Hey everyone,
I just wanted to jump in and clarify a few points, since many of you have asked about Spotify integration and lossless support.
As Volumio, we’ve applied several times over the past six years to become official implementors of Spotify’s SDK. Unfortunately, despite our repeated attempts, Spotify has never replied or granted us access to their official SDK. That’s the only reason we rely on open-source implementations for Spotify playback today.
To be clear, we would love to integrate the official Spotify SDK, just as we do with TIDAL, Qobuz, and other partners. Over the years, we’ve demonstrated that we can fully respect content protection and still deliver great experiences to users. Sadly, Spotify has simply never allowed us to participate.
Regarding lossless playback, if there ever becomes a legitimate, open-source way to support it, you can be sure Volumio will adopt it. But as long as Spotify’s official lossless option requires proprietary SDK access and DRM protection, we can’t and won’t compromise Spotify’s intellectual property.
On a more personal note, I find it a bit disappointing to see some people say they’d rather spend 350 euros on another device than support Volumio through a small subscription. Many of you have enjoyed Volumio for free for years, and we’re proud of that. But instead of giving your money to a company that has never given anything back to you, consider that by subscribing to Volumio, you’re supporting a free ecosystem that has been built and improved for you all along.
If you’ve enjoyed Volumio, one of the best ways to say thank you and help it thrive is by supporting the project through a subscription. It’s not just about access to streaming integrations, you also get multiroom, better metadata, advanced features, and continuous development that keeps the whole ecosystem alive.
We’ll keep applying for Spotify SDK access and pushing to make Volumio better every day. Thanks to all of you who believe in what we’re building and help keep it going. 