Spotify Just Rebuilt Its Apple TV App From Scratch

Spotify’s Apple TV experience was always kind of clunky. You could play music, sure. But compared to the mobile app? It felt half-baked.

That changes now. Spotify just shipped a completely redesigned tvOS app that brings almost everything from your phone to your TV. Plus, it adds features that actually make sense on a big screen.

Your Queue Finally Works on Apple TV

Managing your queue was a nightmare before. You basically had to use your phone as a remote just to see what’s playing next.

Not anymore. The new app lets you browse, reorder, and manage your entire queue directly on Apple TV. So you can skip that one song everyone secretly hates without fumbling for your phone.

Also, lyrics are here. That’s been a mobile staple forever. But now you can follow along on your TV during parties or karaoke nights. It’s a small thing that makes the experience feel complete.

Connect Makes Your TV the Hub

Spotify Connect got smarter too. You can now control Apple TV playback from any device running Spotify.

This matters more than it sounds. Your phone becomes a proper remote. So does your laptop, tablet, or even another TV. Everyone at the party can queue up songs without clustering around one screen.

Plus, volume controls work properly now. That might seem obvious. But previous versions had weird bugs where volume adjustments just didn’t register. Those issues should be gone.

Podcast Videos Finally Make Sense

Spotify’s podcast video push feels more legitimate now. The new Apple TV app supports full video playback for any podcast that offers it.

You can adjust playback speed too. That’s clutch for long-form interviews or educational content. Most people listen at 1.5x or 2x speed on mobile. Now you can do the same on your couch.

Timing matters here. Spotify recently announced that select podcast videos are coming to Netflix in early 2026. So the company is clearly doubling down on video content. Making it work well on Apple TV makes strategic sense.

Music Videos Hit Big Screens

Remember when Spotify launched music videos? That beta is now on Apple TV too.

If you’re a Premium subscriber in one of the 97 test markets, you’ll see a “switch to video” button on songs with music videos. Tap it and boom—instant music video on your TV.

This turns Spotify into something closer to what YouTube Music offers. Except Spotify’s catalog and recommendation engine are arguably better. So if music videos catch on, this could become a real differentiator.

The Interface Got Completely Rebuilt

None of these features would matter if the app still felt clunky. But Spotify built an entirely new interface specifically for tvOS.

That’s key. Too many companies just port their mobile UI to TV and call it done. Spotify actually designed for how people use TVs—with remotes, from across the room, often in groups.

The redesign includes bigger buttons, clearer typography, and navigation that makes sense with an Apple TV remote. Plus, everything loads faster. The old app often stuttered or took forever to display album art.

Spotify DJ Comes to Your Living Room

One more thing: Spotify DJ works on Apple TV now. That’s the AI-powered feature that picks what to play next based on your listening habits.

It’s honestly hit or miss on mobile. Sometimes DJ nails your vibe. Other times it plays weird deep cuts you skipped years ago. But having the option on TV makes sense for background music during dinners or work sessions.

You can always override DJ’s picks. So it’s more like a smart shuffle than a dictator of your listening experience.

Rolling Out Now

Spotify says the new Apple TV app should reach everyone by mid-November. That’s soon enough that you’ll probably see it in the next few days if you haven’t already.

The company clearly put real effort into this update. It’s not just feature parity with mobile. They actually thought about what makes sense on a TV versus a phone.

Whether that’s enough to make Spotify your go-to TV music app depends on your ecosystem. If you’re all-in on Apple Music and HomePods, this probably won’t sway you. But for everyone else? Spotify just became way more useful in the living room.

The question now is whether Apple Music responds with similar updates. Competition tends to make everything better. And Spotify just raised the bar pretty high.