When are Spotify stopping supporting Pioneer Receivers which support Spotify Connect?

[bradavon]

Hi,

I received an email yesterday to say Spotify are stopping support for my Pioneer Speaker soon.

- When is soon?

- Does stopping support mean Spotify just won't support it or it will stop working?
Stopping support means a company won't address issues but I believe Spotify are going to actually stop the feature from working.

- Why? There's no reason given why this is necessary.

The email rather bizzaely says:

"We want to make playing Spotify on your speaker and other devices better and easier"

How is stopping support better or easier? Why not just stop supporting it? So if it breaks too bad.

I only bought my receiver 2 years ago specifically as it supported Spotifty Connect. Spotify is in part more popular over rivals as Spotify works on so many devices, or did.

I guess like everyone else I'll need to buy a Chromecast Audio 😕

[machielvisser]

As you I bought my av receiver as well specifically for the spotify support. Two years is unacceptable to me. There is no reason to do this. If spotify wants to stop some outdated systems, pioneer could give a firmware upgrade so it will keep working. So it's more a pioneer issue than a spotify problem I think. Nonetheless unacceptable.

[derekr2015]

Here for the same reason. Would like some more details, especially if they're technical. 

[TheGoldenEel]

Just got the same email about my Pioneer VSX-1123.

Immediately canceled my subscription. Fortunately I only have a week left on it. It's total bs that they just send out these vague emails essentially telling their customers to shove off (or buy some new product that may or may not be discontinued at their whim)

Apple Music it is, my device supports airplay and I have an iPhone anyway

[slmoore]

Count me in as well, with my Pioneer VSX-1124 receiver purchased in 2014. The spotifygear.com page for receivers lists the following, which include the VSX-1023 receiver. I don't know why the VSX-1023 would be supported, but the VSX-1123 and VSX-1124 would not be supported. I did a chat with a support rep who really didn't seem to understand the difference between a receiver and a speaker. I just don't get why some receivers work and others don't, and am hoping someone put a list of supported models together without doing it very carefully.

https://www.spotifygear.com/type/hifi/

Pioneer VSX-44 Wireless Hifi receiver

Range includes:

VSX-1023 (US), VSX-828, VSX-528, VSX-S510 (Europe), VSX-823 (US/ASIAN), SC-79, SC-77, SC75, SC-1523, SC-72, SC-1323, SC71 (US) – SC-LX87, SC-LX77, SCLX57, SC-2023 (Outside US) – SC-1223

[PrivJok]

Received the same message today, have been using Spotify with Pioneer SC-2023 (Europe) for the last two years...so sad, big disappointment, Spotify and Pioneer!

[slmoore]

The SC-2023 is listed as a supported model?

[buetzel]

Another one here. SC-1223. Mail said something about a speaker, no specific model was mentioned in the mail. My "speaker" is a receiver with spotify connect, so as far as I know - no app to remove. 

Also on the bandwagon for "what is making this easier FOR ME"? It's plenty easy to use my smartphone to control spotify via connect on my receiver. 

Maybe easier for spotify not to manage so many different devices. But I for one would have to BUY a streaming device to connect to my receiver then. Another device eating power. Having to be powered, which I also got to pay and more cables to add to the clutter which is already bad.

Bad move, spotify, bad move. 

[slmoore]

This SC-1223 is also currently in the list of receivers listing has having Spotify Connect support. What is going on? 

https://www.spotifygear.com/type/hifi/

[TheGoldenEel]

The fact that Spotify had the gall to send an email saying. "We recommend you buy a new product to continue using our service" is what really rubbed me the wrong way.

Maybe smartphones are something you replace every few years, but speakers and receivers are built to last. A four year old, 4K, internet (and airplay) enabled receiver (that cost $600) is not something that is obsolete already.

So no, I won't purchase a new device Spotify, I'll simply cancel your service for one that supports the one I have

[meyster]

Also very sad news for me. 2,5 years after Purchase (LX57) they stop the support. This is not realiable and questions this complete integration a lot. Maybe we need to write to Pioneer to see if they plan a firmware update. 

Unfortunatly there is no other streaming service with support on the Pioneer models. So only option remaining is a FIRE TV stick or Chromecast. At least they should continue to provide uncompressed listening experience. 

[buetzel]

I asked "SpotifyHilft" on Facebook (german Spotify support) and from the answer it seems like they are only stopping app support for Pioneer devices (I did NOT know, there is an "app" on my receiver - still not sure there is) but connect usability stays available.

So... at least for me there will be no change whatsoever.

Even after that short conversation I'm not entirely sure everything is fine, but at least I'm not in panic mode anymore.

[bradavon]

I'd say this is almost entirely Spotify's fault. It's a business descision to drop certain device integration. I expect few people use are using Spotify via Receivers.

It's odd some AV Receivers are still listed. I suspect they're gradually being removed. Onkyo were last month I believe.

If it were Pioneer's fault they'd have emailed us or it would've simply stopped working.

My hunch is these older devices aren't capable of doing sometihng Spotify want to do wih their Spotify Connect API.

I bought mine almost 3 years ago to the day.

[bradavon]

Writing to Pioneer would be a good idea but it's not Pioneer who're stopping support. Spotify would've worked with Pioneer originally and are now choosing not to.

I think we should all write to Pioneer and Spotify:

I can only find a phone number for Pioneer: https://www.pioneer-car.eu/uk/support/contact-us

Spotify: https://support.spotify.com/uk/contact-spotify-support/

[sadib]

Yes, the email was very unclear and weird that the devices (also mine Pioneer VSX-528) are still listed as 'supported' without any mention that the Spotify Connect feature is going to be deprecated. Bad communication, Spotify...

[bradavon]

@ buetzel:

Thanks for the update. Calling a Receiver a Speaker already doesn't fill me with much help they know what they're talking about.

My Pioneer VSX-828 certainly has no App. It has integrated Spotify Connect supportt. That is the app.

Fingers crossed though this doesn't actually affect us. This morning it was working fine.

[bradavon]

sadib:

Where is your Pioneer VSX-528 listed as supported? I could only see one specific model.

[bradavon]

I wonder if this is a very badly worded email and it's referring to Pioneer devices that DO have an app.

Their system may only just be able to tell if the device that is connecting is Pioneer but nothing more.

[sadib]

https://support.spotify.com/nl/listen_everywhere/on_speaker/using-spotify-connect-with-your-pioneer-...

@bravadon

[bradavon]

sadib:

Oh yes thanks. I hadn't spotted the 528 and 828 are still listed as supported.

It would be nice if they'd say when "soon" is. We'd then know if it actually affects us or not.