Spotify Dropping out, Other Music Services OK

Never mind.  I am still getting dropouts - just less often.

@Adam S OK, my last update after a weekend of testing…

I am now pretty confident the issue only happens when you start playback from Spotify using the Sonos app, but the issue does not happen when using Spotify connect from the Spotify app.

I tested with the exact same Spotify playlist playing to the exact same Sonos speaker group.  When using the Sonos app to kick off the playlist, it would randomly skip songs as reported in this thread.  This would happen 2-4 times per hour.  However, playback was flawless for hours on end when the same playlist was started in the Spotify app.

Since both methods stream the same songs directly from Spotify servers, I think there is no way the network path is to blame here.  Instead, there must be some fault in the Sonos controller when dealing with the queue (see not about not reporting errors on current song that is playing back, but the next song) causing the problem to happen.

@Gsan @awolfe and others: can you confirm these findings with your set up as well and report back? 

The most common problem that I have is that sound simply stops on one speaker.  The time counter continues.  Sound comes back after a while.  If I pause and restart, it plays fine for a while.

If I use Spotify on another device (like a computer) on the same network it, no problem there.

Same here.  The problem is only on Spotify.  It is happening on 2 different Sonos systems in 2 different buildings miles apart.  It is happening on both wired and wireless connections.  It is happening on Play 1, Play 5, and Connect units.

Thanks for posting the diagnostics @jbarba and @Mattyv123. Sonos the information I provide can help others in this troubleshooting process

@jbarba: I have taken a look at your diagnostic and I am seeing communication issues between one of your wireless nodes and the main Orbi node. Because Mesh network relay the connection to each other, miscommunication can cause issues such as buffering in Sonos. I would like you to try plugging one of the Sonos players into the main Orbi node and test the connection. Sonos creates a privatized network and in that state, we can help determine if the nodes are causing the issues.

@Mattyv123: I have also taken a look at your diagnostic and it appears that Sonos is receiving multiple network interruptions that are causing the dropouts. I would recommend that because these players have been online for awhile, to reboot all Sonos players and the Eero nodes, main node, and modem/router. If the interference is not improved, I would also like for you to hardwire one of the Sonos players into the main node and assess if the communication improves.

I too, am having issues with Spotify continuing to drop or not connect through the Sonos app.  Spotify works great by itself through my phone no matter where I am around my house.  I just signed up for Amazon music (as its free for a limited number of songs since I am already a Prime member) and am not having any issues.  All throughout this forum I see people having the same issue.  I hear about the connectivity interruptions as being a solution.  I still have yet to see anyone state why this only seems to be a problem with Spotify and it has only been an issue in the past few months.  At this point I’m trying to determine if I should completely switch over to Amazon and ditch Spotify (which is a pain given I have used Spotify for quite some time).I created a diagnostic report 1492164453.

@Doug Rees Thank you for bringing your concerns to us here and welcome to the Sonos Community. I understand that you are describing issues with how your Spotify is playing on your Sonos system. What happened after trying the steps in the posts marked Best Answer? Your supplied diagnostic report number is showing communication issues for Sonos on your network. You may have re-booted certain equipment but Sonos products show not being re-booted in over 30+ days.

Please follow up with your full network topology with the model names and numbers of the products that are wired or wirelessly connected on your network for any modem, router(s), extenders, access points or switches (managed or unmanaged). After you gather that needed information then please power re-boot off your wifi equipment for 30 seconds with no lights on it, meaning no battery backup, then power it back up. While this equipment is powering back on then power re-boot off your Sonos units for the same time with no lights and plug them back in to power, no button pressing is needed. While we are powering on then re-boot the device(s) running the Sonos app and when reconnected please test the music playback for 30+ minutes and follow up with the testing results and a new diagnostic report number.

Your diagnostic report also indicates you are using two or more routers and an extender. As the marked Best Answer indicatives you would want to clear up/reduce any wifi interference and test using Sonosnet with the Bedroom Play:1 as the wired Sonos product to the router.

I’m guessing that it’s hard to pinpoint outside interference in the reports that you submit to Sonos, having never seen the contents of one. I suspect the system can say “hey, there’s interference coming in on channel 11”, but as to what causes that interference, unless it’s something potentially already in your network, like a printer, etc, it’s really hard to tell. 

I’m glad that moving to SonosNet has helped you. I’ve found it the best way to keep all of my Sonos traffic off of my own wifi signal, although it’s still occasionally subject to interference too, since it’s also a radio signal. I had new neighbors move in that caused me to switch my SonosNet channel, but I was able to keep my wifi channel the same. 

There are a lot of potential issues caused from outside your network. New electronic devices in your home, neighbors, new or otherwise, with a new router, or new choice of channels on their current router. It’s unfortunate, but Wi-Fi networks do not exist in isolation. 

@Malcatron Thank you for the follow up information and the diagnostic report. This will come down to what you can adjust or control in your environment for reducing wifi interference. Knowing that you are working better with Sonosnet you could keep your Beam as the wired product to your Netgear Orbi or look at the previously mentioned Sonos Boost or IKEA Bookshelf products as the one wired to the router. You have the option of Airplay with your Beam already when using an iOS device so if you could not use a speaker where the router is I would go with the Boost.

@Malcatron Thank you for the follow up information and the diagnostic report numbers. As previously mentioned this likely due to your network and configuration with using a BT combo modem/router with your Netgear Orbi router and the TP-Link POE. the POE devices are not recommend to use with Sonos as they have no internal clock to control the traffic. We are seeing interference to your room names Kitchen and the rears in your surrounds. You would want to address any way you can eliminate or reduce wifi interference in your home environment and wifi network.

I would also ask as another test to temporarily Ethernet wire your Kitchen unit into the main Orbi router and re-boot your other Sonos products off/on for 15 seconds. This will allow Sonos to use Sonosnet from the Orbi router. Next, just testing your music services for about 30 minutes and reply back with the testing results and one more diagnostic report number when playing. Part of what we are seeing is underflow issues for Sonos trying to talk/stream on the network wirelessly. I would not say that it is the BT Router or Orbi but just how we are allowed to communicate on the wifi connection.

If you are not having the issues when wired to the network and you cannot keep your Kitchen unit wired to the main Orbi you would want to look into setting up our Sonos Boost or looking into the IKEA products like the bookshelf unit. Just like the Boost, which is not a speaker, you can wire the bookshelf product to the router for Sonosnet and use it as a speaker. I believe our Boost and the bookshelf are about the same in cost.

@Malcatron Thank you for bringing your concerns to us here and welcome to the Sonos Community. There was a previous Spotify outage that has recently be resolved as per our status page. What you are describing sounds more like wifi interference with having a Netgear Orbi router along with ISP equipment from BT. Please update us with your network topology with the model names and numbers of the products that are wired or wirelessly connected on your network for any modem, router(s), extenders, access points or switches (managed or unmanaged).

After you have gathered that information then please submit us a diagnostic report number and hold on to that number. Once you have that completed then please power re-boot off your wifi equipment for 30 seconds with no lights on it, meaning no battery backup, then power it back up. While this equipment is powering back on then power re-boot off your Sonos units for the same time with no lights and plug them back in to power, no button pressing is needed. When everything is re-booted and you can connect back into the app then test the music playback for 30 minutes and confirm the results back to us. We will also need to see a second diagnostic report number in your reply to us here.

Outage should be resolved now!