[1.0.0.70/82][0.7.9]Inaudible volume levels after notification triggers audio ducking

[RRL]

Since the latest update on the Spotify app the music will no longer get interrupted by notifications. This functionality is far from useful when using other apps simultaneously.

Often I use Spotify in the car in combination with my GPS and an app which warns me (legally) for speed traps. Before the update Spotify briefly paused for a GPS instruction or an alarm for a speed trap, which made them clearly noticable.

The apps in this case are Sygic and FlitsNav (Dutch). They use respectively the media volume and alarm volume, both are giving problems.
- The media volume is briefly lowered when Sygic has an instruction. Because Sygic uses this volume too, the instruction volume is lowered as well. This makes that the instructions are pronounced on a lower volume than normally and let the music kick in hard again after the barely audible instructions.
- FlitsNav uses the alarm volume, the same as used for the alarm clock. Even though the warnings are noticable, they are far less clear than they used to be. This makes that this app becomes far less affective compared to a total interruption of the music.

Is there a possibility to have the music interrupted for notifications again?

Phone: Samsung Galaxy SIII Mini
Android version: 4.1.2 (latest)
Spotify version: Latest update (automatically installed on April 10, 2014)
Sygic version: 13.4.2
FlitsNav version: 3.0.4

EDIT: I amended the subject/title to distinguish theis thread from http://community.spotify.com/t5/Help-Android/Music-interrupted-by-notification-ring/m-p/235200#U2352...

EDIT: Temporary solution here: http://community.spotify.com/t5/Help-Android/1-0-0-70-0-7-9-Inaudible-volume-levels-after-notificati...

[redrum21]

I understand issues as I am a programmer.  The issue I have with this whole thing is there is NO WAY this was completely tested.  The issues this caused should have been produced in a test.  All that had to be done was to turn on Spotify, and send a text message to see that you can hear nothing well.  GPS is useless while using spotify (which is a lot for me).

I can wait for the fix and I understand that issues happen, but don't understand how this got passed the testing phase as I noticed the problem within the 1st minute I used the app.  (as did many others).

I love spotify and this would not make me leave, but it is careless programming/testing.

Looking forward to the fix,

Redrum21

[RichardBronosky]

I received the 1.0.0.82 update today. I am insulted that they would release this update to make the app prettier when this functionality is still broken. I have an email dialog going on with their support channel asking to freeze my subscription until this is fixed. After this update, I'm now leaning toward full refund.

This is being handled very poorly. They should own up to the mistake and communicate very clearly about what the issue is and what they are doing about it. This is what technology companies do. And if you think Spotify is anything else, you don't understand the current state of the art. Some of the highest regarded technology companies are the likes of Etsy, Netflix, and Amazon.

[user-removed]

Topic marked solved again. It's not. Can someone "unsolved" it please?

[Peter__]

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@user-removed wrote:

Topic marked solved again. It's not. Can someone "unsolved" it please?

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Done. 

[Gertv]

Why did the thread get marked as solved? Is there an update out? The answer that's marked as solution could be a solution for them not for us.

Can someone please mark the question as unsolved again? Thank you!

[David-Vis]

Adding my reply here to add my voice to the bunch waiting for an update to this issue.

Would love to start using GoogleMaps alongside Spotify again.  Please prioritise.

Spotify v1.0.0.82
Google Maps v7.7.0
Android v4.4.2

[FalconFour]

I've noticed something that might provide a clue to point the devs in the right direction. Spotify forcibly turns down the global media volume during "ducking", as you can see when you try adjusting the volume while the bug is making itself noticable - the volume gets cut to around 30% each time, a fixed level. Of course, there's no way around this volume change affecting all apps.

But this isn't how Google Play Music does it. When I check the volume when Play Music is "ducking", it's still showing full media volume though the music is quieted and the other sounds play at proper volume. I'd expect that if Spotify lowers the whole media volume, it'll cut the other apps using "media volume" as well (including navigation apps and countless others).

So, to me, it's always seemed like Spotify implemented something they thought was "cute" in code - lowering the media volume to let notifications play - but didn't realize that in practice, "media" volume is everything that any other app has to say as well.

[jthutcheson]

@FalconFour:

The behavior you describe is accurate, and has been noted several times in these 20+ pages.  The root cause is what may have been the sticking point for pushing an update, and what is taking so long.

If Spotify is doing odd things like intercepting the volume button presses and adjusting the STREAM_MUSIC volume directly to adjust its own volume without needing to manipulate its AudioTrack class, things in the code are going to get ugly quick when trying to resolve that.  I doubt that the code for the ducking adjusts the STREAM_MUSIC volume directly (that would just be weird, but I admit it is a possibility).  It's more likely that the code for ducking adjusts the volume for their AudioTrack, which being tied to the STREAM_MUSIC volume directly, changes both at once (oops).  However, to fix it they need to create an entirely new volume manager for their AudioTrack, which, considering their app is focused solely on playing music, will need to be 1000000% working before it can be released.  Having ducking not working correctly is bad.  Having volume control break entirely is a critical error.

As for the volume, it sets the "ducked" volume to 50% of its current volume.  I.e., if you are set at 60% volume, it will drop to 30% during ducking.

The only thing we can do now is wait.  The developers know about the issue, are working on a fix, and will push it as soon as they can.  Until that happens, our choices are to work around the bug as best we can, use an older version (0.7.8), or another service entirely.  Considering my sub is up in a week, I'm probably going to be headed to GPMAA for a month or two while they sort this out.

