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PIONEER N-50A

PIONEER N-50A

My Pioneer N50A no longer appears in my Spotify app.

 

I've been using this player since 2015 and I've never had this problem. I can see my PC and other devices, but the Pioneer has disappeared.

 

So far I have done the following

- Reset modem;

- Reset the N50A;

- I've reinstalled the latest available firmware;

- I turned my smartphone back to factory settings.

 

So far unsuccessful

 

Suggestions?

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70 Replies

Same here. Looks like it is no longer supported. 

Answer from Pioneer:


Spotify no longer supports his LibSpotify service, which was implemented in the N-50A.
More information can be found through their link:
https://support.spotify.com/us/article/why-cant-i-use-the-spotify-app-on-my-speaker/
(Not every model infected by this inconvenience is listed on the website)
They also suggest a couple of solutions which might help you further.
F.e.:
• Use Airplay for transmission if you have iOS equipment. 
• Use Bluetooth for transmission if you have Bluetooth equipment
• Connect SMART TV or game via HDMI if these equipment supports Spotify

It will unfortunately not be possible to provide a firmware solution regarding this issue, given that this feature will be fully stopped by Spotify.
The problem only affects older Pioneer models, more recent models will be out of the clear.
Given that Spotify is a third party content, their services may be changed, suspended, interrupted, or discontinued at any time without notice, and Pioneer disclaims any liability in connection with such occurrences.
Pioneer does not represent or warrant that content services will continue to be provided or available for a particular period of time, and any such warranty, express or implied, is disclaimed.
We would like to apologize, but unfortunately there is not a lot we can do regarding this discontinued feature. We merely offer the possibility to use third party features, but can not be held accountable if one of these features are stopped by the company in charge.

Best regards

______________________________________________________________


Answer from Spotify (after several messages):

 

Hold on! We took a look and we saw that the N-50A model does not support the LibSpotify service anymore, as mentioned by Pioneer. Any other questions, just send and we will do our best to help / TH

Same here. Spotify Connect suddenly stopped working on my N50a.

 

But the strange thing is that a friend of mine can still use this feature using his account.

 

As a test I used his credentials to login my iOS  app, and guess what: Spotify Connect works again! Same goes for the desktop app (mac) and webplayer.

Then when logging in with my credentials, it stops working again.

 

So in conclusion it does not seem to relate to the phone or app version of Spotify, or the Pioneer reciever itself. But for some odd reason it is tied your account. So the question remains, why? This seems very random.

 

I do expect its going to be only a matter of time before his account stops working, as I also noticed this feature has been stripped off any documentation and any website, but for now I have a workaround.

I did a similar test and it also worked.

But ... after clearing the data from the other device (app and cache), it also stopped working.

 

I mean ... it's probably going to stop altogether.

How can that possibly be??? I just got this streamer a few months ago and pay family pack since years now to spotify. So please bring us back that feature or I seriously think throwing all that to the trash. Will do my publicity accordingly of course. Thanks 

Hey all again,

 

Ok I really am **bleep** off since that Pioneer thingy cost my quite a bit of money, I really bought it just to get Spotify swiftly integerated into it - so basically I sold my older N-50 to get the newer N-50A and that one now already shall be obsolete? Come on you cannot do that to us!

 

I need to understand here: who is the bad one? I mean: Pioneer brands his N-50A with the Spotify certified logo so I expect this is so and remains so but in that very case the feature (I also paid good money for) simply is canceled - please take care of yourself, I don't agree on that at all.

 

I see two solutions for this (and there must be plenty out there with the same issue)

 

1. Pioneer updates the firmware

2. Spotify reinstates the LibSpotify support

 

Please propose something here (and not just: ok we put that in the idea box).

I now also will write to Pioneer, my machine still is under guarantee - there was a promise and it was not hold, I will get back my right.

 

Thanks

Anybody here or am I the only one with that problem??

I wrote to Pioneer as well to make moving things. I am asking them either to change my machine, provide a firmware upgrade or to simply open the firmware code so that guys like myself can code that stuff back into the machine.

 

For me such features simply are normed into specifications and if specifications change then as of 2018 that shall be updated via a firmware update isn't it?

 

Now that also questions commercial and business relationships between Spotify and its partners: who is liable in such a case? Because as a customer you (both Spotify and Pioneer) simply rendered my device useless - but it's still under guarantee and I will get my money and/or my rights back.

