Apple released AirPlay 2 in 2018 and many streaming apps for iOS have since been adapted. Except Spotify. The company was exploring the possibilities and wants to implement it someday, but is in no rush. A Spotify employee has now informed users that the plans are on hold for the time being. Internally, the position has been discussed and work has been done on it, but it is said that it has been decided to stop it for the time being. The reason is said to be a compatibility issue with audio drivers, a Spotify forum moderator reported. “It's a big project that we won't be able to complete in the near future.”
This was the response from contributor Xenia on the Spotify Community page:
Hello everyone,
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.
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.
However, Spotify has denied that the project has been halted in a response:
A post on one of Spotify’s Community pages contained incomplete information regarding our plans for AirPlay 2. Spotify will support AirPlay 2 and we’ re working to make that a reality.
Technical obstacles or arguing with Apple?
Spotify already has its own way to forward audio to devices, namely Spotify Connect. In addition, the music service also offers support for Google Cast. Adding AirPlay 2 would be in line with expectations.
Apple has a document for developers explaining how to build it in in 4 easy steps. Renowned developer Marco Arment points out, however, that the fourth step, applying a new API for improved buffering, is not that simple. Spotify may crash on it.
However, it could also have something to do with the adversarial relationship between Apple and Spotify, leaving the latter in no rush. Spotify alleges that Apple engages in unfair competition and has also filed a complaint with the EU. Users may now be the victims of a battle between tech giants.
What do you get with AirPlay 2?
AirPlay 2 was part of iOS 11 and mainly added multi-room audio. In addition, you can control music via Siri with your voice and have speakers from different brands work together. There are even AirPlay 2 televisions that offer support for it. Previously, streaming was mostly limited to Apple's own devices. The audio quality is also better, but streaming music services have to add it.
Alternatives to AirPlay 2
Do you want to stream music in multiple rooms and choose your own speakers from multiple brands? Then you can choose Chromecast Audio in addition to AirPlay 2. An important difference is that Chromecast works on iOS and Android. Your smartphone or tablet serves as a remote control, while the speaker gets the content directly from the internet. So it will not be streamed via your smartphone.
DTS Play-Fi is an alternative that allows you to combine speakers from different manufacturers. You connect wirelessly via an app on your smartphone. This also allows you to operate all devices and it works with all kinds of file formats, including FLAC. Klipsch, Philips, McIntosh, Onkyo and Pioneer are participating.
Another solution is to opt for a multi-room system from one brand, for example Sonos, HEOS by Denon or Bluesound.