One of the reasons so many people flock to Spotify is because of its wide availability on a number of different platforms. Even if you own an iPhone, have a Google Home Speaker, and prefer to use Amazon Fire TV while browsing the web on your Chromebook, there's a Spotify app to use to ensure you're never without your music.
In addition to the above gadgets, a number of connected speakers have allowed you to stream Spotify tunes throughout your house without the need for a smartphone. This is something that's been around for quite some time, but it's now being axed.
Spotify announced a few months back that it'd be doing this, but it just recently started to impact users. Essentially, if you own speakers from Pioneer, Yamaha, Onkyo, Denon, Marantz, or Bang & Olufsen that have previously allowed you to stream Spotify directly from them, this functionality is being removed.
Why is this happening? In an email that Spotify sent to The Verge, the streaming service says:
We updated our backend platform, so that means Spotify Connect is no longer integrated into some older generation speakers and TVs. In some cases, manufacturers can update their firmware to be compatible with the new platform.
Users can keep listening to Spotify on older speakers by plugging in their phones, connecting over Bluetooth, or buying a Chromecast Audio, so while this isn't the end of the world, it's still not a joyous occasion for folks that are now having their speakers neutered of preexisting functionality.
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