How to Stream Spotify From Your Computer to Your iPod Touch, iPhone or iPad

Spotify is a popular online streaming service that allows you to listen to all of your favorite songs via the Internet. Instead of purchasing digital tracks or compact discs, you can enjoy music much the same way you would on a radio station. If you’ve got an Apple iOS device like an iPod Touch, iPad or iPhone you can also get in on the fun that Spotify has to offer. You can do this in one of two ways – by using the official Spotify application available in the iTunes App Store, or by streaming the music from your computer directly to your device over a home wireless network.

Step 1

Download and install the Spotify software to your computer. This software is available at no cost from Spotify.com. Point your Web browser towards the site and click the green “Download Spotify” button. When the installation file is finished downloading, double-click on it to execute.

Step 2

Make a free Spotify account. Launch the Spotify software (via the icon on your desktop that is created during the installation) and choose a username and password for your account. You will also need to provide a working email address to receive updates and informational emails from the Spotify staff.

Step 3

Download the necessary files to get the free “Spotify Stream” software for your computer. Open your Web browser and navigate to your search engine of choice, like Google. Search for the following three files by name: “dsound.dll”, “dsbridge.ini” and “lame_enc.dll.” The files can be found individually on certain websites or all in the same .ZIP or .RAR archive.

Step 4

Right-click the archive file you downloaded (if your files came in a .ZIP or .RAR file instead of separately). Select the “Extract” option to open the archive file and reveal the three program files inside. When a new folder appears on your desktop or in your “Download” folder, double-click it to open it.

Step 5

Open the “Computer” icon on your desktop. This icon is also available by clicking the Windows “Start” button and selecting the “Computer” option. Navigate to the directory in your “C” drive called “Program Files.” In the “Program Files” folder, open the “Spotify” icon.

Step 6

Drag the three files in the “Spotify Stream” folder (these will be two .dll files and one .ini file) into the “Program Files/Spotify” directory. You can now close both the “Spotify” and “Spotify Stream” folders on screen.

Step 7

Open the Spotify software on your computer. If prompted, log into your account using your username and password. Select a song from the playlists on screen to play. When the song begins, a small blue icon will appear in the task bar of your computer.

Step 8

Turn on your iPod Touch, iPhone or iPad. Tap the “Safari” icon from the iOS device’s home screen to open the built in Web browser. Use the device’s virtual keyboard to type “ http:// “, followed by your home network’s IP address, followed by “:8124” into the browser. If you do not know your network’s IP address, you can find it by opening the Windows Network and Sharing Center from your computer’s Control Panel. You can also find it by clicking “Start,” selecting “Run,” opening the “CMD” command prompt program and typing “ipconfig” into the screen that appears.

Step 9

Press “Go” on your iPod Touch, iPhone or iPad. Your iOS device will pick up the signal being streamed from the Spotify computer application and will immediately begin to play whatever song is currently in progress.