Listening to Spotify on an iOS device just got a lot easier with support for Siri voice commands. If you’re running iOS 13 and have installed the latest version of Spotify, you can now say “listen to [artist/album/playlist] on Spotify” after invoking Siri. Spotify is also now rolling out an Apple TV app and support for iOS 13’s Low Data Mode, which can reduce streaming quality to consume less mobile data.
The launch of Siri support could help appease regulators in the European Commission, who received an antitrust complaint against Apple from Spotify in March. At the time, Siri only worked with Apple Music, and Spotify cited this limitation as one way that Apple tilts the playing field toward its own services. That said, Spotify still has many other complaints about Apple’s behavior, including its 30% cut of all in-app subscriptions, its rules against linking users to online subscription forms outside the App Store, and its restrictions on sharing deals and promotions in Spotify’s iOS app.
With iOS 13, Siri is becoming more open to services that compete with Apple’s own. In addition to listening with Spotify, you can now launch music in Pandora and get directions in Google Maps or Waze. Apple’s also adding a way to change Siri’s default messaging app from iMessage, so you don’t have to specify WhatsApp or other alternatives as part of every voice command. That privilege doesn’t yet apply to music or maps, however, so you’ll still have to say “in Spotify” or “in Google Maps” whenever you want to use Siri with those services.
This story has been updated to clarify how Spotify’s antitrust complaint against Apple extends beyond Siri integration.
Recognize your brand’s excellence by applying to this year’s Brands That Matter Awards before the early-rate deadline, May 3.
