Any news on Spotify Integration?

Link to Swedish article saying it would come in May 2014:

http://www.ljudochbild.se/nyhe...ect-kommer-till-naim

and Google Translate of that page:

https://translate.google.se/tr...it-text=&act=url

The link to NAIM's site they link to no longer links to anything.

Spotify integration may very well require Wi-Fi Direct functionality, as is said to be required for all forthcoming versions of AirPlay on iOS (and as supported from iOS 6 onward). I do not believe that this is currently implemented within the current hardware / software (though I could be wrong), and I suspect that the newer AirPlay certifications may have something to do with the delay.

Until then, one can use Plutinosoft's MusicFlow app in conjunction with the Spotify app to push Spotify content to Uniti or NDx network players, with integrated volume control using the iOS volume slider. There is no integration with n-Stream, nor is it required.

Why do you think WiFi Direct would be needed?

I would think that the actual decoding (OGG Vorbis for Spotify!?) should require more from an integration/implementation than how the data is transported to the NAIM device.

I'm gonna guess on this, but there is a minimum subset of on- or off-device graphical user interface functions that must be implemented as per the licensing requirements, else it becomes necessary to control (and push-stream) the service externally from a device capable of providing the user with a rich interface for the service, e.g., an iPad.

Therefore, push-streamed content (using an app on the tablet device) makes obvious sense (rather than a control point arrangement), as it ends up being less complicated.

It has nothing to do with the actual decoded audio–although, since Wi-Fi Direct works on a point-to-point basis (no collisions, and no other wireless clients competing for bandwidth), there is definitely the possibility that it might sound better than a traditional Wi-Fi (or dare I say Ethernet) transport....

Many Wi-Fi enabled products provide the ability to join an infrastructure network while simultaneously functioning as Wi-Fi Direct clients (e.g., they possess a minimum of two radios, possibly more).

I would also guess that similar requirements might exist for most of the other streaming services (Last.fm, Pandora, Rhapsody etc.), in order to enable their specific value-added interface elements (e.g., the Pandora thumbs-up / thumbs-down buttons).

And it's probably fair to say that, in line with other current products in the market, that Mu-so supports Wi-Fi Direct and, as a consequence, AirPlay, among other things. I cannot comment (and have no idea, really) regarding any of the existing current products (older Uniti products definitely do not support Wi-Fi Direct).

At the recent HFL event in the UK the friendly Naim staff were openly saying that integration with a 'premium streaming service' would be announced in September.  Presumably this will be Spotify though I must say that I would have much preferred Qobuz as the sound quality of their 'Hi-Fi' streaming service (16-bit FLAC) is not surprisingly far better than Spotify Premium.  I have now cancelled my Spotify Premium subscription and moved to Qobuz and know several others who have done the same.

I heard that Qobuz might not be in the initial launch... Which is a shame if the case , as the Qobuz APIs seem quite straightforward, and work well with Sonos. To my ears Qobuz is head and shoulders above Spotify... But then I really am not a fan of lossy compressed streams..

Simon

Sounds great with the September news. Just waiting then, thanks for the heads up.

Qobuz might be fine if they cover as much music as Spotify. Do they?

OTOH, Spotify don't have much of the Norwegian Jazz I listen to anyway...

Seriously, I'd prefer a FLAC service over spotify but have not yet found anyone with as broad a coverage. For my "deep"/focused listening I prefer high-bandwidth FLAC but for exploring and finding new music I like Spotify (or something similar).

Robert,

Qobuz have a huge catalogue of music available in 16-bit FLAC. The catalogue is not as broad as Spotify's but the quality is much better. They have  offered a series of free trial subscriptions - the latest was for 30 days. It's easy to sign up and try it out - otherwise if you post the names of a few of your favourite jazz musicians I can check what they offer.

As you're in Norway maybe WiMP might be an interesting alternative?

Regards, Philip

There are gaps in the QOBUZ repertoire but they are making good progress - when I joined in April there were only 73 Grateful Dead albums available for streaming  but now there are 117.

Nowhere near enough of course...