Spotify Xbox One app

[CraigCannon]

I'm aware that a large majority of Spotify users won't be gamers but with Microsoft's latest console, the Xbox One, do you think it'd be possible to get a Spotify app? Now that it's possible to multi-task and stream while you game the opportunity to gain new monthly subscribers is massive.

It's already possible as seen with Microsofts new service "Xbox Music" which features heavily in the new console. I know I'd definitely use the app if there was one. Anyone else?

[Fdub]

Still cracks me up that my insignificant question was a huge issue for you.
I got my answer from some friendly users who actually addressed my issue
unlike you who decided to try to belittle me and call me names. Honestly I
feel a bit sorry for you. Like I said, I got my answer so, sir/ma'am, you
have a great night!! And thank you for the laughs!!

[TomTardis]

Again, this isn't a place for  "how do I?..."

Also, if you go back and look, I wasn't the one calling you names. That would be Wester87.

Here's the "help" forum, which is where you should post with questions about how to use Spotify:

https://community.spotify.com/t5/Other-Partners-Windows-Phone-etc/bd-p/002

[Ryu_Shadowstone]

It's great that spotify is on Xbox, but the functionality compared to how groove was is very much a downgrade. The UI is awful and you can't even play music from your own collection unless it's actually on Spotify itself, making it useless when I have a large collection of music from remixers who haven't had their songs added. 

Maybe actually add the ability to use music from our own collection instead of this half assed attempt.

[cm508d]

Got the Spotify app for my XBOX One -- great! Except, Spotify did not deem useful to prepare a small "user guide" to get the best audio out of one's XBOX? The app works just fine BUT I can only get "Stereo", no 5.1 surround sound? Is this a Spotify shortcoming? Is Spotify aware of this? Was XBOX One thoroughly tested? If so, using what kind of configuration? I cannot find ANY support documentation here.

I don't think I'll renew my subscription if all I can get is crappy sound from this app...

[Kydda]

Works fine on my setup and sounds great!
Not sure what you’re sour about. Not renewing your subscription will be on
you and you alone and you’ll lose your premium. Doesn’t sound worth it to
me.

[cm508d]

Dear Wester87, thank you for taking the time to share your comments. 
Here's the deal... I'm no music expert but all I can say is, when I connect either my lowly.crappy smartphone or tablet *TO* the Samsung Home Cinema through the AUX port, with a plain 3.5mm jack THEN I get music coming through ALL my speakers. 

Silly me expects the same output from the XBOX. 

On the XBOX, I get sound in ALL my speakers when playing games AND playing BlueRay discs.

When playing music through the Spotify app, I only get sound off the front speakers... and that's what makes me unhappy. 

Now, the more I look into this, the more I have the impression that it is a battle lost in advance since my Samsung system ONLY has an Optical INPUT port? I read elsewhere that the prefered method is to output Audio from the XBOX through an HDMI cable? That I could plug into an ... HDMI receiver.

I wonder whether that is the better route to get quality sound off Spotify on my XBOX?

Last but not least, I can run the Spotify app 1) on my lowly smartphone; 2) on my lowly Tablet and 3) on my XBOX One. I could always play music through my tablet, as I know the sound goes DIRECT to my Samsung system and the quality is satisfactory (for my ears). BUT, and that's a big BUT, Spotify shuts off as soon as the energy saver kicks in. In other words, as soon as the Tablet goes to sleep, for lack of mouse or keyboard activity, bang! no more music. See?

To add insult to the injury, when playing music through Microsoft Grove app, the music never stops playing, even when the monitor is shut off. Somehow, Microsoft has better knowledge of thir system settings than the Spotify guys...

I'm seriously considering an HDMI receiver, such as Pioneer or SONY...

[cm508d]

Hi Kydda, care to explain your configuration? How is the output of your XBOX connected to your "sound system"? Which "sound system"? Optical? HDMI? Do you get 5.1 sound in all your apps? YouTube app too? Games? And Spotify app?

[cm508d]

Wester87, I don't see where "2.0 signals should be converted to 5.1 surround" when using Aux on my Samsung... But your suggestion makes a lot of sense as this is what's most likely happening. I confess I'm totally new to sound...

[TomTardis]

cmd508d, what's going on is one of two things: most likely, your receiver is using Dolby Prologic to upconvert stereo audio to 5.1 audio when you connect a stereo analog device. When you have Prologic turned on, the receiver's DSP takes the audio from your smartphone (or whatever else you have plugged in) and splits up the sound to each speaker: the center speaker gets sounds in the center of the stereo image. The left and right speakers get sounds that are mostly to the left or right of the stereo image. And the rear speakers get sounds that are phase-inverted. 

Some receivers can upconvert stereo sound coming in through a digital input (HDMI or the coax or optical inputs on the back of your receiver), but none that I know of will up convert audio that's being sent on just the left and right channels of a 5.1 signal - which is what Spotify is doing when it plays music on the XBox. Not only that, but you wouldn't want it to do that, or sound would come out the wrong speakers when you are playing games that support positional audio.

If you really want surround sound while playing music, go into your XBox's settings page and set the audio mode to stereo. Then use your receiver's remote to enable ProLogic (usually there's a button labeled "surround" on the remote.) This will disable true 5.1 sound on XBox games, but you might not notice, depending on the game.

[cm508d]

Tom,

First of all, kudo for your insightful reply, I'm hopeful it will also help other Xbox/Spotify users rationalize their music consumption out of their console, mind you I may be more the exception rather than the rule since I'm sending the audio output from my XBox to a Home Theater system and not a good AV Receiver. That's lesson 1.

I suspected some form of "intelligence" was active in my Samsung HT as far as splitting the stereo signal into my 5.1 speaker setup. I managed to get my hands on the documentation, last night, and got the following:

• Dolby Digital = Yes (Yes means "Supported")
• Dolby Pro Logic = Yes
• Dolby True HD = Yes
• DTS = Yes
• DTS HD = Yes

So, obviously, the Samsung has the "smarts" to transcode the stereo signal coming in from the outside world. It's only when it gets its input from the Optical cable out of the XBox that it seems to be "limited".

Your last suggestion, to set the XBox audio mode to stereo does not work? I tried that already.

In XBox Settings > Audio Output, I have Speaker Audio set this way:

• HDMI Audio = Off
• Optical Audio = Bitstream out
• Bitstream Format = Dolby Digital

When I switch Optical Audio to Stereo uncompressed, the sound level instantly goes several decibels down and I lose the subwoofer. So, for now, the only setting that makes sense, here, is to continue sending Dolby Digital on to the Optical output channel. I don't get sound out of the Rear and Center speakers but it's "decent". I'm beginning to figure that, should I want "surround" sound I'll have to shell out the money for an AV Receiver, but even then I'm not assured that the unit will be able to turn what the XBox says is "Dolby Digital" out the Optical cable into 5.1 surround sound. I have an email into Pioneer with that very question... I'll report when I get the answer 🙂

Thank you so much for your technical insights and help Mr. Tardis.