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 😕

[Musicuriousity]

Have you shown your concern and sent Spotify support a message about this?
If not yet, please do so!

[user-removed]

I have. Got a reply saying that the feedback was passed on to the right crew. Even dropped a message on their GitHub just in case.

[Fedeciapi]

airplay is wifi, and it is the same service used by apple music (someone erroneously suggested AM as a solution).

I agree with all of you, removing Connect is a bad one (it worked better on congestioned wifi networks) but I want to make it clear that if you are an iOs or Mac user you don't need to buy anything to keep your Pioneer speakers working wireless.

[roberto35]

That's true, but then your device is constantly transmitting WI-FI signals (I don't like that) and your device (phone or tab) is in constant use. So, after a few hours listening you receive the message that your phone is almost empty.

I bought this receiver especially for this function. And of course, I could again (for the second time) buy a new supported one. But maybe Spotify will do this again within three years. And these receivers are costly.

[roberto35]

That's true, but then your device is constantly transmitting WI-FI signals (I don't like that) and your device (phone or tab) is in constant use. So, after a few hours listening you receive the message that your phone is almost empty.

I bought this receiver especially for this function. And of course, I could again (for the second time) buy a new supported one. But maybe Spotify will do this again within three years. And these receivers are costly.

[donielw]

Yes Airplay works. You can just switch your Mac Audio Output to it. Keep in mind:

1.) Wifi interferences will compromise your audio quality (this was not the case if your receiver was connected via Ethernet and Spotify Connect before)

2.) Every sound your Mac does will be played via your amp - "you've got mail" with 110db

Spotify: Please stop using reCAPTCHA - it makes humans insane

[roberto35]

I liked that Spotify Connect service and therefor I replaced my previous receiver for one that supported this. And I would like to have this service again. But buying again a new device is a bit risky it seems. I would like to have a confirmation from somebody (Pioneer of Spotify) that I can use that device for a concrete period of time.
So I will write my Consumer Organisation to take action in this matter.

[buetzel]

Good luck with that.

The sensible thing to do seems to buy an inexspensive streaming client (like Chromecast?) to connect to any receiver. If that one gets phased out it doesn't cost that much to replace it and you can keep whatever receiver or speaker system or whatever you like... as long as it supports the connection of said client.

I will do just that. But I'll research if another streaming service like Amazon for example would be a viable idea for this, too. Bad experience with spotify doesn't make me want to invest more here.

Another idea for the DIY-minded people would probably be a Raspberry Pi Hifi solution (with DAC Hat Board). Those can be updated on the software side of things I'm looking into that as well.

[csmusicstudio]

Here is another victim of Spotify its hostage practise! If this is not being undone, I will warn everyone I know to stop using Spotify, since it appears that Spotify can cripple your hardware devices!

Like others, I spend time to figure out why my Pioneer vsx-s510 suddenly stopped playing.

Why is there no reason given for this brutal action?

[buetzel]

There is a reason given "to better the spotify experience".

Which basically translates to "we want to add features, but we don't want to update your years old hardware because that costs us money in wages for the developers".

[csmusicstudio]

I created a Telegram Group for this, hopefully people will join so we can try to get Spotify to listen to us.

https://t.me/spotdissatisfied

[markpettyuk]

It will be interesting to see how many customers they loose.

Also, this needs to be picked up by the tech press. To screw over a bunch of loyal, tied in customers right when there are increasingly viable alternatives seems like a bit of a strange decision. No doubt they synically have done a cost benifit analysis and do not think that this activity will affect their numbers or brand reputation.

I'd like this to create a backlash and problem for them.

As for the Spotify representatives who have clearly begun to astroturf this thread, explaining positivity that Bluetooth and airplay still works does not in anyway make this alright. Spotify Connect is superior in so many ways.

As far as many of us are concerned you've cripple very expensive equipment that we bought due to our loyalty to your brand. That loyalty and your reputation in our eyes has been destroyed with a click of a button.

[Fedeciapi]

PLEASE READ THIS

Given that some brands still can use Connect, and others don't, I believe this is only a matter of conctracts expiring and not renovating. Spotify never had to invest in developing firmware for Pioneer devices, they only had to develop the Connect API and service, which is still active working for some brands.

