CarPlay and Spotify...a match made in HELL

[jlcpremier]

Apple's CarPlay has been out for awhile now, but Spotify hasn't seemed to address any of the major issues I and I'm sure many of you have encountered.  I primarily use Spotify in my car to replace using the builtin music player. I purchased my AVH-4000NEX for the sole purpose of CarPlay and the Spotify integration. Unfortunately in it's current form these 2 don't seem to play well with each other at all, and the experience is often frustrating and borders on being unusable at times. I currently am running the latest firmware update from Pioneer (1.0.8) I believe, and have that paired with an iPhone 6 running iOS 8.1.3.

Here are the problems I've encountered. Feel free to add yours and let's see if Spotify reads these boards and will do something about it

1. Trying to open Spotify from CarPlay results in app freezing (happens fairly frequently)

2. Selecting playlists and tracks from CarPlay results in huge lag or becomes completely unresponsive (happens fairly frequently)

3. Music shows as playing but no sound is output. Have to close app on phone and restart. Sometimes that works, or have to shut down phone completely and restart (happens every once in awhile)

4. Most annoying and most common problem: Almost every time Spotify connects with CarPlay, it randomly starts playing music from the YourMusic playlist, instead of continuing to play from where it left off. This is beyond annoying as re-selecting the desired playlist results in many songs playing over and over again. Just make it continue playing where it left off. (Occurs 99% of the time Spotify connects with CarPlay)

5. Lastly sometimes the app just flat out crashes in the middle of tracks, and restarts the phone.

[Rahoulb]

I hate to say this, because I love Spotify.

But there is an iOS app called STAMP that will transfer your playlists and saved songs from Spotify to Apple Music.  

Apple Music isn't great.  In fact, it's pretty poor.  But it means I can keep driving instead of having to pull over constantly.

[nype]

I have a Bose SoundTouch setup that has no Apple Music integration but does have Spotify integration. Which means I have to use Bluetooth with Apple Music, yet another app to open and connect each time.

We use Apple Music just because we always have and it's what we know. But I'd like to stop using Bluetooth to connect to my Bose setup. So I looked at Spotify and setup a 30 day Premium account as required by the Bose app. Works great. Nice and smooth. Better sound quality (nice that you can set it in the app). Better interface, better playlists etc. And to share Spotify with the family you don't have to do this BS Apple family share stuff, which defaults all iTunes purchases to my credit card, as the family organizer. Ridiculous.

And then I try Spotify in my 2016 VW GTI, and it hangs and hangs. Never did work once.

Spotify, I was about to switch, but not if it won't work in my car via CarPlay!

[shachor]

I encounter the same problem with my bran spankinng new Chevy Volt.  Spotify connects every once in a while to CarPlay (Apple, iPhone 7), but mostly, I can connect only thru the bluetooth.  Real drag!   

[thatchertime]

I was having the same problem for months in 2016 VW Golf Alltrack. Drove me so mad. Had deleted the app and tried again and again (all the time logging through Facebook).. HERE'S HOW I FIXED IT!

1. Deleted ALL Spotify apps on ALL of my devices (iMac, Macbook, iphone). 

2. Made sure Spotify was deleted from icloud on iphone - Settings>General>Storage>Spotify>Delete App AND THEN - Settings>iCloud>Storage>Manage Storage>This iPhone>Show all Apps> Spotify>Turn Off

3. Restarted all devices and Installed Spotify App again. 

4. Logged in with user ID & Password (Not Facebook) on all devices

5. IT FREAKING WORKED in my car for the first time ever

[SjorsvR]

Problem is still not fixed.

When I attach my iPhone to my Pioneer F70DAB Spotify just won't start playing.

After re-connect my phone two times it works most of the time.

Pretty worthless I think.

Fix it or just get this app out of the store. It's irritating and dangerous!

[Rahoulb]

I hate to say it as I used to love Spotify but I've switched to Apple Music.  It's not as good but at least I don't have to pull over to listen to music. 

[badgerarc]

You know, having used Apple Music now for a couple of months, I think it's
much better. I have all my own music in my iCloud library and everything
else I want. Plus the recommended playlists for you are excellent. Why
bother with Spotify on CarPlay any more.

[thatchertime]

Copy That. It only worked for me or two days before the problem returned.

I’ve switched to Apple Music

[marcodub]

Such a shame but I'm in the same boat...cancelling Spotify account and swicting to apple music till the carplay issue is sorted

[Rahoulb]

I hope someone from Spotify reads this. 

This forum sent me an email the other day congratulating me on having been a member for a year. 

That's a year with no progress on the issue, and more importantly, not a word from anyone there. I'm sure there's probably a technical issue that only Apple could fix somewhere here; but we will never know. 

