Choose between Google Cast and Spotify Connect

[misio1]

Plan

Premium

Country

Poland

Device

Pixel 7 Pro / Samsung S22

Operating System

Android 16

My Question or Issue

I've been using spotify to stream to my NAD C338 via spotify connect for couple of years now.

Recently it stopped working - only google cast option is currently available on the newest spotify app.

As a part of troubleshooting I downloaded older spotify APKs and installed on my android phone to see if it helps - it did! The latest version of spotify app which shows spotify connect option to my NAD is 9.0.78.1116, starting from version 9.0.82.1008 the spotify connect is not available, just google cast.

Can the app be fixed so that I have spotify connect option back available on my NAD C338 please?

[pieterv1]

For 2 weeks, things seemed to be solved for me personally, seeing a separate Google Cast & Spotify Connect instance of the same WiiM Ultra player. I thought it had something to do with running the Android 17 beta version.

Now it changed back to how it was, with only the Google Cast option 😑

[sapim]

Finally, the option to select Spotify Connect is back. I've confirmed this is working on Android app version 9.1.42.2048.

 

[DeeKay76]

Confirmed fixed here as well with 9.1.42.1595

[Yoyomatz]

Do we have more confirmations of a fix (v9.1.42.1595/ 9.1.42.2048)? For Android - KEF/ NAD setups

[pieterv1]

Still no longer working for me with version 9.1.42.2048

Google Pixel 6, Android 17 beta 4: WiiM Ultra only being shown as Google Cast destination. 

[Gary818]

I can only find version 9.1.40.1486 on my Google  play store and it doesn't fix the problem.

[DubZ1]

Honestly, too many people reporting "it's fixed", "it's not fixed" so I'm sticking with 9.0.80.1320 until Spotify say it's fixed.  

[jolveira]

I found an elegant way to workaround thia problem and be able to switch on again and play lossless audio using Spotify Connect even when the Spotify app for Android only shows the Google cast option.

Maybe it will not valid for everyone,  but it works flawlessly. 

I have a Homeassistant server at home built on a Synology NAS. There's a Spotify integration that allows you to select the player and switches on the player when play is pressed.

Additinally, to avoid entering in the Homeassistant app in the mobile everytime, I added a shorcut to the player in the Android quick menu, so I only need to select it to open the Homeassitant Spotify integration panel. From this panel I can even browse and search Spotify music or podcasts from my account. 

Hope this help someone!

[bszypkowski]

Plan

lossless family 

Country

Poland 

Device

Google Pixel 10 pro, B&O A9 5th gen, A5, Emerge, Core...

Operating System

Newest Android on phone and newest windows on pc.

My Question or Issue

I use B&O speakers on my home network such as A9 5th gen, couple of A5's, Emerge and Core. Some are wired in by Ethernet, others on wifi. All on the same wifi subnet. I use android phones for streaming spotify. I have the lossless family plan subscription. I have Google Cast disabled from initial setup on all my B&O speakers, only leaving Spotify Connect as a way to stream to them, as Google Cast with Spotify only streams at max 320kbps and I cannot use lossless otherwise. None of my B&O speakers appear in the Google Home app, as none have Goolge Cast enabled. When trying to stream through Spotify app to one of the spears, I see all the speakers but with subtext "Google Cast" by each one. Trying to stream using this option fails to connect to speaker, as none of them have google cast enabled. There is no option to stream via spotify connect. I tried clearing cache and this doesn' fix anything. I tried restarting the application or even resetting up the speakers and this also doesnt fix. The only fix is to delete ALL DATA on the spotify app, sign in again, set up all my settings again, redownload all my offline music again, then i see all my speakers without the 'google cast' subtext and I can stream via spotify connect. However, after some time passes, a few hours or a day, again i see all speakers with subtext 'google cast' and cannot connect to any of them unless i delete all data from spotify app again. What's the fix for this?? Pointless to have this subscription and such good speakers if i cannot use the music... If this isn't fixed soon or google cast isn't updated to support lossless with spotify, i'll likely move to Tidal... 

