Is Spotify really dropping Squeezebox support?

[aapthorp]

I just had a message flash up from the Spotify plugin on iPeng to checkout an important message at http://mysqueezebox.com/byeByeSpotify which redirects to https://support.spotify.com/us/listen_everywhere/on_speaker/why-cant-i-use-the-spotify-app-on-my-spe... telling me that Spotify support on Squeezebox will cease by July 20th. But elsewhere Spotify is promoting to listen to Spotify on Logitech Squeezebox and no mention that it's only for the next 7 days.

Which is it Spotify? time to return to listening to my ripped CD collection?

[SkullOne]

I feel ya... It's a sad day. I use Spotify quite a lot and own about 6 or so Squeezeboxes (in various forms). I'm 'lucky' because I run my own server which, thanks to some nice developers, can remain running Spotify on all my Squeezeboxes. However my sister (owns 3 Squeezebox devices) and my parents (own 2 Squeezebox devices) won't easily make the switch, as they are depending on mysqueezebox.com. So Spotify in essence is scrapping those fine working devices, telling their paying clients to go F themselves and 'just' buy another device because... why? And why is this on such a RIDICULOUS SHORT NOTICE. This is WASTEFUL and UNNECESSARY Spotify! I can't believe for a minute you can't keep offering this service besides a newer one. At the very least you could have announced this way earlier, so ppl could have seen this coming. Spotify didn't even provide that courtesy to their paying customers. This is so unacceptable and idiotic by any sane standards. It's that 'nice' music industry again, with their 'nice' policies and 'nice' money greedy people... Spotify is just a part of it, not a rebel with a cause. Just the same in a different packaging. Well thank you Spotify for the 'respect' you gave... And yes, I'm being sarcastic.

[sj_ferguson]

I voted with my wallet, after being a long-time paying customer. These boots are walking right out of here.  Other services offer lossless music and Squeezebox support...

[johnkramer]

I'm stuck with a premium subscription through December. I'd like to be prorated and given my money back for the rest of the subscription term. Is that possible? 

[Squeezeboxer]

I would not recommend Spotify anymore now. And I will definitively cancel my contract. Period. Are they kidding us? I am buying a speaker supporting Spotify, which will be dropped one year later. Should I do that again now? No. Thanks Spotify for nothing.

[aapthorp]

This is so ironic, Spotify have just advised me that I have a new community rank, "Music Fan", as a a result of this post and the replies. Yes, I like to think I am. However, clearly no one on Spotify staff reads these posts. 2 days on and 5 days left to no Squeezebox support and Spotify are still advertising the use of Squeezebox with Spotify.

Let's see if they're still advertising after July 20th.

I wonder how many people are going to have a nasty surprise on July 20th.

[aapthorp]

Update...I now have the rank of Music Lover. Great, but Spotify want to turn off my ability to listen to the Music I Love.

[Squeezeboxer]

Don´t they really know the capabilities of Squeezeboxes and what they are? I love to SEE what I am currently hearing. On a small device showing whats currently playing. With nice Album Art.

With Apple Airplay: not possible (instead of turning on my TV all the time when I listen to music). With Chromecast: not possible (same issue). With Laptops: Ehem, I wanna listen to music!! With Desktop Devices (Ehem, well, I don´t like to have my office in my living room). And all these expensive Superboxes: No way.

[xtrncsz81]

Hi SkullOne, you write that you run your own server that enables you to use spotify in combination with squeezeboxes - despite the spotify announcement dropping the support. Could you tell us how to set up such solution? I have as well an own server (cubietruck as mini-pc) with the server software "logitech media server". In would be great to here from you. Thanks in advance Chris

[aapthorp]

Chris, If you have Logitech media server try the Spotty plugin. Apparently this should continue working once Spotify withdraw support of the Squeezebox App.

[bon_scott · Accepted solution]

Thanks I will try to run a squeezbox server and see if it fixes the issue after July 20 but I still belibe it's a **bleep**ty move by spotify. We bought a second premium account so my kids could listen to their music on a dedicated box, my son loves it and now al the sudden he will not be able too. I guess i will just stop pying my subscription with a few days notice.

Looks like spotify is loosing one more premium subscription over this.....

[sj_ferguson]

Unfortunately, setting up Spotty isn't so straightforward for less computer-savvy people and, as far as I've seen, not possible to implement on a Synology NAS, which is what I use.

[Frede]

I would expect articles like the one you linked to, to be updated or removed. Support is going away. I was also sent an offer to but a Fon Gramofon device with a discount. That or Chromecast audio seems to be the best options for replacing the Squeezebox. Sorry to see support drop as the Squeezebox excellent. With Gramofon or Chromecat audio I need to fiddle with my phone or tablet every time I need to change tunes etc. with the SB this was much simpler and you can also add your favourite radio apps etc. Now with the phone you must switch between apps for radio, spotify etc. 
*Edit* To all of you whining about Spotify dropping the support. Logitech discontinued the SqueezeBox in 2012, 5 years ago. The Spotify app has been working ever since on the SqueezeBox but as Spotify has built a new API (maybe done a bad job communicating about it) it was only a matter of time before the SB would stop working. Bottom line is, the device is not supported by its manufacturer, they (Logitech) could build a new app but that's highluy unlikely since the device is discontinued. If you don't mind using a media server (and don't mind spending a lot if time) you can install Spotty.

