The streaming battle is heating up again. Samsung has named Spotify its official music partner during a New York event that unveiled the tech giant’s smart speaker.
Spotify will now be the default option on Samsung devices, including TVs, phones and the new Galaxy Home smart speaker. The device, powered by the Bixby smart assistant, is set to rival the Amazon Echo and Apple Music's HomePod.
Spotify shares immediately jumped 5.1% on news of the Samsung deal.
Daniel EK, Spotify CEO, said: “We know that listeners stream different kinds of music at different times, in different places, and most importantly, on different devices. We think music should be easy to access on all of your devices—and we want it to be seamless to switch from one device to another.”
Voice activation is set to drive streaming growth globally as devices roll out in new markets.
Ek described the Samsung partnership as a “great fit” that “reduces the friction” for users to get Spotify up and running. The streaming service will be part of the set-up experience on relevant Samsung devices from the beginning.
Samsung Smart TV users will soon be able to play Spotify through the SmartThings app, which enables simpler switching between devices.
“It's a new level of integration that will allow Spotify to be easily accessible and discoverable on Samsung devices,” said Ek. “As you move from room to room, your devices will be aware of your location and prompt you to effortlessly transition your listening between them.”
We’re excited for the future of this incredible partnership
Daniel Ek
While Spotify is accessible via the Alexa AI on Echo and other devices, Amazon Music is working to drive Alexa music users to its own streaming service. The deal with Samsung makes Spotify less vulnerable given the lack of any of its own branded devices.
“Spotify is excited to be even more deeply integrated with Bixby, Samsung's premier voice solution, and serve as the only music service to be fully integrated with Samsung Music,” said Ek. “When a user asks Bixby for music, Bixby will look to Spotify—even if that user has never used Spotify before—allowing listeners to receive recommendations from Spotify, discover new playlists, and create new musical experiences.”
He added: “We believe that this significant long-term partnership will provide Samsung users across millions of devices with the best possible music streaming experience, and make discovering new music easier than ever – with even more opportunities to come. We’re excited for the future of this incredible partnership. Users will be able to discover and enjoy new music in ways that have never before been possible.
DJ Koh, president & CEO, IT & mobile communications, Samsung Electronics, said: "With Spotify, Samsung Galaxy users will be able to enjoy seamless music experiences across all our devices. We're excited about today's announcement, and it's just the start of things to come."
Samsung has yet to provide a launch date or price for Galaxy Home. It is set to share more information at a development conference in November.
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