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

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

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 😕

Reply
383 Replies

Is chromecast an answer? I'm not changing my pioneer lx57 which is onky a
couple of years old.

Not happy!

Spotify Connect has also stopped working on my VSX529. Very very angry at Spotify!

 

A chromecast is a good alternative, but indeed it's an extra device to have powered on and to configure. Paying customers shouldn't be forced to buy this.

Same issue, came here looking for solutions. Stayed for the total lack of customer service... not.

Time to fire up the Plex I guess.

Don't these streaming idiots know there's always other options out there? 

 

Unbelievable anyone would think a policy to limit users is a good idea. 

 

There are alternatives, but none is as good as the original function.

Yes, you can use Spotify Connect on an Amazon Fire TV stick or a Google Chromecast Audio, but both of these rely on a strong wi-fi signal, whereas my receiver is connected to my router via ethernet and powerline, giving me a much higher bit rate and therefore better quality streaming. If you're a long way from your router, the wi-fi signal may not be strong enough to get you the highest quality streaming.

Moreover, I believe the digital to analogue conversion is being done by the rather inferior DACs in these protable devices, rather than by the much higher quality DACs in the receiver. My initial impression, after having to switch to using a Fire TV stick yesterday, is that the sound quality falls a long way short of what I was getting before. It doesn't feel so expansive or dynamic and it lacks the sense of rhythm that I so enjoyed when using Spotify natively on the Pioneer.

I've written to Pioneer to ask what they are doing about it, but I doubt I'll get a response. After all, they've already got my £1500 and there's no financial mileage in it for them to keep me going on my, now three year old, equipment.

I hope someone who knows about these things can mount an effective campaign against Spotify to reverse this appalling decision.

I bought a product because it had that feature, I'm paying Spotify monthly so that I can use that feature and now they've taken it off my equipment without my consent so that I can no longer use it even though I'm still paying for it. In any other arena, that would be illegal.

I agree with you. I want to say also that streaming with AirParrot (AirPlay) via PC makes the quality drop SO MUCH. I can hear the difference. I'm talking to the support right now via mail but I think that we, as a community, must take action immediately against Spotify for this coward action. Proposals on how to proceed are very welcome.

 

Edit: I read on the Spotify official page about this problem (https://support.spotify.com/uk/listen_everywhere/on_speaker/why-cant-i-use-the-spotify-app-on-my-spe...) that some vendors are releasing a new firmware update to support again Spotify Connect. Better write an email to Pioneer too, guys! Link to contact Pioneer : http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/AboutPioneer/Contact+Us

 

Edit2: I'm beginning to contact Spotify and blame them publicly on Twitter. Tag their accounts (@SpotifyCares, @Spotify) and se the hashtags #shameonyou #boycottSpotify or whatever you want. They must hear us.

Streaming through my iPhone and Airplay does not make any difference to the prior receiver build-in Spotify Connect feature for me. Streaming through my (Android TV) television via buid-in Chromecast feature sounds pretty pretty poor. Same for spotify connect through the television. 

Would be interesting to understand if there is any experience with Fire TV or Chromecast (Audio) device experience. 

Maximum Spotify bitrate is 320 kbit (0,3 mbit). Even in bad WIFIs this should not become a bottleneck.

Spotify italian support just confirmed via mail that Spotify Connect support for our speakersr has been removed. They only suggested me to post a thread in "Ideas", and so I did.

This is the link : https://community.spotify.com/t5/Idea-Submissions/All-Platforms-Connect-Give-us-back-Spotify-Connect...

 

Please VOTE the "idea" and reply to the post and show all your anger. They must hear us.

 

Thank you

Sorry. Double posts cause this forum would keep rejecting my messages.

https://community.spotify.com/t5/forums/v3_1/forumtopicpage/board-id/002/highlight/false/page/7/thre...

There's two different things: Spotify app and Spotify connect. The app was discontinued on many device a while ago, as you can see in the beginning of this thread. We were said to use Spotify connect instead. The latter is what's not working since yesterday.


I encourage everyone to contact @spotifycares politely on Twitter and tell them about this problem, supplying exact information on what devices your have. That means which Android/iOS device, which OS version and which Spotify app version, and also what Pioneer receiver you have.


I've done so in the Twitter DM exchange that followed my tweet:

"Hey @Spotify #SpotifyConnect stopped working today on my Pioneer VSX529 receiver, and on many other devices: https://community.spotify.com/t5/forums/v3_1/forumtopicpage/board-id/002/highlight/false/page/7/thre... .I'm not paying a premium subscription to just have this core service being suddenly taken away!"