[unhappy_carplay]

I just tried Spotify on my CarPlay unit and had no luck at all. I try to play an album I have downloaded and it brings up the album playing screen then immediately kicks back to the artist screen. I have yet to have it actually play anything.

[thatchertime]

I’m not sure if this has anything to do with it, but maybe make sure you’re not logged into spotify anywhere else. It seems to be working in my car at the moment and I’m not logged on my computer.

That said - my iphone 7 plus works in my wife’s car 2016 VW Golf, but not in mine 2016 VW Golf Alltrack and my wife’s iphone 6 spotify works in both cars no problem.

Too weird

[katjag-]

We recently fixed a lot of bugs in CarPlay, also included new features that Apple provides now with iOS10 (e.g tabs, shuffle/repeat and more). Have you all tried with our latest app 7.5.0?

We do realize though that we still have auto-play issues which are being fixed at the moment so hopefully those fixes will be in the one of the next releases. 

Please continue to report issues you see here. I'll stay in touch.

[eledrich]

Hi katjag. Great news. I've been using 7.5.0 on Carplay for a couple of days and the performance is better. I'm testing 7.6.0 (760001108) since today and I've notices 2 issues (I'm sending an email to the beta team as well) :

- When starting from home (wifi) or from the Office's basement, my phone is off coverage. So I start Spotify using Carplay but even tough a few minutes later I have full 4G coverage, each I'll start a track from a playlist (even an offline one), it'll switch from the player screen back to the playlist immediately. When this happens, it get impossible to play anything. Checking my phone at the same time, it says Spotify's offline (forever) - even though I have coverage. I've seen that behavior before, I'm not sure it's Carplay related. 

- The album view has a limit that (for me) goes intil the letter "P". It's obviously a question of number of albums as it changes when I add / remove one. So much for The XX's xx 😉 

[zlon]

Ask me! I'm on 7.6.0 and iOS 10.2.1 and I still don't see any add/shuffle/repeat buttons on a Now Playing screen. Although there are "thumb" buttons in a radio mode. Did you say they are available now or I misunderstood?

PS: And on 7.5.0 choosing a song in a list initiated playing of a random other song ) but it seems to be fixed now

[unhappy_carplay]

Even with the updates it's still not working for me. Same result as before...trying to play a song causes the screen to flash up briefly the. Immediately go away and put me back at the song list.

[Emilydad1]

I'm having issues with CarPlay, I have an iPhone 7 Plus running the most up to date iOS and 7.6.0.1136 of Spotify. On the main screen i get options for Playlists, Songs, Albums, Artists. Selecting Albums or Artists makes the app crash, choosing Songs sometimes works but can play a different song than the one I've pressed. All started to happen coincidentally after I'd signed up for premium.

Also, don't know how much the actual car contributes but it's a 2016 Peugeot 2008.

[KG48]

I'm also using 7.6.0.1136 and I have the same issues for a year.    the playback issues happen more if you are switching from radio into carplay.  I generally start playing something else before even attempting to open Spotify.   The app is crazy slow, organized poorly, and just not what we expect from Spotify. I've been patient but the problems haven't gotten worse.

Please make it a priority to break up the lists with the alphabet. I don't think anyone can scroll through the entire list anyway while driving the car.  By doing this you would solve:

1. the slowness of loading lists
2. not being able to see any artists or albums past the letter "N".   

[Jaykewicks92]

Im on the latest update and Premium and I have yet been able to use Spotify at all on car play.. it just loads for ages and then says it can't connect.

Very disappointed Spotify! Not what I expected!

[Jloogman]

A few things that might help both sides here:

Different cables seem to produce diffrent results. The best results I have had is using a genuine Apple cable plugged directly into the deck. DO NOT use a dash mounted USB extension with CarPlay, it causes may issues. (Dash mounted USB port, like the one from PAC, etc)

Make sure the firmware is updated in your deck, (!!!) for aftermarket decks, look at the manufactures website, for factory decks, good luck, try the stealership.

I am an MECP Master Certified Installer, I have installed hundreds of CarPlay decks and I use it everyday in my own car. I have experienced almost every issue listed on this site! Its extreamly frustrating!

For Users:

Make sure you are using an Apple cable, plugged in directly, no entensions

Update your firmware, if you can

For Spotify:

If you want to experience these issues, they will happen most when switching from one music (or any audio) source to another. Its like Spotify can't "seize" the audio channel back from the previous app.

Example, reboot phone, listen to spotify on carPlay, use maps, after a direction, Spotify sometimes fails to play audio. The song is progressing, but no sound.

Example, Play spotify on catPlay, switch to apple music to hear the news on NPR radio, switch back to Spotify, same issue as above.

Spotify, if you want help, email me.