[hrjjans]

After installing 9.1.44.382 (APK Mirror) Spotify Connect is finally working again !

 

[pieterv1]

9.1.44.382 makes 0 difference for me 🥲

Only for a brief moment, the WiiM Ultra was being listed a second time for Spotify Connect, under "on other networks". But it has disappeared again, only showing the Chromecast option. 

[hrjjans]

Yes, sorry, here the same sadly enough ! I already quit my premium subscription.

[pabulous]

Updated today, the app briefly showed an option between Auto, Spotify Connect and Google Cast. The next time I opened the app, it was gone.

[Blobnl]

have just installed version 9.1.42.2058 and see that i can select Spotify connect (with Losless) again... fingers crossed it will not suddenly dissapear again.

[DubZ1]

We have had many instances of people reporting that a particular version works for them, only for someone else to report it doesn't for them, or the same person reporting it suddenly stopped working even though they didn't update the app.  Might be an idea to give it a few days before declaring victory because it's likely that it's your network or something you did differently or a timing issue.  Remember that Spotify calls this a "feature" rather than a bug.  I'm sticking with an old version that I know to work because I've used it many, many times and it has never suddenly stopped working.  Spotify support assured me they would announce when the "feature" was "improved" and while I don't have a lot of confidence that they will, I am staying put.  If for any reason I am forced to update the app and can't cast in Lossless without cumbersome workarounds, then I guess I'll be leaving Spotify. 

[Gary818]

I feel that Spotify has a major problem. It is 

"Technical support was extremely poor". They can't fix this kind of simple bug within a reasonable period. I am still using Spotify because I am using its family plan and my family members need it in mobile phone. I mainly use Tidal at home now. One more comment : "Spotify don't care their customers although they paid for service". Every Spotify customers good luck.

[dagiles]

Been a while since I've posted on this thread, but Spotify on my Pixel 8a has just been updated to v9.1.42.2058 and... a selection menu has appeared.

On my Wiim Pro Plus I've had the Google Cast option switched off to force it to use Spotify Connect. As there was suggestion that the 9.1.42 release may have fixed the issue, I thought I'd re-enable Google Cast on the Wiim.

Once enabled, the Wiim entry was set to Google Cast but had an ellipsis next to it (picture 1). Clicking the ellipsis gives an option menu to choose how to connect (Auto/Spotify Connect/Google Cast - picture 2). Auto seems to default to Google Cast, but it's possible to switch to Spotify Connect.

Once switched to Spotify Connect the Wiim appears as a Spotify Connect endpoint and the Google Cast option disappears.

Tentatively, this feels like a solution for Wiim users (and is what the Idea I raised was requesting!). I'll keep an eye on it and post any updates.

[tcugma]

I can indeed confirm the behaviour dagiles described for version v9.1.42.2058

--> For NOW, it works! Let's hope it stays that way. The "auto" option gives me indeed hope, because that wasn't there in older versions and gives me the impression, there had really been some work. 

IF this is really fixed for longer than just NOW:

Thanks, Spotify. But this took a LONG time and I was very close switching to Tidal. E.g. I have read everything regarding Playlist-Transfer...

[tcugma]

P.S.: 

Tested now: it's App-restart persistent. :⁠-⁠)

It takes some seconds for the three dots to enter the selection to appear, but even before I see: my WiiMs are now connected by Spotify Connect by default, because they now appear under "in other networks" with a Streamer-Symbol instead of before in top of the list with a Speaker-Symbol. 

[eejjay]

Finally, I can also confirm on my Samsung Q990D that it works. If it wouldn't have taken them over half a year to fix it, I would have said that I was happy. Still ridiculous that a company like Spotify, praised across the globe for "their efficient development methods" such as the Spotify model, cannot prevent existing stuff to break by just making sure there is a damn unit test for the feature, but ok. Enshittification starts to hit them as well I guess.

Bottom line, works again.