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Acuff
Trending Lyricist I
June 18, 2023

Sonos steals my music when I'm on the road

  • June 18, 2023
  • 66 replies
  • 2285 views

I play Spotify from my iPhone 14 on my Sonos 5 and ERA 100 at home.  Then I leave and play Spotify through a bluetooth headset (Sena 30K0 on my motorcycle.  I’m happily riding along and the tunes stop.  When I can check the phone, I find that Spotify has switched to Sonos.  I switch back, but a few minutes later it happens again.

 

I’ve made sure I have the latest update of the Sonos and Spotify apps, closed the apps, and powered off the phone, but it still happens.  Any idea what is going on and how I can stop it?

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    66 replies

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    AcuffAuthor
    Trending Lyricist I
    August 8, 2023

    Other speakers tend to use more standardized connection methods, which makes them more reliable.  I guess that is why Sonos is slowly adding those methods to their products.

    Not actually relevant to using/ending a Spotify ‘direct’ connection to a speaker, as Sonos’ primary connection has always been via their App (remote) and WiFi playback from the audio source to their speakers.

    Airplay2 had been there since its launch by Apple and Bluetooth audio added in more recent times. Just Google Casting is not onboard, but there are ways to achieve that in some instances, but these things are irrelevant to the Spotify ‘direct’ connection and ending its session. Other brands of speakers will still continue to have the same issue if you adopt that direct method of playback, at least until Spotify resolves it for their customers. I suspect there are technical reasons for not doing so, but it’s still helpful that Sonos have added the option to ‘End the Session’. I’m grateful for that feature, at least.

    Airplay (all versions), Bluetooth, and line-in are all methods other speakers have had for a while, and it is good that Sonos is getting around to adding them.  The first Sonos speaker I bought I had to send back because it wouldn’t work with Spotify at all.  I got these new ones because they claimed to work with Spotify.  Turns out they only SORT OF work with Spotify, as noted above.

    So, no one has spoken of the real solution; how do I get Spotify to use Airplay instead of the broken direct connect?

    “End Session” is kind of a no-op given that playing another source does the same thing, but I’m glad you like it.

    Ken_Griffiths
    Ken_Griffiths
    August 8, 2023

    @Acuff

    The Airplay and Bluetooth methods of connection are in the same areas of the iOS Spotify App or of course you can use the Sonos App to start a direct WiFi audio playback from the in-built Spotify service… none of these methods will affect (steal) your playback when outside/away from your home using your Spotify App, unless someone at home (or elsewhere) starts playback using your Spotify account, that is.

    AcuffAuthor
    Trending Lyricist I
    August 8, 2023

    @Acuff

    The Airplay and Bluetooth methods of connection are in the same areas of the iOS Spotify App or of course you can use the Sonos App to start a direct WiFi audio playback from the in-built Spotify service… none of these methods will affect (steal) your playback when outside/away from your home using your Spotify App, unless someone at home (or elsewhere) starts playback using your Spotify account, that is.

    Now that is a solution.  Not ideal since it takes more clicks, but it should work to avoid the root problem without having a big burden of having to perform a complex operation every time I leave home.

      ripplin'
      Lyricist III
      August 11, 2023

      I connect via Bluetooth to a Sonos one and to house-wide Sonos system from there, listening to Spotify but have Sonos app running to control volumes etc. Later, I switch to AirPods via Bluetooth. And the Sonos keeps hijacking the signal. The AirPods stop playing. I close all apps, reboot the iPhone, and it still does it. This is a big problem for me. 

      jgatie
      jgatie
      August 11, 2023

      I connect via Bluetooth to a Sonos one and to house-wide Sonos system from there, listening to Spotify but have Sonos app running to control volumes etc. Later, I switch to AirPods via Bluetooth. And the Sonos keeps hijacking the signal. The AirPods stop playing. I close all apps, reboot the iPhone, and it still does it. This is a big problem for me. 

       

      Sonos One has no Bluetooth capability.  You must be connecting some other way.  

        AcuffAuthor
        Trending Lyricist I
        August 13, 2023

        I connect via Bluetooth to a Sonos one and to house-wide Sonos system from there, listening to Spotify but have Sonos app running to control volumes etc. Later, I switch to AirPods via Bluetooth. And the Sonos keeps hijacking the signal. The AirPods stop playing. I close all apps, reboot the iPhone, and it still does it. This is a big problem for me. 

        I suspect you aren’t connecting via Bluetooth, but via the “Connect” path that caused the same problem you describe for me.  Try using “Airplay” instead of just selecting the speaker from the list that pops up when you hit but speakers button in Spotify, then select the speaker.  That way, it will connect via Airplay and not have the problem.

        If you are having the problem, the only way to fix it is to go into the Sonos app and select another source or “End Session” from there, but you have to do that at home, so if you are away you are screwed.  Supposedly this is a Spotify problem so you should complain to them, and ask Sonos to support your complaint.

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