Hands On: Spotify App on Xbox One

After a long wait, Windows users on both PC, tablets, and now the Xbox One console can use the popular Spotify music service on their devices.

Today Microsoft and Spotify announced the availability of the service on the companies gaming and entertainment console for all users.

This comes about six weeks after Spotify arrived in the Windows 10 Store for PCs and Tablets thanks to Project Centennial and a conversion using the Desktop Bridge.

Spotify App on the Windows 10 Desktop

The app that has arrived on Xbox One looks very different to the version on the desktop because of the use of the Desktop Bridge which is basically a port of the Win32 Spotify app.

On Xbox One, as you will see in the gallery images, it is a much cleaner interface focused on the music, playlists, and discovery features.

The great thing about the Xbox One version of the app, is that with both your mobile device (iOS or Android) and your console on the same Wi-Fi network you can use Spotify Connect and control/play your music from the mobile version of the app.

In the free version of Spotify, which is ad supported, external speakers such as those from Sonos, Samsung, and Amazon can be targets for your music but require a premium subscription to use them.

However, the Xbox One does not require a premium Spotify subscription to be targeted for playing music from your other devices on Spotify.

So far in using the app on the desktop, the ads are not distracting and on the console I have not seen any displayed so far.

One of the key features of Spotify on Xbox One includes the ability to play music in the background while you are doing other activities on the console. This is very similar to the capabilities that Microsoft's own Groove Music app has on the Xbox One.

The big difference between the services, which is a huge draw for many, is that Spotify has a Family Plan for $14.99 per month that can be shared with five family members at the same address. Groove Music on the other hand is $99 for one person per year.

If Groove wants to compete with Spotify then they need to develop a plan for families as well to provide a choice for users across the Windows 10 ecosystem.

Choice is good for consumers and now choice has fully arrived within the Windows 10 ecosystem.

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