Spotify confirmed for Xbox One via Major Nelson's YouTube show

By Jez Corden
last updated

Xbox's Major Nelson has practically confirmed the imminent arrival of Spotify, closing a major app gap between the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4.

Up until this point, Spotify had some kind of exclusivity deal with Sony's PlayStation, which proved a bit of a headache for Xbox fans who subscribe to the service. Well, now we have the first official acknowledgement of "Spotify Music - for Xbox One."

Originally leaked via a questionable-looking off-screen photo, Major Nelson has now shown off Spotify Music on Xbox One for a split second during his weekly Xbox news round-up show.

Spotted by reddit (via MSPU), at 9 minutes in, Major Nelson opens the guide to reveal "Spotify Music - for Xbox One" at the bottom of the page.

The real question now hangs over the nature of Spotify for Xbox. Spotify is the world's most popular streaming music service, and the company announced it would be coming to the Windows 10 Store ported via Project Centennial, which lets you take a traditional Win32 desktop program and wrap it for the Windows 10 Store. The Xbox One itself cannot run Centennial apps, which means this app is a completely separate project.

There's a few scenarios to consider. Either Spotify is building a full Universal Windows Platform (UWP) version of its app, for running across Xbox, Windows 10 PCs, tablets, phones, and Mixed Reality, or this will be some sort of quick-fix stripped down version, similar to Twitter for Xbox. Of course, we hope it's the former, but that would likely represent a significant engineering effort Spotify may not be ready to jump into.

It's leveraging the background audio API, at least, but it sounds as though it might just be a port of their HTML-based app for TVs. That's interesting, because the YouTube app for Xbox One is also a HTML-based app, indicating that it too could get background audio support without going full UWP.

Either way, it's awesome news that Spotify is finally coming to Xbox One, ending its exclusivity deal with Sony's PlayStation.

Download Spotify Music from the Windows Store (opens in new tab)

Update 06/08/2017: Clarification on the type of app Spotify could be.

Jez Corden
Jez Corden
Co-Managing Editor

Jez Corden a Managing Editor at Windows Central, focusing primarily on all things Xbox and gaming. Jez is known for breaking exclusive news and analysis as relates to the Microsoft ecosystem while being powered by caffeine. Follow on Twitter @JezCorden and listen to his Xbox Two podcast, all about, you guessed it, Xbox!

20 Comments
  • Nice, well done Microsoft
  • Fail if its only for Xbox.
  • Why?
  • The current centennial app is terrible on tablets. Its not touch friendly and does not run in InstantGo. It needs to be UWP.
  • Agreed.
  • Better to have an app than to not. Get them familiar with the windows ecosystem and they'll likely build a UWP soon
  • They already have a Windows Store app and W10M has a solution (will probably never be a UWP, but it works). I know a full fledged UWP would be better, but wouldn't say that's really a fail (:
  • More choice is only ever a good thing. The Sony deal with Spotify must have not been renewed.
  • OR Sony simply didn't demand exclusivity because they aren't on the crusade to destroy Xbox that some Microsoft fanboys like to pretend they are? ;)
  • The Xbox Ecosystem seems to conflict with the Windows Store Ecosystem on things like this. What's the incentive for Spotify to port their app to be a Universal App when they can partner up with Microsoft and keep our on the Xbox. Who even develops that app? All Microsoft or Spotify? Collaboration between Microsoft and Spotify?
  • Spotify has just turned up under Cortana services too.
  • just checked thanks
  • Would you explain what you mean by "Cortana services"?
  • It allows you to link Cortana to other apps/services. Until now under Music the only option has been Groove, which allowed you to ask Cortana to play music, particular songs/artists etc. Works great on W10 and W10M. Cortana on Android has the service listed, but doesn't work at present. I'll have to test with Spotify, be ... interesting ... to see if it works with Spotify but not Groove .....
  • nope Cortana on Android not working with Spotify either ... definitely a big feature I miss from Windows Mobile!
  • Where's the announcement of Microsoft publicly acknowledging/advertising Groove?
  • firewall asks permission everytime the app gets updated
  • Another app advertising the cross platform capabilities of UWP in the Store joining the LinkedIn app. The Windows Store. Built for UWP and multi-platform experiences. Failing again to fulfill the promise.
  • Universal app it's not, cheap quick port using Microsoft tools it is. What the Xbox app will be like will probably be same as PS4.
  •