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Spotify Connect pauses after 1 hour, restarts after 5 minutes

Spotify Connect pauses after 1 hour, restarts after 5 minutes

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USA

Devices: Windows PC, Iphone 7, IPad Pro, Denon AVR900SW

OS: Windows 10, IOS 12

 

After approximately 1 hour of playing music, the music stops and the App no longer shows I'm listening on my AVR.

After approximately 5 minutes, the music restarts and the App once again shows I'm listening on my AVR. 

This disconnect/reconnect behavior happens consistently all day every hour. It happens regardless of whether I'm usisng the Windows or the IOS Spotify App. I haven't tested for it with other Connect devices.

 

During this paused period I can restablish the Spotify Connect to my AVR manually, but it is flaky and slow. If I get impatient and click on the AVR too many times, it can get confused and require me to reboot the AVR. So its safer to wait.

 

This behavior is so consistent that it must be programmed, but by whom. Spotify? Denon? My ISP? My Router?

 

 Please let me know if you are experiencing this behavior. As of yet I have not found any other reports of this specific consistent pausing.

 

Addendum 1:

A Spotify Connect request is made and music is played and monitored by a Spotify App.

Network Setup:

1. a) Spotify App on Windows computer via Wi-fi to local Network,

or

   b) Spotify App on IOS device via Wi-fi  to local Network.

Then local Network via Ethernet cable to Denon A/V Reciever as Spotify Connect Device.

 

2. Same App setup as above to local Network.

Then local Network via Ethernet cable to Roku as Spotify Connect Device.

Then Roku via HDMI cable to Denon AVR.

Note: Roku is functioning only as a Spotify Connect device. It's Spotify App is not "Signed in." 

           Correction: Though Roku is functioning as a Spotify Connect device, it is signed in to the Spotify App.

 

The pausing behavior hasn't been detected -- as of yet after running for a couple of hours -- under Network Setup 2.

 

Under scenario 1.a) the following can be observed on the Windows Computer. After approx. 1 hour the music pauses and the Devices Available popup in the Spotify App associates "Listening On" with "This Computer" while the Denon AVR drops in and out of the Devices Available list. After approx. 5 minutes the "Listening On" reassociates with the Denon AVR and the music resumes where it left off.  While on the IOS device the Spotify App associates "Listening On" with "This iPhone" and the song it shows playing is different (apparently because it was sleeping when the Windows Computer last intiated the Connect request and started playing a different set of songs). The Devices Available list on the iPhone constantly shows the Denon AVR (no dropping behavior as on the Windows Computer) and reassociates "Listening On" to Denon at the same time the Windows Computer does.

 

Currently trying 1.b) with Spotify App on the Windows Computer signed out. (Will update here later).

 

Addendum 2.

The same odd pause/resume behavior occurs with Network Setup 1.b) (while signed out of Spotify App on Windows Computer). The only thing different from 1.a) is that the the Denon AVR does not drop in and out of the Devices Available list on the iPhone. After approx. 5 minutes the Denon AVR is reassociated with "Listening On" in the iPhone's Devices Available list and the music resumes.

Reply
5 Replies

Hey @John-E, help's here. 

 

That's a bit odd, but we'll try to help out as much as possible. 

 

First, try restarting all your devices (and speakers). Also, make sure that:

  • Your Spotify app is up-to-date. Reinstall the app for a fresh start.
  • All devices’ software is up-to-date. If you don't know, check with your devices' manufacturers for how to update the version software.
  • If possible, try switching between different networks and see if that helps.

If that doesn't help, can you try using a different speaker and see if the same thing happens there? If you don't have another speaker, try connecting two devices (e.g. phone with laptop). Just make sure your devices are connected to the same WiFi network.

 

Let us know how it goes 🙂

Thanks for the reply Jemi. I added some of my additional testing results above in an Addendum.  In regard to your suggestions:  

I have powered everything on and off.

I have also excuted "Sign out everywhere" from my Spotify Account.

My Spotify App, my Denon AVR firmware, my IOS and Windows 10 OS is all up to date.

I have not reinstalled the Window's Spotify App yet and given the success in Network Setup 2 above I'm disinclined to attribute the problem to that component. But I'll look into it.

As to switching between different networks that's a good idea as my home network setup does have to contend with double NAT (I've tried forwarding port 4070) but my Denon AVR is not portable.

I believe the scenario given in Network Setup 2 above satisfies your suggestion to use a different speaker or in other words a different Spotify Connect device. And notably the "odd" behavior doesn't seem to present in that case. That may point us to focus our attention toward the Denon Connect implementation as the source. But there is so much handshaking going on that I'm reluctant to conclude the fault is strictly with Denon yet.

Hey there @John-E,

 

Thanks for getting back in touch and including all this info.

 

Since the setup provided in Addendum 1, (network) setup 2 works with no issues, it might be a good idea checking the current setup of your Denon receiver's network settings for the settings related to your network setup 1. 

 

In that case, you can also give it a try checking the solutions provided in this thread on a similar issue. 

 

Let us know how that goes 🙂 If none of these suggestions do the trick, let us know which ones you've tried so far so we can better troubleshoot this.

 

We'll be keeping an eye out for your reply!

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Thanks Katerina!

 

I had looked at that thread already. There are some very knowledgeable people and suggestions there. I already tried disabling DHCP and hard coding its IP address in the Denon AVR. This had no observable effect. I did not expect it to sense it has long been my practice to reserve IP addresses for all my persistent local network clients (including the Denon AVR). So the Denon has always had a static local IP assignment even when using its DHCP.

 

My Denon model does not have the capability to do a simple network reset. I would have to do a full factory reset which is quite drastic given all the settings I have customized. When its network interface becomes non-responsive I get it working again with a hard power cycle.

 

My Denon AVR recently received a firmware update addressing stability issues. Before that I had a problem with my Denon AVR permanently dropping out of Spotify's Devices Available list. I could only get it back by a crazy sequence of steps involving changing the Denon's "Friendly Name" -- which is what Connect sees it as -- and then playing music on it through the IOS Airplay feature in the Devices Available menu -- where the Denon still showed up -- and then doing a hard power cycle while the music was playing. After powering up the Denon would reappear in the Devices Available list. But after the Denon firmware update I can recover it by simply doing a hard power cycle. The Denon firmware update occured well before the current issue started so I don't conclude it is the cuplrit.

 

I haven't tried the MDNS "temporary" kluge solution. I'm goint to hold off on that.

 

Will try some of the steps mentioned in https://denon-uk.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/3775/~/spotify-connect-not-working . One at a time so may take a while.

 

This issue may have started when I added a NAS to my local network so I'm going to investigate that for conflicts. Will post back if I find the culprit.

Further steps tried all with no effect in getting rid of the pause/resume:

  1. Removed port forwarding that was added to my router for my NAS setup
  2. Changed the DNS server in the Denon AVR to google 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 per Denon recommendations in link above
  3. Enabled Mulitcast on my router per Denon recommendations above
  4. Logged off all Spotify Apps while letting the Connect device continue to play music.
  5. Used Spotify Connect on a DOSS speaker for several hours. No pause/resume occurred. So this further isolates the problem to the Denon AVR.
  6. Opened the ports (port forwarding) per Denon recommendations in link above
  7. Started my one hour timer while Spotify Connect session was playing on the Denon AVR. Then switched Spotify Connect to the DOSS speaker for 15 minutes, then switched back to the Denon AVR. The pause/resume behavior still occurred on the Denon when the timer hit 1 hour. This is not what I expected!

I'm inclined toward finding cause in the Denon AVR. But then why is no one else reporting this issue?

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