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Spotify arrives on the AlphaTheta XDJ-AN: less distance between discovering music and mixing it
It's two in the morning. You've been digging through a playlist for a while when a track that has it all appears. You save it. And you think what you always think: this, in a mix, has to work. Until now, that was just where the other half of the work began. Finding it. Getting it. Preparing it. Adding it to your library. With the 1.20 firmware update for the AlphaTheta XDJ-AN, that path is considerably shortened: Spotify is now compatible with the equipment. On paper, it's just another logo in the list of services. For us, the interesting part is elsewhere: in how much the distance is reduced between the moment you discover a song and the moment you test it in a mix. Playing with streaming doesn't make you less of a DJ Let's be clear about it, because it's floating around out there and it's worth bringing to light. There is the idea that a "real" DJ prepares every track from a meticulously curated library, and that using streaming is a beginner's shortcut. We don't share that. What makes a set work is not where the file comes from. It's the selection, the reading of the track, the moment you drop the right track. That's not something a USB gives you or Spotify takes away. A well-prepared personal library still makes perfect sense. Streaming isn't here to replace it: it adds another gateway to music. And the two ways of working can coexist without any problem. Firmware 1.20: the XDJ-AN now supports Spotify When AlphaTheta introduced the XDJ-AN on July 9, 2026, its StreamingDirectPlay gave direct access to Apple Music, Beatport Streaming, and TIDAL. Spotify was announced, but would arrive later with an update. It has arrived. Since August 18, 2026, the XDJ-AN firmware 1.20 adds StreamingDirectPlay for Spotify, and the official product page now includes it alongside the other services. The change goes hand in hand with rekordbox 7.2.18, released on the same day, which allows you to log in with your Spotify account on compatible CDJ/XDJ and all-in-one systems. So, if you already have an XDJ-AN, the first step is easy: update it to version 1.20 or later. How does Spotify work on the XDJ-AN? After linking your Spotify Premium account in rekordbox and enabling Cloud Library Sync, you connect the XDJ-AN to the Internet and log in to rekordbox Cloud by scanning the QR code that appears on its screen. The equipment automatically connects to Spotify. For this access, a free rekordbox account is enough; you don't need to subscribe to an additional paid rekordbox plan. From the 7-inch touchscreen, you search for and load tracks, and you see what you need to mix: cover art, waveform, BPM, key, and other track data. It's one of those features that are better understood by using them than by reading specifications. You find the track. You load it. You test it. You decide if it fits. Fewer steps between the idea and the mix. What Spotify does not do on the XDJ-AN Here we prefer to be transparent: selling you equipment also means telling you what it cannot do. Spotify songs are not downloaded to your USB or become part of your file collection. The official rekordbox 7.2.18 notes state it expressly: Spotify tracks cannot be loaded or played on CDJ/XDJ or all-in-one systems via USB EXPORT or LINK EXPORT. You need a Spotify Premium account, as Spotify indicates, and an Internet connection to play, as AlphaTheta indicates. Without a connection, there is no Spotify. And there is one more limit, important if you are going to play in public: Spotify states that its service is for personal and non-commercial use, and does not allow public playback in clubs, venues, events, or live broadcasts. That includes the streams you make from the XDJ-AN itself with the DJM-REC app. Just because something is technically possible does not mean it is allowed in any context. We prefer you know that beforehand. So, who is it for? First, anyone who already has an XDJ-AN and uses Spotify to listen to and discover music. You update and gain a new way to access tracks. But it also reinforces what we think is most interesting about the equipment. The XDJ-AN is a middle ground: between starting with a controller and getting familiar with a way of working closer to a professional booth. It is a standalone 2-channel, 2-deck system, with a 7" touchscreen, Wi-Fi, USB-C playback, access to cloud libraries, and streaming services. Its design draws from club equipment like CDJs and DJM mixers. It does not intend to be a CDJ-3000X. Nor does it need to be. Its proposition is different: so you can practice, prepare music, and mix with a workflow that has continuity the day you want to make the leap. Spotify fits right there: at home, practicing and discovering. For gigs and public sets, on the other hand, Spotify is not the way. There, the foundation remains your library prepared on USB. Should you buy an XDJ-AN just for this? Just for Spotify, probably not. And we don't think that's the question. The question is another: does the XDJ-AN fit your way of searching for music, preparing sets, and playing? If you want an all-in-one, to stop depending so much on the laptop, and to combine USB, cloud, and streaming on the same equipment, the XDJ-AN already had more than enough arguments. Now it has one more. And if Spotify is your daily tool for discovering music, that is no small argument. Try it with your own music The XDJ-AN is truly understood with your hands on it and your tracks playing. You can come and see it at our stores in Barcelona or Madrid or buy it online. Quick questions Are Spotify songs downloaded to my USB? No. You can search and play from the equipment, but the tracks are not loaded via USB EXPORT or LINK EXPORT, nor do they go into your file collection. Do I need Spotify Premium? Yes. In addition, you need an Internet connection while playing. Can I use Spotify in a club, at an event, or for a livestream? No. Spotify limits its use to personal and non-commercial use, and does not authorize public playback in venues, events, or live broadcasts. What do I need to enable it? An XDJ-AN with firmware 1.20 or later, an Internet connection, a Spotify Premium account, and a rekordbox account.
