Tag: sonos

Interior Design Expert Bobby Berk Shares Top Tips for Making Your Living Room an Audio Oasis

November 16, 2023

a graphic illustration showing two people listening to spotify on television.

As the weather outside becomes more frightful, it’s time to make your living room delightful. So cozy up your home’s vibes by allowing your favorite music or podcasts to filter through the living room. From countless brands of smart speakers to easier-than-ever TV listening, it’s seamless to connect and enjoy audio with congregating family and friends. 

Bobby Berk knows a thing or two about cultivating the perfect ambience for a living room. The interior design expert and author is well-known for his stylish and youthful designs and has been one of the “Fab Five” on Netflix’s popular makeover show Queer Eye. This makes Bobby the perfect person for Spotify to partner with to show fans how audio and home design go hand in hand. And while your home decor aesthetic is as unique as your music taste, a few extra tips can go a long way in creating the perfect space for yourself.

For the Record sat down with Bobby to understand more about designing a welcoming living room space, as well as what you’ll find on his perfect music playlist for home entertaining.

What’s the historical function and significance of the living room?

From its beginnings in the late 19th century, the living room was a more formal space in the home used primarily for entertaining guests. It consisted mainly of more-tailored seating and a layout built around conversation. It wasn’t until the mid-20th century that the living room became a more casual space for spending time with family, relaxing, listening to music, or watching TV. The design itself was also adapted to be more about comfort and a sense of coziness.

What are your top three tips for designing a welcoming, comfortable, and functional living room?

First, add seating that looks—and most importantly feels—good. Next, create a layout that encourages connection but is also open. Place your furniture in a natural, conversational grouping. You also want the layout to feel welcoming, so be sure to leave space to enter the room and move through it easily. Finally, bring in soft and cozy materials. Adding pillows, throws, and a soft rug underfoot will create a comfortable living room that you really want to spend time in.

What do you like to listen to when designing and working? How about for hosting?

If I really need to get focused and get things done, I prefer a chill instrumental mix like Focus Flow or Workday Lounge. When designing, I’ll listen to something more upbeat, a pop mix or one of my favorite artists, Rozzi.

My ideal hosting playlist would take you on a journey starting with smooth jazz and a cocktail lounge vibe. Then I would move into some pop classics and top 40 hits, get things a bit more energized, and then finish things off with more relaxed, ambient tunes.

How do acoustics, sound, and entertainment fit into your living room concepts?

I’m always thinking about how someone will use a space when designing, and that definitely includes entertainment and sound. You don’t want a living room to be an echo chamber, so I bring in materials like a rug, upholstery, and curtains to soften things and improve acoustics.

What’s your go-to smart speaker?

I have a number of Sonos speakers throughout my home, and I love that I can easily connect Spotify to just one speaker—like, if I want to sing in the shower, the portable speaker if I’m outdoors, or the whole house if I’m entertaining.

Spotify’s daylist provides you with a custom playlist multiple times per day depending on what you listen to around the clock. What are you loving about the feature so far?

My mood definitely changes throughout the day, so it’s nice to have a playlist that changes along with it! In the morning, I have a mix that gets me motivated and focused for the day, a high-energy workout mix for the afternoon, and something a bit more chill for unwinding at the end of the day.

Whether it’s a Feel Good Morning Niche Mix for those who love a fresh, light, and airy aesthetic or a warm pumpkin spice evening daylist for those channeling a cozy winter atmosphere on the couch, Spotify’s personalized playlists can help you feel right at home.

Spotify Free Users: You Can Now Stream Music on Amazon Alexa, Sonos, and Bose Speakers

November 20, 2019

Has your smart speaker become a beloved member of your family? From its spot on your kitchen counter, bedside table, or living room entertainment unit, these devices can provide hours of audio entertainment. Spotify Free users will be able to hear their favorite music on even more smart speakers, including from Amazon, Sonos, and Bose. 

That’s right—free users in Australia, New Zealand, and the U.S. will, for the first time, be able to ask Alexa to play Today’s Top Hits, their Discover Weekly, or a custom-made playlist on their Amazon Echo or Fire TV. Not sure how to link your Spotify account to your new Alexa, or set Spotify as your default music player? Learn how here.

