Ridgefield Park, N.J. – Samsung added Spotify Connect technology to its Shape wireless multiroom audio products in a way that makes them the first audio products to overcome a previous Spotify Connect limitation.
Samsung’s Wi-Fi-equipped Shape products consist of two active speakers, a streaming adapter, a soundbar, two Blu-ray HTiBs and one Blu-ray player.
Spotify Connect, unveiled last year, is a Spotify upgrade that lets consumers switch instantly from streaming Spotify via cellular on a smartphone to streaming Spotify through a networked home audio product when they get home. At launch, however, a single Spotify Connect user could not stream Spotify to multiple networked home audio products at one time.
With Samsung’s implementation, the company’s Wi-Fi-equipped Shape multiroom-audio products become the first products that let Spotify Connect users stream to two or more networked-audio products at a time.
Spotify Connect also lets users stream to Connect-enabled products without leaving the Spotify app.
Spotify Connect works like this: Consumers who are streaming Spotify via cellular on a smartphone can, after entering their home, turn on a home audio product and begin playing a Spotify playlist where it left off. Playlists are created from the more than 20 million tracks that users stream on demand.
Users can then use Spotify’s tablet or smartphone app to control music playback and switch playback to other Spotify Connect devices.
Sonos wireless multiroom audio systems support multiroom playback of Spotify but does not support Spotify Connect, a spokesman confirmed.
Other streaming services supported by Samsung’s Shape system are 8Tracks, Amazon Cloud Player, iHeartRadio, Pandora, Rdio, Rhapsody and TuneIn. The services, like Spotify, are not embedded in Samsung’s audio products but are streamed to the audio products from iOS and Android devices running Samsung’s Shape controller app.
