Spotify Android App closes while playing on another device, needs to stay open

[Hirohamster]

Plan

Premium

Country

UK

Device

(Nokia 😎

Operating System

(Android 9, Pie)

My Question or Issue

Hi everyone, 

I'm running the Spotify app with the same account on both my Android phone and Windows 10 PC, I also have a Fossil Hybrid watch. I like listening to music through an independent Google Home Speaker and controlling it through my watch to skip and use volume controls. If I start the app on my phone my watch has control throughout. If I pause music though, after a certain period of time the app "closes" and the notification bar disappears, as a result I can no longer control the music through my watch because it's calling an app that is no longer there.

Similarly, if I start music on my phone my PC app is aware of this and displays the relevant info, and now I can control it from my phone. The issue arises when I decide to transfer the "listening device" output to any other device, like my Google speaker, the mobile app decides its not being used after 1-2 mins (similar to pausing the music for 1-2 mins) and closes. As a result of this I then can't control the music coming from my speaker with my watch.

The issue I have is that I want to control music on my speaker from my watch, but as the watch goes through the mobile app, and that the mobile app closes when it thinks its inactive, I lose control. Is there a way to force the app to not close? 

I have already turned off battery optimisation for the mobile application. I hope this all makes sense, ask questions if not. Thanks in advance for any responses!