DM exchange:
@spotifycares: "Hey Wouter! Can you DM us your account's email address and the make and model of the devices affected? We'll check things backstage /KT"


Me: "Thank you. My Spotify account is ************* and the affected receiver is a Pioneer VSX-529. It shows up as available in the Android app, but will fail to connect."


@spotifycares: "Thanks for the details. Can you also let us know the make and model of your Android device, its Android version, and Spotify version? Does rebooting your Android device and your speakers help at all? /KT"


Me: "Android devices: HTC U11 with Android 8.0 and Shield K1 tablet with Android 7.0, both running latest Play Store version 8.4.38.621. Rebooting phone/tablet and Receiver doesn't make a difference. Did you take a look at the forum thread I tweeted, which is flooded by users since yesterday?"


@spotifycares: "We've taken a look at the thread, but we're unable to replicate the issue on our end. Can you check if the issue also happens on other devices aside from your phone and tablet? /KT"


So please everyone supply them with the information on your devices!

Last post on this page sheds a little light:

 

https://community.spotify.com/t5/Other-Partners-Web-Player-etc/Spotify-Connect-stopped-working-with-...

 

 

Seems to be our "older" hardware is just simply officially phased out since yesterday.

Way to go, Spotify and Pioneer.

 

Let's see who can provide a better online service and longer updates to their hardware products.

I'll do business with those in the future.

Wrong there bud....at least you got an e-mail...ive paid Premium for Connect for 3 yrs and paid over £600+ for my Pioneer....Seek legal advice...do not let these people bully you......ALL CONNECT USERS...COMPLAIN OR WE WILL HAVE NOTHING BUT THIRD QUALITY BLUETOOTH RUBBISH......WHAT HAPPENED TO PEOPLE POWER

My speaker doesn't even support BT! 

WRONG....They have cancelled all Connect...so to all the thousands of people with Pioneer...GO TO A LAWYER...THESE PEOPLE ARE BREACHING CONSUMER RIGHTS...COMPLAIN OR LOSE IT AND BECOME A SLAVE.....

Yeah, my receiver doesn't either. I'd need a BT Adapter for that. 
But I don't trust BT in audio, so I definitely won't go for that route.

 

I'll probably look for a stand-alone streaming client. But one that doesn't necessarily support Spotify. 

With that said, I'll probably won't be here anymore. I'm checking my options with different providers.

 

See ya. Was a good few years, but this is not acceptable business conduct for me.

And no, Chris, I'm not going to a lawyer. 
They cost hundreds of Euros here. It's just not worth it in germany.

I'll just vote with my wallet...


@buetzel wrote:

Yeah, my receiver doesn't either. I'd need a BT Adapter for that. 
But I don't trust BT in audio, so I definitely won't go for that route.

 

I'll probably look for a stand-alone streaming client. But one that doesn't necessarily support Spotify. 

With that said, I'll probably won't be here anymore. I'm checking my options with different providers.

 

See ya. Was a good few years, but this is not acceptable business conduct for me.


This is what they want, they want you to surrender and accept what they decided. 

I don't accept anything.

 

Maybe I wasn't clear: I'm cancelling my Spotify subscription and I'm not buying Pioneer anymore in the future. Simple as that.

 

I don't know what kind of war you want me to fight instead of that, but I'm not up for that.

If someone does bad business, they don't do it with me. 

I canceled Spotify.




@buetzel wrote:

I don't accept anything.

 

Maybe I wasn't clear: I'm cancelling my Spotify subscription and I'm not buying Pioneer anymore in the future. Simple as that.

 

I don't know what kind of war you want me to fight instead of that, but I'm not up for that.

If someone does bad business, they don't do it with me. 


You can complain online, give it a try. No need to go to a lawyer. That's what we're trying to do. I do not have money to buy other three speakers. That's why I am here. Btw I cancelled my subscription too (that was implicit).

Me too.

Maybe if enough people do that and give "My Pioneer device isn't supported anymore" as a reason in the survey after cancelling, they'll listen, but I doubt that.

Supporting devices is work and if that isn't justified with enough paying subscribers in the first place, then losing the remaining customers of those devices will make supporting them even more unlikely.

And who knows, maybe the main problem is Pioneer. I don't know.

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