The streaming revolution has brought a world of convenience to music lovers everywhere. Not only can you create playlists and discover great artists you’ve never heard of before, most streaming services also allow you to download music straight to your mobile device or computer. But not all services offer the same level of connectivity options.
Yamaha MusicCast provides wireless multi-room control over music playback and streaming with the use of a free downloadable app called MusicCast Controller, available for iOS and Android™. This lets you focus on the enjoyment of your music (in both stereo and surround sound) and not on the technology behind it.
Download the Garmin Spotify app from the Connect IQ store here, or open the dedicated Connect IQ app on your phone and search for the Garmin Spotify app from the search box. Plug your phone into the USB port or connect wirelessly. Then, on your iPhone, go to “Settings,” then “General,” then “CarPlay.” Select your car and get listening! Check out Spotify Everywhere to see if your car offers the Spotify app built into the dashboard. Just to note, some cars require Spotify Premium for integrated listening. What I did was first go to Spotify.com, and removed my S3 device as one of the offline devices (as I have Spotify Premium). Interestingly enough, it came up as a 'Linux' device for some reason. Then I logged out of the app, closed the app (from S3's Recent Apps menu), and uninstalled it via my S7. I have both my Galaxy S7 Edge and Gear S3 loaded with the Spotify App and I'm a premium member to the service. However, I would like to go on runs with just my watch (Non-LTE version) and not have my phone as won't fit in my pocket nor do I want to carry it or have it in a sleeve.
Spotify on your watch is a little different from the phone version. You won't be able to follow artists, but you can listen to your saved songs, and you'll have access to playlists galore. If you are a Premium user, simply tap a song you want to play. If you are a free user, you can select a song but Spotify will automatically shuffle everything. If Spotify won't download your music, there are five different ways to try and troubleshoot the problem. Tap the Settings gear in the mobile app, tap 'Music Quality,' and switch on 'Download. When using the voice command, the Google home app says that music is playing through the speakers, but no audio is coming out. I've tried individual speakers and on groups, neither will work. When trying to connect directly to a speaker or group from within the Spotify app, it get's hung up on the process of connecting.
A wide range of MusicCast-enabled products — receivers, speakers, sound bars and even turntables — offer a variety of options to set up an easy-to-use networked audio system. For those who like to use Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri, MusicCast offers even more ways to take hands-free control of your music and entertainment. It also supports Bluetooth® streaming and Apple® Airplay® … and now, with a simple (and free) firmware update, many MusicCast devices are now compatible with the latest version of Spotify Connect too, which includes the use of a Spotify free account!
This latest update provides a major advantage in that Spotify Connect streams to your system via Wi-Fi® and not Bluetooth, offering better quality audio and a wider range, with fewer dropouts. Establishing a direct connection between your receiver and the internet means that your audio system streams music from Spotify directly, rather than via your phone, which instead acts simply as your remote control. By comparison, AirPlay (which also uses Wi-Fi) and Bluetooth stream music directly from your phone to the receiving device, which unfortunately also causes your phone battery to run down more quickly.
Spotify Connect is the brainchild of Spotify, the popular on-demand music service with more than 35 million songs. There are numerous levels of service available, including Spotify free, Spotify Premium, Premium for Family, Spotify for Students and Spotify Gaming — all of which offer a variety of free or paid tiers for your music and entertainment needs. Spotify free, as its name implies, is no-cost, although there are occasional ad interruptions, whereas Spotify Premium (price plans vary by country) offers unlimited high-quality streaming and no ads. Premium for Family allows you and up to five family members to use their own Premium accounts for one fixed price, while Premium for Students offers a 50% discount for a year. Spotify Gaming will play though your PS4™ PlayStation®.
There are a few other differences between the services. Spotify free streams AAC files at up to 160kbps, while Spotify Premium members have the option to stream their music at up to 320kbps. The Spotify Web player (which works through your browser) streams the free version at 128kbps and Premium at 256kbps, whereas the standalone desktop, mobile and tablet players stream Spotify free at 160 kbps and Premium at up to 320kbps.
Whichever service you choose, Spotify Connect will stream your music to up to three linked MusicCast devices simultaneously, all at CD-quality. This drops to a compressed format once you add a fourth device (or more). Up to ten devices can be used simultaneously at that compressed format.
Bear in mind that when using Spotify Connect with your MusicCast-enabled device, you have to connect directly from the Spotify app (not the MusicCast Controller app), as shown in the sequence below:
Note: There may be times when your MusicCast device will not appear in the “devices available” menu within the Spotify app, even when the phone and receiver are connected to the same network. This can generally be corrected by unplugging AC power for a few seconds.
For a list of Yamaha MusicCast devices compatible with the current firmware update, click here.
Click here for more information about Yamaha MusicCast.
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Note: You cannot control music for Spotify with a Galaxy Fit.
Open Spotify on your phone and log into or create an account. Next, press the Power key on the watch, and then navigate to and tap Spotify. Allow the different permissions. Next, tap LET'S GO to start using Spotify. (You can skip this last step on some models.)
Gear App Wont Connect To Spotify Subscription
Depending on your watch, the option to get started may differ once you open Spotify on the watch:
Galaxy Watch3: Unlock the connected phone. The watch should automatically connect to the phone's Spotify account. That's it!
Galaxy Watch, Galaxy Watch Active 1 and 2, Gear Sport, Gear S3 or Gear S2: Tap Log in to Stream Music after you open Spotify on the watch, and then tap Pair on Phone. You may be asked to log into your account on the phone again. Tap PAIR, and then your watch and phone will be paired. If you are a free user, tap Not Yet instead of Log In to Stream, and then tap Standalone.
Gear Fit 2 or Gear Fit2 Pro: Tap Premium User, and then tap Log in with Spotify after you open Spotify. Enter your account information, and then tap LOGIN.
Spotify Connect Speaker
On some watch models, you'll need to listen to the music through Bluetooth headphones. On other models, like the Galaxy Watch Active3, Galaxy Watch Active2, Galaxy Watch, and Gear S3, the music can play through the watch's speakers.