound should entice Spotify somehow (read as offer $) to allow deeper integration with BluOS. Granted Sonos has focused on 3rd. Party integration for some time now. I really like Spotify’s large (largest?) music catalogue and their family plan. Now that they’ve announced CD quality streaming it’s unlikely I’ll switch to a competitor. What really disappointed me recently was when Sonos essentially orphaned all their “older” products—separating them such that it’s not possible to group them with all their new/future products—Wow. Hope Bluesound NEVER does that! 

    0
  • Stefan Mehre

    Autonomic Controls is an other system offering deep integration and Spotify Connect.

    But I these two are the only systems I know offering it. 

    BUT, like all the discussions here about TIDAL and others, it may offer some advanteges,

    but the connection APIs mostly are limited and there will be other parts users don‘t like.

    0
  • Seppi Evans
    Hi-Res

    Stefan, thanks for this info. Had a look at Autonomic systems and it’s nothing a consumer can buy without a dealer install.

    Interesting nonetheless.

    0
  • RickW

    Very interesting Paul thx! I’ve since been researching all that’s fairly new in the digital audio world incl multi-zone and streaming systems. If one looks at such systems that grew from a computer-based platform (Windows, MacOS, Linux) there are some crazy complex solutions out there like Roon, HQPlayer, REW, et al. Then there are the consumer-friendly systems that grew from a more traditional audio hardware platform like Bluesound/NAD and Sonos. The two worlds are converging and that’s a challenge for both. Particularly I’m thinking of the NAD C658 BluOS Streaming Pre-amp. An ambitious product, that includes Dirac room acoustic correction software. But if one believes what’s written about it on community forums like AVSForum there are problems with it. I’m intrigued by Roon though—an advanced system that’s gaining ground. I don’t have it and am no expert on it, but I believe it can integrate with many other systems incl the Squeezebox as a Roon endpoint. Paul, have you considered Roon? Bare with me—my q may be out of scope for this forum...

    0
  • Mike Balsara

    My understanding is that Innuos OS2 with the Innuos 'Sense' app provides the functionality you are looking for? The one constraint being you need Innuos hardware as well.

    0
  • Seppi Evans
    Hi-Res

    Correct me if I am wrong but I think the Spotify integration on Sonos is the only company who has been allowed to do this, everyone else has to use Spotify Connect.

    -1

Please sign in to leave a comment.