[FalconFour]

Couldn't imagine how it could be any worse - volume control is very simple: "I should be at 100% volume unless I need to duck". No relationship to volume sliders which are handled at the next level up in global control. There shouldn't be a Spotify specific volume control.

[kchowdh]

I am having the same exact issues with my Galaxy Nexus with Android version 4.2.2. I just updated my Spotify app and now when I have GPS enabled the turn-by-turn navigation is almost inaudible. It used to be perfectly fine until the update (spotify would fade the music and the turn-by-turn navigation would be clear and loud). The current spotify app I am using is 1.0.0.82. 

[eladts]

I noticed that Spotify uses the "Change Audio Settings" permission. Perhaps users with rooted phones can use a permission manager to remove this permission from Spotify so that Spotify won't mess with the STREAM_MUSIC volume.

[jthutcheson]

eladts:

That would be an interesting experiment.  If Spotify is using that permission to decouple their own stream volume from the STREAM_MUSIC volume level by controlling both themselves, that would explain pretty much everything.  It would also be interesting to know if removing that permission breaks crossfading, gapless playback, and volume adjustment in general.

Might have to try that on my old phone at home tonight.

[graceissaying]

Thanks for your long clarification on the problem.

It helped me understand on the problem i have been facing.

Does it mean there's nothing that we can , user can do on their end to rectify the problem?
And we will have to wait til Spotify do something about this problem?

Thanks,

Grace - Samsung S4

[webvictim]

@graceissaying - you can downgrade the app to an older version if you like (see further up the thread for a couple of download links)

Also, @jthutcheson and @damntourists are the only other people in this thread who get it. I've been thinking myself that Spotify have their own volume implementation to support crossfading since the beginning. That's why it isn't as simple as "herp derp OnAudioFocusChangeListener" as so many seem to want to believe.

Just wait.

[lachie_h]

@webvictim Wether they have their own implementation or not, it was working and now it isn't.

If they were using all the normal Android development standards like they should be, then this wouldn't have been a problem in the first place.

Saying 'just wait' is not helpful to anyone. Do we all need to tell you to go away again?

[tartaruss]

@webvictim

"It's quite clear that a number of people here have never worked in enterprise software development and especially not with mobile device release cycles."

"If everybody posting here was as good an Android developer as you try to make yourselves sound with your answers, you'd be selling your own successful app rather than crying on a forum."

Not every good Android developer is going to be making their own apps. That's why companies and jobs exist. For example, I'm an Android dev for Mint.com. I understand mobile release cycles. Mint currently has a 6 week cycle.

However, when a critical bug comes up, we work to fix it and release a patch asap outside of the release cycle. That's what a good company/team is supposed to do.

Meanwhile, the Spotify team has actually released new versions of their app without fixing the problem. Whatever the issue is, I can guarantee it's not so complicated that it's taking them more than one release cycle to fix.

Also, rolling back is always an option, if it removes a bug as severe as this. Given a similar situation for Mint, we would have rolled back long ago. In fact, we've done it before.

Yes, devs make mistakes. Yes, sometimes it takes a long time to fix. The best thing to do is own up to it, and roll back the code to a previous version.

I'm not saying they have to roll back the update entirely. Keep the new UI changes and whatever else. Just roll back the code that caused the bug and push an update while they figure out how to solve the issue.

[jthutcheson]

@tartaruss:

I'd be very surprised if they didn't have a good reason for not doing exactly as you say, rolling back the changes and releasing a working version again.  Given the amount of changes between 0.7.8 and 1.0.0.82, it is entirely possible that rolling back these pieces of code breaks something more important, or fails to cause the previous behavior to return.  That isn't any one person's fault, but may very well be a choice to keep the new UI or rollback a bug that affects a certain subset of users.  I can't say I really blame them for making the decision they made.  I don't like it, but I understand it.

That may also be at least part of the reason that the rollout is moving so slowly, to give themselves as much time as possible.

Either way, they have already owned up to it.  Spotify has stated that they are aware of the bug and are working on a fix to be released asap.  Beyond that, we have no real recourse other than using a previous version or dealing with the bug as best we can.  You can always cancel and/or use a different service, but I doubt that would move it any further up their priority que, as it is likely pretty close to the top as it is.

[Eradicatore]

If it makes anyone feel better, Google has been getting blasted about the audio ducking design for 2 years now.   Although this thread here is getting close to the same number of posts in 3 weeks as they got in those 2 years.  LOL.  

https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/maps/qYhKWUz7SdY%5B1-25-false%5D

Seems as though they had to take a lot of time to educate 3rd party developers what audio ducking is.  🙂   I must say, I much prefer ducking over pause, so I will patiently wait for a fix.  I agree though it would be nice to get a ETA on the month of the fix.  

(hey, at least I can set an ICQ nickname in the forum settings!  I call that full service!  Anyone remember ICQ?  I do.  Yea, I'm old)

(sorry, one more update, I love that literally so far each post gets me a higher ranking!  I'm going to be concert promoter soon!)

[Trooper-Thorn]

@eradicatore Yes I remember ICQ.  Old school.  And yeah, I really would love to get an ETA on a fix for this.  I use Spotify and navigation all the time, and this broken functionality is killing me.  

[RichardBronosky]

Even if they don't rollback the version in the store, they can make the old version available for download. They have the latest version available for download at https://m.spotify.com/us/ If you visit that site on your Android device or with an Agent Swticher plugin, it will link you to http://download.spotify.com/android/SpotifyAndroid.apk

It is absolutely unacceptable that they have not made the latest know working version of the app available! Every paid subscriber should demand a free month of service. I did and it has already been credited to my account.