A new, third-party app brings the popular music-streaming service Spotify to Ubuntu for Phones.
‘Cute Spotify‘, by Mike Sheldon, and currently under development, uses freely accessible APIs to power the native app – created using the Ubuntu SDK.
Spotify already provide an official, native desktop client for the Linux desktop.
Music playback, album art, and other core features are present and working in Sheldon’s app. Unfortunately for music fans, getting the player installed isn’t nearly as simple as using it.
The app is not yet available from the Apps Scope, requiring manual compiling and a custom Spotify API key to be set prior to installation – something out of the reach of regular users.
But, with it being early days for both the app and the platform it’s aimed at, such barriers to entry can be overlooked.
You can see Cute Spotify in the video below.
Unofficial Importance
While Cute Spotify is an “unofficial” app – it is neither formally endorsed or authorised by the service it’s supporting – the creation of it is, nevetherless, an important milestone.
Why?
‘The importance of community creations capable of ‘filling the blanks’ is vital..’
Without significant marketshare, Ubuntu for Phones is unlikely to gain official clients for services like Spotify anytime soon. The importance of community creations capable of ‘filling the blanks’ is vital in proving the usefulness of the platform to casual users during its early stages.
Windows Phone is a great example of this approach. It had to (and in many areas still does) rely on third-party, unofficial apps for popular services like Instagram, YouTube, BBC News, and Snapchat in lieu of official clients.
These apps have done their job; the OS is now picking up steam and official apps for many popular services are now either on offer, or on their way.
Hopefully this approach, fuelled by apps like Cute Spotify, can provide the same stop-gap solution – and subsequent success – for Ubuntu Touch.