How to Add Spotify Connect to Any Speaker System

17 February 2026

Your speakers don't need a Spotify logo on them to stream Spotify. Here's how to add proper Spotify Connect to any system — and why it's better than Bluetooth.

What Is Spotify Connect (and Why Does It Matter)?

If you've ever streamed music to a Bluetooth speaker from your phone, you'll know the pain: audio drops when you get a phone call, battery drains faster, and the sound quality takes a noticeable hit. Spotify Connect solves all of that.

With Spotify Connect, your phone isn't actually streaming the audio. It's acting as a remote control. The music streams directly from Spotify's servers to the playback device over your Wi-Fi network. That means:

• No audio interruptions from calls, notifications or leaving Wi-Fi range
• Higher quality audio — up to 320kbps OGG Vorbis (or lossless with Spotify Premium)
• Your phone is free to do other things while music keeps playing
• Anyone in the house can take over playback from their own device

The catch? Your speakers or amp need to support Spotify Connect. Most traditional hi-fi equipment doesn't. But there's a straightforward fix.

Your Options for Adding Spotify Connect

1. Buy a Smart Speaker (£100–£500+)

The obvious route. A Sonos Era 100, Amazon Echo or similar will give you Spotify Connect out of the box. But you're replacing your existing speakers rather than using them, and the sound quality of most smart speakers doesn't come close to a decent pair of bookshelf speakers or a proper amp.

2. Buy a Network Streamer (£150–£350+)

Devices like the WiiM Pro Plus (around £170) or Bluesound Node (around £450) add Spotify Connect along with other streaming protocols. They connect to your amp via analogue or digital outputs. Good products, but potentially overkill if you mainly use Spotify and already have a DAC you're happy with.

3. Use a Dedicated Streaming Endpoint (from £69.99)

This is where a device like PiBridge Audio comes in. It's a small, dedicated streaming endpoint that connects to your existing DAC or amp via USB and adds Spotify Connect, AirPlay 2 and Roon Bridge support in one box. No built-in DAC to duplicate what you already own — just a clean USB audio output that lets your own equipment do what it does best.

At £69.99, it's less than half the price of even the cheapest network streamers, and it's ready to go out of the box with no software to configure.

How Spotify Connect Works With an Endpoint

The setup is simple:

1. Connect the PiBridge to your DAC or amp's USB input
2. Plug in power and Ethernet (or connect via Wi-Fi)
3. Open Spotify on your phone, tablet or laptop
4. Tap the devices icon — PiBridge appears as an available speaker
5. Play — audio streams directly to your hi-fi

From that point on, your phone is just a remote. You can close the app, make calls, even leave the house — the music keeps playing. Anyone else on the same Wi-Fi can pick up where you left off from their own Spotify app.

Spotify Connect vs Bluetooth: The Real Difference

For casual listening in the garden, Bluetooth is fine. For your main system, Spotify Connect is the better experience by a comfortable margin.

Can You Use Spotify Connect for Multi-Room Audio?

Yes — and this is where things get interesting. If you place a streaming endpoint in each room, each one appears as a separate Spotify Connect device. You can play different music in different rooms, or use AirPlay 2 grouping to sync them all together.

A multi-room setup with three PiBridge units would cost around £210 — roughly the same as a single Sonos speaker, but driving your own choice of speakers and DACs in each room.

What About Spotify Lossless?

Spotify has been rolling out lossless streaming (CD quality and above) for Premium subscribers. Spotify Connect supports lossless playback, so when streaming via an endpoint like PiBridge, you'll get the full quality delivered to your DAC. This is another advantage over Bluetooth, which always involves lossy compression regardless of the source quality.

For more on getting the cleanest signal from source to speakers, see our guide on bit-perfect audio streaming.

The Bottom Line

You don't need to replace your speakers or buy an expensive streamer to get Spotify Connect. A small, affordable endpoint connected to your existing equipment gives you better sound quality than Bluetooth, frees up your phone, and opens the door to multi-room audio — all for under £70.