 

Most incredible thing here: the N-50A still is sold for a hefty price of 899 bucks but 99% of the customers never would know about problems as dicussed here. I tell you that here but also to Pioneer.

 

Isn't there certification instance (like for DLNA or UPnP) that says: ok, you get the "Spotify aware" label means you can be assured, as a simple customer as I am, that the product you bought will keep functionning in the coming years whatever happens. Because it's what has been written on the N-50A pacakge and user guide.

 

Be assure I will make the necessary noise to shed the right light on this here. So if there is anybody else in this forum please feel free to join.

 

BTW: I had similar issues with the VW Dieslegate, have a VW engine and there also I go court to get my rights back since I bought this car new for lot of money and there also a simple SW renders it less perfect and not far from useless - it's time to change.

 

Thx

I have N-50a and spotify is working. Tested on 2 mobiles with android in spotify aplication and on laptop with win 10 in spotify aplication. Is it not possible that it is limited in your country? Im from czech republic.

Hey, thanks for your feedback. Yep can be, from various forums I understood
this service shuts down progressively, based on what rule I don't know.
What I understood is that spotify has a certification program up for its
partners who want to implement their client on their machines just like
pioneer did.
For obscure reasons this partnering no longer work between pioneer and
sorority, let me guess: spotify changed the.rules and terms and Pioneer
didn't agree to reconduct the certification already not for the n50a
already being considered as old stuff by pioneer marketing. Not acceptable
since a simple firmware upgrade could make it. That said I wrote twice to
pioneer support Europe, nobody .... We keep in touch, thanks for your
inputs.

Mmm when I use the horrible pioneer app on my Android and try to select the spotify source the app tells me spotify cannot be used in a region where this spotify service is not available ... So who's the bad guy here? Do we come back to the DVD region stuff?? I am very confused really .... Let's try around us a bit more to boil this down.

I'm in Brazil and I have the n-50a since 2015.

Spotify app always worked without problems.


In the support of spotify, at no time was mentioned the region question. Just about support for the LibSpotify service, as previously said by the Pioneer.

Try any of you to change your country in the spotify account to the czech republic and let me know if it works. Maybe try it change your ip adress to czech republic via free vpn. :)) and try to ask a question when spotify turn it off in the Czech Republic.

 

I also saw for libspotify.

I removed all on Samsung s7, pioneer app, spotify app restart my phone then reinstalled it all and ... Still same issue. Same for my wife and kids all having different de devices ...

Country and VPN why not let me consider.

Thanks

Ok did some.other stuff such as factory reset my pioneer, not helping too.

Another thing is all our win10 machines cannot stream longer to the pioneer neither despite that worked like a charm until recently.

So looks like being more a.kind of country lock for Switzerland, hello spotify team any infos please??

Last but not least I also checked my router but nothing here and all numerous services going over it still work seamless ... So.

Other stuff trying out now is to disconnect the machine from plug for 5 min, Madame suggested this, that would be a great hack.

Otherwise seeing how spotify connect is engineered the.pioneer normally retrievss the stream using my credentials or a.derivation of those. And it's e.g. My phone app giving those credentials to the pioneer first via a special protocol. We keep in touch.

Mornin' everybody,

Ok the unplug for a whole night of the N-50 didn't help ... 😞

 

What I want to point out here and perhaps it was not clear before: Connect works well between all our Android and Win10 devices - we can remot control and move the stream from one machine to another one.

 

That means the problem guy here remains the Pioneer: his firmware is no longer up to date and so is not allowed further to retrieve the stream in the name of my profile on the Spotify servers. What is strange however is it works in other countries but not in mine (Switzerland) - looks like Spotify phases this out and does not treat all countries the same when features are added or removed.

 

@Spotiy team: can anybody answer my questions here please?

Sorry I write too fast and wanted to ask you guys here.

What year is your machine, S/N and firmware version your run on your N-50A? It's possible those devices don't ship with the exact same firmware depending on which country they're supposed to be sold - at the end this looks like then as a "region lock" despite it is not what has been targeted, just how the marke t is segmented in terms of firmware versions running on an apparently same hardware machine we all have here.

Quick heads up: I wrote now to Pioneer Germany (it where it goes for Swiss guys like me), this time directly to the hotline, let's see what they say - will share back of course my findings and conclusions.

Cheers

Firmware: I write when I'm home. I bought in 05/2017. SN is qaiv004416er. 

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