Free Spotify streaming could be coming to a speaker near you

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It’s more good news for free Spotify users

For years Spotify Connect has been a pretty typical feature of wireless speakers, allowing subscribers of Spotify’s £10/month Premium tier to stream music directly from the Spotify app to a speaker.

Now those Spotify Connect-enabled speakers could soon offer access to Spotify’s free tier streaming too. Spotify's Commercial Partners’ SDK is now allowing speaker manufacturers to offer the free tier experience from their Spotify Connect-enabled speakers.

It’s potentially good news for Spotify free users, then, who seem to be getting an increasingly good deal following the service's improved free mobile listening earlier this year.

If the manufacturer chooses to update their speaker, free users will be able to stream playlists and songs without having to rely on playing over Bluetooth. There’ll still be adverts and specific song selection restrictions, though. Naturally, Spotify Premium users will continue without such restraints.

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Becky Roberts
Becky Roberts

Becky is the managing editor of What Hi-Fi? and, since her recent move to Melbourne, also the editor of Australian Hi-Fi magazine. During her 10+ years in the hi-fi industry, she has reviewed all manner of audio gear, from budget amplifiers to high-end speakers, and particularly specialises in headphones and head-fi devices. In her spare time, Becky can often be found running, watching Liverpool FC and horror movies, and hunting for gluten-free cake.