[Nicohack]

---

@markpettyuk wrote:

It will be interesting to see how many customers they loose.

Also, this needs to be picked up by the tech press. To screw over a bunch of loyal, tied in customers right when there are increasingly viable alternatives seems like a bit of a strange decision. No doubt they synically have done a cost benifit analysis and do not think that this activity will affect their numbers or brand reputation.

I'd like this to create a backlash and problem for them.

As for the Spotify representatives who have clearly begun to astroturf this thread, explaining positivity that Bluetooth and airplay still works does not in anyway make this alright. Spotify Connect is superior in so many ways.

As far as many of us are concerned you've cripple very expensive equipment that we bought due to our loyalty to your brand. That loyalty and your reputation in our eyes has been destroyed with a click of a button.

---

I wrote to "TheVerge" this message:

"Hi TheVerge!
I'm Nicola and I'm writing from Italy. A couple of days ago Spotify deliberately stopped Spotify Connect support for some "old speakers" (as they call them), and no proper explanation was given.
There's a lot of angry people online (because basically we don't know what to do with our useless speakers right now) and no one is listening to us. Pioneer official support said that it is Spotify's fault. Spotify's support does not give a proper explanation, and it refuses to give us support (we are Premium customers who pay for the service).
You can find more information here: https://community.spotify.com/t5/forums/v3_1/forumtopicpage/board-id/002/page/1/thread-id/33911
and here: https://support.spotify.com/uk/article/why-cant-i-use-the-spotify-app-on-my-speaker/
If you want more information or some screenshot of the supports' mail, just reply! 🙂
An editorial could make us happy again.
Thank you for your time."

This is the link for contacting them (select "I have an editorial tip") : 

https://www.theverge.com/contact-the-verge

[user-removed]

So, is this Spotify's way of locking me out of Spotify Connect? My account is indeed Premium. Could also be nothing, but....

This is part of what the speaker talks to Spotify Connect, apparently mine runs on version:

"version":"1.3.2"

[donielw]

https://support.spotify.com/us/listen_everywhere/on_speaker/why-cant-i-use-the-spotify-app-on-my-spe...

I love the sentence "The way to listen to Spotify with some speakers and sound systems is changing." instead of: "We're making our paid service worse now, you need to buy new hifi-hardware every ~3years if you want to use your service"

It's not only a Pioneer thing - people with BeoSound 5 systems got kicked as well. 

[megadro]

HEY!

Airplay is not a solution of having a native app. It requires your iphone/ipdad/Mac connected to your receiver at all times(Battery drain). Whereas native app picks up your account/playlist and continues playing independent of your device being connected. 

Moreover;

Say that you have visitors for dinner. You started a playlist from your phone and used the receiver app for speakers. If you decide to show a funny video from your phone you will hear the sound from your phone and won't interrupt the music. If you did the same with airplay, that video's sound will be on your receiver as well. Interrupting the music. 

Or you receive a call and you still want your guests to keep listening as you talk in another room. Guess what happens if you don't have an app on receiver? That's right, music will stop cause you need to stop airplay for a private converstaion.

I am not even talking about the sound quality etc...

How come this improves my spotify experience?

Also I don't care if Pioneer says this is all happening on spotify's end. Because they advertised my device with a spotify logo on top of the box, a spotify sticker on the receiver and I paid money to Pioneer because of this.

They should be working with Spotify and make sure that I keep using this app.

#shameonyou spotify and pioneer

[markpettyuk]

100% agree with these use cases. For me that was the killer use for Spotify Connect.

I have an Amazon Alexa, barely used it, but will plug an echo in to stream sound that way. Spotify and Pioneer have let us down. Neither will get my money again.

[user-removed]

Basically this. I hate how AirPlay handles audio, not to mention you need an iDevice...

Just give us back Connect support please...

[user-removed]

Just to add to my previous reply, it just feels stupid that the only 'cost-friendly' alternative is getting a Chromecast Audio (even though it's still 30$) to give 'life'/re-enable Spotify Connect to an already Spotify-Connect device 🙂

I really hope Spotify does the right thing, because I'm not shelling out 400$ on a Sonos when my current SMA3 works great...