Spotify launches Connect with seamless audio syncing and new hardware options

Spotify have announced a new service named Connect that aims to make streaming music around your home as seamless as possible. A combined software-update and hardware-launch, Connect seems designed to move Spotify out of solely app territory, and become a ubiquitous presence in consumer audio.

The software changes basically mean that your listening session is synced to the cloud, allowing you to switch your audio between any compatible hardware (including smartphones and tablets) or stream your music to compatible speakers, using your mobile device as a controller. An update to Spotify’s UI adds a single ‘Connect’ button next to the audio controls: users simply press this to transfer their session.
The system is similar to streaming music over Bluetooth or through Apple’s AirPlay technology, but as it pulls music from the cloud (rather than beaming signals direct from, say, your smartphone) it’s better for the battery life on your mobile devices.