In brief: If you have a house full of Philips Hue compatible lights, you might be pleased to know that you can now use all of them as a music visualizer when listening to music on Spotify. The integration is now available to try, but it still is in early access, so expect to see some bugs here and there.
The partnership between Spotify and Signify, the company responsible for the Philips Hue line, was announced today, offering an alternative to the Signify app to synchronize music with ambient lights. This integration, however, works differently, as Signify links directly to Spotify to do its magic.
To use this integration, you’ll need to meet some requirements. Most are obvious, and users should already have them, like an audio device, Spotify and Philips Hue apps and accounts, and Philips Hue color-capable lights. However, Philips also says you’ll need a Hue bridge, even if you have Philips Hue Bluetooth lights.
You can test the integration by downloading the Philips Hue app and going to “Explore” then pressing the “Philips Hue + Spotify” card to sync. Then, follow the instructions presented on your screen to link both Philips Hue and Spotify accounts. Lastly, press “Start Sync” in the Sync tab. Once it syncs, your Philips Hue lights will react to what you’re listening to on any device using your Spotify account.
According to Signify, the synced-up light effects will only work with color-capable Hue lights. Those syncing through the PC should use the Sync desktop app. If you have a Sync Box, Philips recommends you use the Sync mobile app. As for Genesis users, synchronization is done through the Hue main app.
“As a world leader in smart lighting, we are constantly looking for new ways to keep offering our Philips Hue users the most advanced smart lighting experience,” said Jasper Vervoort, business leader of Philips Hue at Signify. “Entertainment, of which audio is an important ingredient, is a key focus for Philips Hue. By innovating with Spotify as a leading industry partner, we are proud to offer our users an immersive integration of music and light in a way never done before.”
The integration started rolling out today and should be available to all users within a week. By October, the integration will become “a permanent part of the Hue App.”