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Roland FP-40 + Piano Sphere: a piano designed to make you want to play again tomorrow
Some digital pianos compete to have the most features. Others aim to get closer and closer to the feel of an acoustic piano. The new Roland FP-40 asks a slightly different question: what does a pianist need to want to sit down at the piano again tomorrow? Roland's answer combines a new sound based on Piano Reality, a triple-sensor weighted keyboard, a redesigned speaker system, USB-C, and Bluetooth with one particularly important element: Piano Sphere, a learning platform designed to support practice and keep you motivated. Because playing better matters. But keeping on playing might matter even more. What's new with the Roland FP-40? The FP-40 evolves Roland's portable piano formula in three directions: more expression, better digital integration, and a much more connected learning experience. Its main new features include: Piano Reality piano technology, designed to more naturally reproduce the note decay, resonances, and tonal color changes of the instrument. Weighted, velocity-sensitive keyboard with Ivory Feel finish and triple-sensor detection, especially important for fast passages and note repetition. A new speaker system with greater depth and richer bass. USB-C, Bluetooth Audio, and MIDI for easy use with smartphones, tablets, and apps. Integration with Piano Sphere, with lessons, songs, recommendations, and practice tracking. But the interesting thing isn't each element on its own. It's how they work together. All the technology in the world is little use if the instrument doesn't respond when you play the first note. That's why one of the FP-40's most important changes is precisely in what we don't see. The Piano Reality technology aims to reproduce not only the sound of a piano, but also its behavior: how a note evolves after the attack, how resonances appear, and how the character of the sound changes depending on our interpretation. This is complemented by an 88-note weighted, velocity-sensitive keyboard with an Ivory Feel surface and triple sensors. What is that third sensor for? Especially for better detecting rapid repetitions of the same note without the key needing to return completely to its initial position. A small technical detail that, when we start playing more demanding repertoire, stops being so small. The new speaker system completes the set by providing more body, clarity, and presence in the lower register. In other words: before talking about apps, the FP-40 wants to remain, above all, a piano. Piano Sphere: learning piano without turning practice into a chore This is probably where the most different part of the proposal comes in. Piano Sphere, developed together with Skoove, expands the instrument with personalized lessons, songs, guided courses, and tools to track the pianist's progress. The app includes 100 free songs and courses right out of the box, from classical repertoire to contemporary music, and allows you to optionally expand the catalog with over 1,000 additional songs. But its most interesting feature is perhaps not increasing the amount of content. It's maintaining continuity. Piano Sphere records activity, uses streak tracking systems, and offers recommendations tailored to each musician's progress. In other words: it doesn't just teach you what to play. It also tries to help you keep playing. And that connects especially well with two types of users: those who are just starting and need guidance, and those who played in the past but want to get back into the habit. Fewer cables, fewer menus, fewer excuses The FP-40's connectivity also reflects a very modern way of using a digital piano. Bluetooth Audio allows you to listen to music through the instrument's own speakers, while Bluetooth MIDI makes it easy to communicate with compatible apps. The USB-C port supports bidirectional audio and MIDI and can also provide power to the connected device. Want to practice with an app? Easy. Record a performance on your phone? You can do that too. Create a video, stream, or use a headset with a microphone? The FP-40 is ready for that too. The overall feeling is that technology is present, but tries to stay in the background. Because the less time we spend configuring the piano, the more time we can spend playing it. Who is the Roland FP-40 designed for? Probably for those looking for something more than their first digital piano. The beginner will find a weighted keyboard that can accompany them for years and tools that help them progress. The pianist returning to the instrument will find an easy way to get back into the routine. And those who already play regularly will find a portable, relatively compact piano—weighing 14 kg—that is ready for both studying and working with apps, recording, or creating content. That balance may be one of its greatest strengths. It doesn't try to be solely an instrument for beginners or a piano full of professional features we will never use. It aims to fill that space where an instrument can grow with you. So, what makes the Roland FP-40 different? Perhaps the answer isn't in a single specification. A good keyboard is important. A good sound too. Connectivity helps. And having learning tools can make a huge difference. But the FP-40 tries to bring all those pieces together around a particularly simple idea: making it easier to start playing and harder to stop. Because the best piano isn't necessarily the one with the most features. It's the one we keep sitting down in front of. Today. And also tomorrow. Discover the new Roland FP-40 The Roland FP-40, available in black and white finishes. If you're thinking about starting to play, getting back to the piano after some time, or taking a step forward from your current instrument, come discover it and try for yourself how it responds. Because some specifications can be compared on a screen. But a piano has to be played.
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