Free users around the world can also set up Spotify Connect with their Sonos speakers directly from the Spotify app. Spotify Connect works with all Sonos speakers, including the new Sonos Move, a durable, battery-powered smart speaker for great sound indoors, outdoors, and on the go. You can also connect wirelessly with the SYMFONISK IKEA WiFi Speaker—fully integrated in the Sonos Home Sound System—to play music in any or every room for a rich, home-filling sound.

Spotify Free Users can now start streaming through their Bose smart speakers and soundbars as well. Through Spotify Connect, you can use Spotify on your smartphone or desktop as a remote to get the jams going.

To play music using your Smart Speaker through Spotify Connect, first make sure that your Sonos or Bose system is updated to the latest firmware. Then open the Spotify app on your phone, laptop or tablet. Play any song, then select the “devices” icon. Finally, select the device you want to stream from and start listening. For more detailed instructions, visit our support page.

Incorporating Spotify into these devices is all part of our goal to create a truly frictionless experience for our users. Play from your phone, transition to your smart speaker, back to the phone, over to the car—with just a tap or the sound of your voice.

Head over to Explore Spotify to see more of the smart devices that allow free users to stream their favorite music, wherever, whenever.

Update June 23, 2020: Starting today, Spotify Free users in the U.K., Ireland, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Austria, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and Mexico, will begin to be able to stream Spotify through Amazon Alexa. Both Spotify Free and Premium users in India will also be able to stream Spotify through Amazon Alexa for the first time.

Give Everyone on Your List the Gift of Spotify

November 18, 2019

Every year you vow that this will be the season you get all your shopping done early. But somehow the holidays always sneak up, and you’re left scrambling for last-minute gifts.

That’s why we’re making it easy to check off everyone on your list with the below roundup of Spotify-integrated tech gifts. Grouped for all the different audiophiles in your life, these recommendations make giving the gift of Spotify easy. 

Check out our top picks below.

For the multitasker

If you’re looking for the one-stop-shop of cell phones, check out the Galaxy Note10 and Galaxy Note10+. It’s designed for an immersive experience and features a super-powerful performance to handle your multitasking, so you can listen to podcasts, shop online, and answer work emails without skipping a beat.

For the one who’s constantly on the go

The Galaxy Watch Active2 has LTE connectivity so that users can call, text, or stream Spotify right from their wrists—even while offline. That way they can stay connected from the gym, on their commute, or just about anywhere. Plus, Spotify comes preloaded on select Samsung devices, so they’ll be able to get going the moment the wrapping paper is off.

For the one who’s always up on the latest TV

Take advantage of that state-of-the-art home entertainment unit—try the Roku Streaming Stick+ to make playing Spotify through the TV easier than ever. Or, if they’ve already got a Roku Smart Soundbar or Roku TVs with Roku TV Wireless Speakers attached, gift them a Wireless Subwoofer for more seamless streaming and exceptional sound quality all year round.

For the friend who’s throwing the holiday party

Give the gift of great sound for their music! The Sonos Move is a powerful, battery-powered smart speaker for music, news, and more in great sound indoors, outdoors, and on-the-go. Connect wirelessly with other Sonos speakers, including Sonos and IKEA’s SYMFONISK bookshelf or lamp WiFi speaker—fully integrated in the Sonos Home Sound System—to play music in any or every room for a rich, home-filling sound sure to liven up any gathering.

For the kids

Need a gift for the kids in your life? Youngsters will love the Ultimate Arendelle Castle Playset and the singing Anna and Elsa dolls inspired by Disney’s Frozen 2—especially when it’s paired with our Spotify Frozen 2 Playlists. The curated sound effects and music bring Anna and Elsa’s adventures to life from the warm comfort of your living room.

For the gamer who knows it’s all about the music

Take Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for a spin. Not only will they be able to play the hottest games, but new subscribers in the U.S. and U.K. who join Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will also receive six months of Spotify Premium for free for a limited time.

