At a Glance
- Tasks: Design and build C++ integration for Spotify's audio and video playback on TV devices.
- Company: Join Spotify, a leader in creating effortless audio experiences for billions.
- Benefits: Flexible work options, competitive salary, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Collaborative environment with a focus on innovation and quality.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on how millions enjoy music and video every day.
- Qualifications: Strong C++ experience, especially in media or playback domains.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
We design Spotify’s consumer experience—end to end, moment to moment, across every screen, platform, and partner integration. Our mission is to make listening feel effortless, personal, and joyful for billions of users around the world. That means turning complexity into clarity across hundreds of touchpoints—from our mobile and desktop apps to the smart speakers, TVs, cars, and integrations where Spotify shows up every day. If it touches a consumer, we shape it. We bring deep insight into human behavior, design, and technology to craft experiences that feel intuitive, expressive, and unmistakably Spotify.
At Spotify, we’re building the best way to experience audio and video — everywhere, every time. As listening and watching on TV continues to grow, we’re investing deeply in native, video-first playback experiences that are fast, reliable, and feel effortless. The Native Playback team sits at the heart of Spotify’s TV strategy. We integrate Spotify’s playback experience with the native players and media frameworks available on each platform. Our work happens close to the system — where performance, reliability, and quality truly matter — and directly impacts how millions of people experience Spotify every day.
What You’ll Do
- Design, build, and evolve the C++ integration layer that powers Spotify’s audio and video playback on TV devices running our new Rust runtime.
- Integrate Spotify’s playback experience with platform-native media frameworks such as AVPlayer, ExoPlayer, or equivalent TV player stacks.
- Own critical playback areas including buffering strategies, playback state handling, A/V synchronization, adaptive bitrate configuration, track selection, and rendering paths.
- Debug complex performance and reliability issues across multiple layers — from application logic to OS-level frameworks and hardware acceleration.
- Partner closely with Playback platform teams and device teams to ensure shared APIs and designs translate cleanly into real-world TV implementations.
- Improve test coverage, tooling, and observability to detect regressions and speed up iteration cycles.
- Contribute to thoughtful technical design discussions and raise the bar for playback quality through code reviews and knowledge sharing.
Who You Are
- You have strong experience building low-level systems in C++, ideally within video, media, or playback domains.
- You have hands-on experience integrating native playback frameworks such as AVPlayer, ExoPlayer, vendor SDKs, or similar media stacks.
- You have a deep understanding of video playback fundamentals including codecs, streaming formats, adaptive bitrate (ABR), buffering behavior, and A/V synchronization trade-offs.
- You are comfortable working close to the OS and media framework layer and diagnosing issues that span multiple system boundaries.
- You have experience contributing to the design and evolution of scalable technical systems across platforms.
- You are confident debugging performance and reliability issues using logs, traces, profilers, and system diagnostics tools.
- You collaborate effectively across teams and communicate technical trade-offs clearly.
- You care deeply about delivering reliable, high-quality playback experiences for millions of users.
Where You’ll Be
This role is based in London or Stockholm. We offer you the flexibility to work where you work best. While some in-person collaboration is expected, you’ll also have the option to work from home.
Senior Software Engineer - TV Playback (C++) in London employer: Dormont Manufacturing Co
At Spotify, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer that fosters a culture of innovation and collaboration. Our London and Stockholm offices offer a dynamic work environment where creativity thrives, and employees are encouraged to grow through meaningful projects and cross-team partnerships. With flexible working options and a commitment to delivering high-quality experiences for our users, we empower our team members to make a real impact in the world of audio and video playback.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Software Engineer - TV Playback (C++) in London
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
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✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
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We think you need these skills to ace Senior Software Engineer - TV Playback (C++) in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at Dormont Manufacturing Co.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Dormont Manufacturing Co and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at Dormont Manufacturing Co
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If Dormont Manufacturing Co uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.