[SkullOne]

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@sj_ferguson wrote:

Unfortunately, setting up Spotty isn't so straightforward for less computer-savvy people and, as far as I've seen, not possible to implement on a Synology NAS, which is what I use.

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Actually it is easy on a Synology NAS, except when it is an older model. You need to install two things: LmsRepack and after that, from within LMS (Logitech Media Server) install the new 'Spotty' package. Do not install Synology's 'own' implementation, as that only goes up to version 7.6 or so, and you will need 7.9.

Another option is to buy a Raspberry Pi + SD card and install piCorePlayer. 

Regrettably these are not real plug and play solutions, but you can give it a try. 

Btw, my sister has now ordered a Gramofon... This wasn't easy and took about 15 attempts spread over a couple of days. Eventually it 'worked' but by then the price had increased by €5 (for shipping). Really weird... 

[bon_scott]

There is still some problems here:

1 You need an extra media server hardawre (eg. NAS), which at the momemnt I don't have. I have a pfsense box but I have to figure out how to run the squeezebox server on it.

2: This one bothers me the most (maybe i'm confguring something wrong): The Spotty plugin allows you to play via the squeezebox from your phone. This is fundamentally different. In the old system my kids could search and play music using only the Hardware interface of the squeezebox (dial button & display). Now they would need an extra phone (and guess what, the are not gonne use mine and I wil not give my 6 year old a personal cellphone) to pick the music and stream it to the box.

So yes I'm complaining because I bought a second squeezebox and a premium account so I could have my kids search and listen by themselves and this has been working great for two years. It apperas that now I have to spend money on a new box or some system to put a media server on and a phone so my kids can actually choose what to play. Therfore still **bleep**ty move by spotify.

[Frede]

Logitech discontinued this device 5 years ago. Spotify cannot be expected to support an old API indefinitely. If the device was still supported by Logitech, they would be responsible for updating their app to support the new API. 

[bon_scott]

In this case it's spotify who is dropping libspotify support, The Squeezebox server is continued by a community, they rely on the libraries spotify provides. The problem is that the new Spotty plugin (developped by a community member) uses the new spotify library which only allows to sream to the box (libspot). What spotify is dropping is the possibility to navigate the content for any system that used libspotify.

There is a difference.

[Frede]

Yes, Spotify is dropping the support, which was announced years ago. Any supported device has had plenty of time to update their software to the new APIs. My point is that it cannot be expected that Spotify maintains old APIs indefinitely, especially for devices that are not even supported by their own manufacturers, Logitech in this case. 

[SkullOne]

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@Frede wrote:

Logitech discontinued this device 5 years ago. Spotify cannot be expected to support an old API indefinitely. 

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Explain to me why we can't expect this? When it comes to audio formats you can stil buy and play CD's for example, even on 35 years old equipment. You have just been desensitized by the industry and the powers that be. Why can't they add another year (or two) to their 'support' just for the sake of their clients? How unreasonable is that to expect. In what world do you want to live anyway? We should not expect this at all. If you think 5 years support is reasonable, then 3 years will be the norm next, and so on.

Spotify has motivated diddly squat about why they can't support these older, but fine working devices anymore. And on top of that they have given near ZERO NOTICE. Sure they might not need to do that -legally-, but this isn't a good way to treat your clients.

They should at least have motivated why this is happening and they should have given their clients ample notice. A year seems quite okay for that? If they had done so, this would have landed way better and people would have had a better understanding and had time to make the switch. Now it's just a FU in your face. From a markting point of view it's completely moronic the way they went about it. This is indicative of not having your client's best interest in mind. No matter how you spin it. The packaging is all wrong and we can blame that on them for sure.

[bon_scott]

My point is not the change but the fact that the new API has (from my understanding) reduced features. I'm ok with dropping an antique API, the squeezebox was continued by a community that also adapted to the change (see Spotty plugin). But my issue is that now you need a phone to play music, the old system allowed to navigate and choose music on the device. 

Again, maybe the way Spotty is written or how I configured is wrong. But not being able to choose what to play on any device (Speaker, HIFI etc) without a phone or tablet is the problem. This is the feature that was dropped by spotify willingly. So what spotify is doing here is not just forcing the migration to a new subsystem (which I'm ok with) but removing a very useful feature.

Basically now I need a speaker (which cost 150 CHF and upwards) or I need to mc Gyver a media server (from some Hardawre I also need to get) and continue to use my squeezebox (and I'm fine with that). BUT: whatever I do I will need an extra phone or tablet to navigate my collection and this sucks. 

This is just a way of forcing people to trash perfectly working hardware and by new stuff, that's what makes this a **bleep** move.