For the friend who’s spending the holidays outside

Have a friend who’s taking advantage of the time off to get outdoors? The Bose Portable Home Speaker is a wireless home speaker, portable Bluetooth speaker, and a voice-controlled speaker, all in one. So whether they’re preparing for a hike or an outdoor holiday party, the music will be totally covered. 

For the Spotify Premium newcomer

Spotify Premium allows you to play music on-demand, enjoy unlimited skips, and listen without ads between songs. It’s like magic. Bring someone else into the know by introducing them to the annual Spotify Premium holiday offer from November 18-December 31. New users can get three months free* (so your wallet will thank you, too), and anyone who was previously on Premium but has since dropped can get three months for $9.99 (meaning you pay once and get the next two months on us).**

And the options don’t end there—check out more Spotify Connect devices that let you play music or podcasts through them using the Spotify app as a remote, perfect for bringing in the holiday season or streaming all year round*.

As you’re doing your holiday shopping, get into the spirit of the season with our Happy Holidays playlist.

* Three Months Free is for new users who have never tried Premium, available across all Premium plans: Individual, Student (where available), Family (where available) and Duo (where available).
** Three Months for $9.99 is only for individual plan users and is not available to users who ended their Premium subscription after October 19, 2019.

Celebrate Father’s Day with the Dada—Er, Data—Proven Perfect Playlist

June 15, 2018

Some songs have special ways of connecting you with a loved one, and there’s nothing like the musical bond you share with your dad. Whether it’s music from the CD that was always playing in your parents’ car or the song from a father-daughter dance, certain tracks will always make you think of him.

Despite that old assumption that kids and parents can’t stand each other’s music, the music you grow up with can have a huge influence on your musical tastes later in life. Singer, actress, and social influencer Inanna Sarkis finds that the music she listened to when she was younger had a lot to do with her father Mirza’s favorite artist, Shaggy.

“Our music taste is actually pretty similar,” says Sarkis. “Growing up, the music I listened to was largely inspired by my dad, Jamaican and Latin flavor, with a lot of uplifting, fast rhythms. Hearing stories from my Dad in Syria and how powerful music has been in his life inspired me to use my voice to bring change and put out my first song, “No Beauty in War.” It has the same uplifting vibe with a great positive message! Even though I live in Los Angeles now and have adapted to more of an indie vibe, I still love listening to the reggae I grew up with.”

Inanna and her dad, Mirza Sarkis

 

While it’s easy to be nostalgic about what we listened to as kids, finding music that everyone actually wants to listen to can be a challenge. In honor of Father’s Day, Spotify partnered with Sonos, the home sound system that fills your whole home with music, to help music lovers across generations build the perfect Father’s Day playlist and bridge that gap. On fathersday.sonos.com, you can enter your favorite band and your dad’s favorite band. Then, Spotify will do the rest.

When athlete and social influencer Johannes Bartl used the Sonos & Spotify generator, the songs on his playlist that stood out to him the most weren’t his favorite tracks, but his father’s.

“I picked Sido as my favorite artist, and Elvis Presley for my dad Ernst,” he says. “I loved that ‘Jailhouse Rock’ was included on there, because it was probably the first Elvis song I ever heard.”

Young Johannes and his dad, Ernst Bartl

 

Better yet, Spotify’s partnership with Sonos makes it easy to give the gift of music—a Sonos speaker—this Father’s Day. Create your Musical Connection playlist to get access to 15% off Sonos products. Then, the two of you can enjoy that ultimate sound system while listening to your playlist out loud—and together.

“A lot of Spotify listening is personal, on headphones, with your own playlists,” says Ari Greenberg, Global Partner Marketing Lead at Spotify. “There’s something very powerful that happens when you’re listening in your home with people of multiple generations. Music has the power to bring people together.”

The playlist generator will hopefully inspire you to share the music you love with the people you love. And if you’re looking to fill out that playlist even further with other great “kid-tasted, dad-approved” songs, check out this collection of songs that Spotify listeners have added most to their “Father’s Day-” and “dad”-themed playlists.

If Dad gave you a love of music, now you can give it back to him.

Happy Father’s Day!