Which protocol lets Spotify play through speakers, TVs, cars, and smartwatches?

Spotify Connect is the proprietary protocol that lets Spotify play through compatible speakers, TVs, cars, receivers, and smartwatches. It allows a Spotify app to control playback on another supported device while the audio plays through that device’s system.

That makes Connect different from ordinary Bluetooth. Bluetooth sends audio from one device to another at the operating-system level, while Spotify Connect is built into Spotify’s ecosystem and supported hardware. Chromecast Audio and AirPlay are broader casting technologies, but they are not the name of Spotify’s own cross-device protocol.

Connect also helps separate control from playback. A phone can act as a remote, letting someone browse, pause, skip, or adjust playback while a compatible speaker or television handles the stream. The exact features depend on the device, software version, account, and subscription tier.

Spotify introduced Connect as part of its effort to make listening move smoothly around the home and into vehicles. Support expanded over time, and Spotify announced in 2018 that Connect would open to Free users on compatible products using the newer software development kit.