AVRCP support to see artist and track metadata during Bluetooth playback

[Ted]

Hi!

Are there any plans for implementing AVRCP 1.3+ to enable Spotify metadata (such as track title and artist) to be displayed when playing through Blueooth?

For example, in my car I can see the name of the song, artist, and album when playing music through the standard Android music player, but I get nothing when playing songs through Spotify. 😞

Will this be added in an upcoming update?

Thanks!

[fayez]

Thank you android223!  Works perfectly.  I may just keep my Spotify account now and will definitely use it more in the car.

[gvoima]

Didn't work with the xda post apk.

edit: seems that the nightly I use of CM10.1 does not support this over bluetooth, but otherwise this fix works.

[hållundan]

Tried with the XDA, thanks for info about that, but cannot get it working.

Where should the files be extracted? In which directory?

[fayez]

The XDA post is a little unclear.  Here's how to install it:

1. Download the .apk file and get it onto your phone (you don't need the AVRCP zip file at all - it's for reference only)

2. Uninstall your current version of Spotify

3. Install the custom .apk (you may need to turn on the ability to install from unknown sources first...  It's in Settings > Security for me...  Make sure to turn it off afterward)

4. Launch the app and log back into your Spotify account and enjoy.

Very important - my understanding is that if you have this custom version installed, you will NOT receive any application updates from Spotify (via the Play Store) like you normally would.  So, you'll have to periodically check the Play Store to see if Spotify has been updated (if it's important to you to have the latest version).  Unless the new version has AVRCP functionality added, you will lose it if you decide to get rid of this version and get the Play Store version instead.  But, I think the AVRCP mod should be easy to apply to future versions (for people who know how to do so, like the XDA post author).

[constable]

Thanks for the clarification of the install process. I have it working on my Samsung Galaxy S3 on Jelly Bean 4.1.2.

Initially I found I could not login, but decided to reboot the phone first and then all was well.

I now have Spotify track information displaying correctly on my Nissan Leaf screen! The steering wheel controls seem to operate OK, but I did notice that at one point the stock music player started when I requested next track. This may have been because I lost wifi connection in my garage. I must get on with downloading my playlists again, so I have them locally available.

I am so pleased that this modified apk has come through and sincerely thank the guys at XDA Developers for their supreme efforts. Goodness knows why Spotify couldn't do this themselves....? 

[p18_]

Thank you android223! I just got my new Galaxy Note 2 this friday and was a little bit disappointed this feature didn't exist on the Android app.

Hopefully the Spotify dev team will implement this feature in the future 🙂

[hållundan]

---

@fayez wrote:

The XDA post is a little unclear.  Here's how to install it:

1. Download the .apk file and get it onto your phone (you don't need the AVRCP zip file at all - it's for reference only)

2. Uninstall your current version of Spotify

3. Install the custom .apk (you may need to turn on the ability to install from unknown sources first...  It's in Settings > Security for me...  Make sure to turn it off afterward)

4. Launch the app and log back into your Spotify account and enjoy.

Very important - my understanding is that if you have this custom version installed, you will NOT receive any application updates from Spotify (via the Play Store) like you normally would.  So, you'll have to periodically check the Play Store to see if Spotify has been updated (if it's important to you to have the latest version).  Unless the new version has AVRCP functionality added, you will lose it if you decide to get rid of this version and get the Play Store version instead.  But, I think the AVRCP mod should be easy to apply to future versions (for people who know how to do so, like the XDA post author).

---

Thanks for very good explanation! Will try it directly!

Cheers!

[cxc]

bumping this for an official solution.

[hållundan]

OK, it works but it is really buggy.

Everytime I change song in my steering wheel, the title remains one song behind. Meaning, it shows the previous song.

Maybe it's the "pirate solution"-app, or my vehicle creating it. Good, but not completely there....

[fayez]

^ I think it is dependent on your phone and your car's entertainment system.  For me, the track information updates as soon as I change tracks (even before the track has actually started playing).

[user-removed]

I'm voting for this feature too. My car actually refuses to play music from Bluetooth devices if they don't send along the meta data over AVRCP, so I can't use Spotify in my car at all. Super annoying. I sincerely hope the Spotify team will take a look at the source of the XDA patch posted earlier so they can merge it in the official app. Shouldn't even take a day for a good dev.

[carlg]

Bump. The lack of any communication from spotify makes me think we're shouting into the void though...

[user-removed]

Spotify, I like you, but your tendency to leave your *paying* customers hanging like this is a slap in the face. This isn't a one time thing either, Spotify's development process is 100% opaque. You're not really doing anyone a favor this way.

[hållundan]

...and the progress is?

[licenced]

Zip, zilch, zero, nada, nothing, the big goose egg

[hållundan]

Just got the Google Player which is working flawless with AVRCP.

If that one is solving the good streaming library that you guys have at Spotify, I'll leave faster than a salary in the end of the month.

[mattj21]

This question has been open for way too long for it to be acceptable. Doesn't Spotify listen to its paying customers about issues they're having with the service? If the devs at xda can get this working then why can't Spotify put just a bit of time into it? http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2081475

[Geir1983]

Please fix this!

[Spyderx]

Yes - Spotify -  definitely a feature request for full AVRCP support and metadata passing.

I would hope a MOD has picked this up and added it to the official feature request list if it is not there .  Would appreciate a timescale if the implementation of this request is indeed added .  It does not look too hard considering the guy at XDA did it quite easily ,   the passing of metadata cannot be security risk as the data is displayed locally anyway and control of the device via bluetooth would still require premium membership .   So you paying premium members are requesting a new features that your competition openly supports ( Pandora).

Please add it 🙂

Guessing my premium service payment will go elsewhere if I cannot consume the service as I would like on my personal stereo.

[emanne]

I hope Spotify fixes this problem, and SOON.

I just signed up for the "Google Play Music All Access" trial. Other than the stupid name, it's working well for me (no gaps even tho I'm streaming vs using my Spotify downloads), and I can see my music metadata when connecting via bluetooth to my car stereo.