I’ve had my system set up for over a year now. This past weekend, when a Spotify commercial comes on, the system goes silent. Both Spotify and Sonos look like the ad is playing but there is no sound and it doesn’t actually play down and start playing again (the ad or music). I have to pause Sonos then hit play again. Any idea what is causing this? It's annoying to have to stop and start whenever a commercial comes on.
Best answer by Kevin107
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This is a community forum, not a place for Sonos to come to make announcements. This forum is for interested parties to share information with each other.
I certainly agree it ‘sounds’ like a Sonos issue, until you understand the way that Sonos works. I’d love to blame Samsung for the difficulties I’m having with HBO Max, but it doesn’t make any sense. Samsung just tunes to a data stream. Just like Sonos does.
It would, however, be an issue for Sonos if all streams were equally affected. Then we could blame Sonos. The fact that this is restricted to Spotify is a pretty good indicator that the issue is on the Spotify servers, since that data stream never resides on a Sonos server.
And I certainly hope, and expect, that Sonos has contacted Spotify repeatedly, referencing this thread, and others. Sonos won’t share that information, as it isn’t good business sense to throw a partner ‘under the bus’. So we have to assume, and filter our beliefs on good business sense, tempered with knowledge as to how Sonos operates as a system.
If Sonos doesn't bother to say anything, they are unprofessional too. No need for Sonos fans to come and defend a company that can't defend itself.
If Spotify works well with other devices but not with Sonos, it sounds like Sonos is part of the problem.
It doesn’t change the fact that Sonos has no idea what is playing in the stream, it is all data to Sonos.
Certainly unprofessional for Spotify to have it unfixed, though, hard to argue that.
This was reported on the Spotify forum: https://community.spotify.com/t5/Other-Podcasts-Partners-etc/Spotify-stops-randomly-on-my-Sonos/td-p/5505776
Either way, it seems very unprofessional of both companies not to have a say in this matter.
Spotify sets up a server for Sonos, Sonos has no control over anything. When you select a Spotify stream in the Sonos controller, your speaker(s) are directed to a server location on Spotify’s servers to play. Sonos is never ‘told’ when Spotify is playing one thing or another, other than the title of what is playing. Check the Sonos partners page for more details, if you’re interested.
This is a Spotify issue to fix. Unfortunately, Spotify maintains no official presence here, and honestly, I have to wonder if any one there reads anything here unofficially. I’m confident that Sonos has communicated this issue to Spotify, but am unsure, since there is any financial relationship between the two companies, that they are listened to. You, on the other hand, pay Spotify a subscription fee, I would expect, were you to complain directly to them, they may give more weight to your complaint.
How do other sound devices ‘know’? I've never had any issues playing Spotify on other devices like Sonos.
If after all this time Spotify and Sonos are still deciding who is to blame, perhaps they can join forces and solve the problem together.
How does Sonos ‘know’ that there is an advertisement playing?
Is Sonos working on a solution, considering it has already identified the problem? Does it take that long to fix this? I don't think the problem is Spotify because it works well with other devices.
I was thinking about buying more Sonos products, but seeing this long-standing issue, I'm not sure it would be a good idea.
I think the solution needs to come from Spotify, not Sonos. The data is on a Spotify server, and Sonos isn’t being told, to my knowledge, that an ‘ad’ is being played. All Sonos knows is the data is stopped from Spotify’s server.
I fully support your concern, but I think you should be directing it to Spotify, not to Sonos. Sonos just isn’t aware that there is a change in data…it is either there, or it isn’t.
Thanks for the reply. I’m sure there’s a Spotify help forum. I’ll go there or to their main website to ask the question.
Regards,
Tom
I think the solution needs to come from Spotify, not Sonos. The data is on a Spotify server, and Sonos isn’t being told, to my knowledge, that an ‘ad’ is being played. All Sonos knows is the data is stopped from Spotify’s server.
I fully support your concern, but I think you should be directing it to Spotify, not to Sonos. Sonos just isn’t aware that there is a change in data…it is either there, or it isn’t.
“Answered” 8 months ago? I added Spotify to the Sonos app (we have a Sonos playbar) and the same freeze at commercials is happening. So far, pause/play continues the commercial then the music.
I have Pandora in the Sonos app, they play commercials, audio doesn’t freeze. Sure, different platforms, but come on…no fix yet?
A new development for me on my system with this issue.
This morning I played Spotify through Sonos. First advert caused it to stop (mute then stop).
