Optimal way to set up multiple devices simultaneous play?

[beukeb]

Hi,

When I'm on the road, my iPhone Spotify stream terminates as soon as my family stream Sonos Spotfy at home.

Are there any other optimal ways to fix this, other than setting up a ficticious email address on our Family planjust for our Sonos home system?

B

[LordRollin]

Hi @beukeb. Unfortunately a Spotify account can only be used on one device at a time, and there is no way around this. If this is a frequent enough issue for your family than I would look into a Family Plan. Familiy plans provide individual premium accounts for individuals living in the same residence for a very discounted price. You can learn more about the plan here.

Please let me know if you have any other questions, or if there might be anything else I could help you with. Cheers!

[beukeb]

Thanks @LordRollin.

I think you may have missed the part that I already have the Family Plan. Are you suggesting the only path forward is to create a new ficticious email address on this plan for the Sonos device?

Appreciate the guidance!

[RodrigoPalma · Accepted solution]

Hey @beukeb, we're still here to help 🙂

By having a Premium for Family subscription, you'll be able to upgrade 5 other accounts besides your own. Each account can only be used for streaming in one device at a time. You can create a new account here.

Let us know if you need anything else.

[xsmileyx]

The submitter has already told you what he needs: the ability to have multiple streams from a single account. You have not provided a solution to his question. Another submitter in the link below was also ignored when he brought up an even more complex scenario:

https://community.spotify.com/t5/Closed-Ideas/premium-family-offering-needs-just-multiple-streams/id...

I am like both submitters in having multiple devices, including Sonos and am increasingly frustrated by the lack of this feature. Here is why:

1. The family plan gives me up to six accounts which clearly shows that six streams is possible. There is no reason why the same number of streams cannot be done from a single account. Pandora can do it.

2. Every day I fire up Spotify for the commute home and get to see whether there will be a battle with the kids who are listening at home. And no, giving five year olds their own accounts does not fix this as then you have to constantly be changing your Sonos settings nor are there any adequate parental controls.

3. Multiple user access to a single account allows for collaboration which is currently not available. The way it is now, I can share a list but then that person is stuck with however I want it. They can't copy or modify it in any way.

I'm sure there are more reasons this would be a good idea. You should ask your user base how to improve instead of thinking you have already solved the problem when you haven't.

Thank you for your time.

[LordRollin]

Hey @xsmileyx. Unfortunately at this time there is no way of having a single account stream to multiple devices. My guess as to why would most likely point to the agreements Spotify has to enter with the record labels for the rights that allow us, the customers, to stream music. A Spotify account is intended for use by a single individual, which is why a single account is only allowed to be used on a single device at a time. It also appears that Pandora has similar restrictions on their service.

On a Spotify family plan six streams are possible because those are six separate and entirely unique accounts, only tied together through a common billing plan. While I recognize that providing five-year old children with their own accounts may not be appropriate, perhaps a "for home" and an "on the go" account would be an acceptable, albeit not ideal, solution.

Again, unfortunately, this simply isn't possible with Spotify at the moment, and it doesn't seem that any other streaming services offer this feature either. If you would like, you can always submit the idea on the Ideas Board. This suggestions has been brought up before, but those ideas have been closed and are no longer active.

Please let me know if you have any other questions or comments. Cheers!