Shock horror the workaround (press pause then play) didn't work. I repeatedly tried the same thing several times (first sign of madness!). Tried on another device, no joy. Started another streaming service for 20s then returned to Spotify on a new playlist and it started. Then played adverts with out pause, then returned to the "usual" workaround situation.
This seems like a moving target to me which give me the impression someone is doing something. Or certainly there's a variable or two in there somewhere.
My issue is, if Sonos have a support & development lab, they would have reproduced the problem in the lab (first step in intermittent problem analysis/resolution) then attach diagnostics, reproduce the problem (and, as importantly, don't reproduce). and Voila! work on a solution. Also review with Spotify support/developers what changed 6 months ago.
I was home desk based this week for a few days so captured all my experiences (a write up) with two sets of diagnostics captured (pre and post system update). Also had a poke around the developers pages for the API. I can't find any release notes on their site. However, I did notice the API developers pages were updated 6/7 months ago, and some pages in last 2 months for some object code. This indicates there are changes being made to API code. I may dig around some more over a coffee...
Acknowledged by Sonos on another thread
Sotiris C.Sonos Staff:
“
We’ve identified this issue and currently working on a fix. Unfortunately I don’t have an ETA for this.
As you mentioned, pause and play is the available workaround.
”
This id till not working properly. Been many months now. What gives?
I’m not a huge fan of assuming that Sonos has ‘a pile of them’. And that they are all valid. Some may be, some could be showing a different issue, we don’t know. And yours could be the one that causes the ‘aha’ moment.
On reflection, I began to think ‘right up’ was an auto correct fail, something I’ve been a victim of, repeatedly. Don’t sweat it. ;)
But certainly, to me this feels like a Spotify issue. I don’t know if there is a forum like this one that Spotify reps read, but I’m fairly confident that they would have some sort of CS support via a ‘Contact Us’ link on their website.
Airgetlam - (“right up”, now that was embarrassing! :-)). Unfortunately I can’t figure out the difference between an ad and a music stream, or why Spotify or Sonos would differentiate. Yes, will get diagnostics to Sonos but they must have a pile of them by now.
buzz - I’m not convinced it is just one or the other service. I agree they wouldn’t write custom code and it would be a single API but we don’t know for sure. I would expect there to be other services that receive a Spotify stream too. Maybe a change in the API has occurred which picked up this problem but then we’re getting into version history and compatibility matrix territory.
I don’t understand how I had a free Spotify service with no adverts for many months, then the pausing happened at the same time the adverts started. The adverts don’t always cause a pause. Usually the first advert is ok but the second or third pauses.
Is there a Spotify community or support we can contact and also flag to? May get time to search.
GC
This is a Spotify issue. SONOS provides an API that music services use to interact with a SONOS system. This is why SONOS can support many dozens of services. It would be impractical for SONOS to write custom code for each service. A service simply demonstrates to SONOS that the service works correctly with the API, then SONOS will enable access to the service.
I am facing the same problem.
Here the same problem.😖
Sonos it takes too long to resolve.….it seems like it will never be solved.
If you could explain how Sonos ‘knows’ there is an ad, that would be amazing to me. As far as I’m aware, when you send the command to Sonos, it is ‘go to this server location, and play whatever stream there is’. I’m not sure why Sonos would know, or care, that it is an advertisement playing, it is all data to the Sonos speaker.
But perhaps your ‘right up’ (sic) could be forwarded to Spotify, and they could compare your written explanation to what is happening on their server. Certainly it might be helpful to submit diagnostics, too. Sonos could probably strip out any PIDs and submit that with your write up.
I find this problem very odd. I listened to Spotify Free regularly for over a year, didn’t get any adverts. Then the Pausing Problem started when adverts appeared about 4 months ago. It didn’t go away and I’ve now found many threads on the problem going back to around May 2022.
I’ve made lots of notes on conditions of the problem and various ways I’ve played my Spotify playlists. I’m an ex technical support person so I can’t help myself! I might right it up for Sonos.
It would be useful if they gave an update on what they know and how they are resolving.
GC
You can remove the commercial by getting the Spotify music locally. Just need some third-party tools like AudBite Spotify Music Converter to reach it.
How does Sonos ‘know’ that Spotify is playing an advertisement, rather than the normal stream of data? Is Spotify sending some additional piece of data in the stream to identify ads?
😡
same issue here, still happening!
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