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Sonos and Spotify Apps integrations are broken.

T
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If I play Spotify via Sonos One Alexa, or through the Sonos desktop app, and then go to the Spotify desktop app, it should show the playing song and device, and I should be able to control it.

I previously owned Bose speakers and Echo Dots, and this is how they operate, and is one of the fundamentals of how Spotify Connect works (Spotify can be playing on another device but can be controlled via the app).

I do some basic home automation development and am familiar with the Spotify API. It doesn't look like playing Spotify through Sonos sends any information to Spotify at all - if I query the Spotify API while playing, I get nothing back.

Please help. I am not the first person to report this. I have now invested in 4 Sonos Ones, a Sub and a playbar. If Spotify Connect does not work as it should, they will all have to go back.
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Best answer by Keith N 9 March 2018, 00:57

Hello there, TimDonovan. Thanks for posting about this. You are correct. At the moment, playing Spotify through Sonos does not send current playback information back to Spotify. I am happy to forward this along to the team for visibility and consideration for future updates. Thanks for the feedback and keep it coming.
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16 replies

T
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Thank you for the quick response Keith N. However this should receive higher priority than "consideration". It doesn't function as your own site advertises here:

https://sonos.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/4137/~/controlling-sonos-from-the-spotify-app

It doesn't function as Spotify advertises Sonos compatibility here:

https://www.spotify.com/us/sonos/

It doesn't function as Spotify Connect is advertised:

https://www.spotify.com/us/connect/

Finally it breaks the Spotify API as documented here:

https://developer.spotify.com/web-api/get-the-users-currently-playing-track/

I can understand features not being available, but this doesn't function as the entire ecosystem is sold. Worse it even breaks the API!

If this isn't enough to convince you, as mentioned, your competitors got this right from the start. They all play nicely with Spotify.
T
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It actually gets worse Keith. IANAL but I am backchanneling this with Spotify - I'm pretty sure to be "Spotify Certified" (i.e. licensed to advertised your products as working with Spotify) your product has to...you know...work with Spotify. Not half work.

https://developer.spotify.com/spotify-connect-hardware-partners/

You should not be a hardware partner if your hardware breaks the ecosystem.
T
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Oh and finally, because this is broken, its possible to briefly play two different songs, on two different speaker devices, simultaneously from Spotify, using only one account. To quote a Spotify rep:

"Spotify is only licensed to sell 'personal' subscriptions which means you can only stream on one device at a time."

So by using Sonos speakers means you briefly break an agreed licence with Spotify. It also means Spotify is briefly breaking their licence with artists and record labels.
Keith N
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Hello there, TimDonovan. Thanks for posting about this. You are correct. At the moment, playing Spotify through Sonos does not send current playback information back to Spotify. I am happy to forward this along to the team for visibility and consideration for future updates. Thanks for the feedback and keep it coming.
HomeBass: Boost, Play:1, Play:5 (x3), One (x4), Beam (x2), Sub (x2), Connect (x2) [Line Out: Pioneer DJM-850W -> KRK Rokit 5 (x2)], Connect:AMP [Input: Computer Audio / Speaker Out: Klipsch R-15M (x2)]
bockersjv
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I'm not sure i get your beef? Spotify works perfectly for me. The fact that I can play different stream in different rooms on my one Sonos device is a major plus of Sonos over other systems mentioned above. Yes the downside is that you can't see what is playing in the Spotify app. However if that is an issue just use the Spotify app to play on Sonos hardware. IMHO that's the best of both worlds.
T
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bockersjv Your example is fine, until you have Sonos One speakers. Start playing Spotify via Alexa, then decide you want to take control via the Spotify App and...you cannot. Asking users to use the inferior Sonos app to control Spotify is also not a solution (I'm fine with it, but I share the household with other people).

My "beef" is also I'm into home automation. With every other audio device (Echo Dots, phones, laptops, Bose SoundTouch) I can do smart stuff when they are playing Spotify, because I can detect they are doing so. With Sonos I cannot.

Finally...do you not think products should just work as advertised?
T
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It also breaks the Spotify History queue, so you cannot see what was played previously. I'd wager it also breaks Spotify Social and Last.fm scrobbling.
bockersjv
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I see why you have an issue. However, I think, or am sumizing, the relationship between Spotify and Sonos is quite strong so the fact that it may break some of their TOS is probably overlooked or agreed bi-laterally. Can't see it changing in the near future.

In my case, and probably the majority, it does work as advertised and the fact that different stream can be played is a major plus for Sonos over some of the competitors. When my daughter plays Spotify through out Kitchen show it stops me playing on my Sonos kit in another room. I don't want or need a family account for the tiny number of times this is an issue. And besides she now knows to use the Sonos app and Spotify service to play to the Kitchen Sonos 1. Of course you do lose the Voice control ability to specify new music, other than just "next track".
T
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I agree the API not working is not a typical use case. But I think expecting the Spotify app to function as it has for years with other devices is a typical use case. I'd also argue the Spotify history queue is also a fairly used feature that is currently broken by this.

Of course I have no problem with the dual streams - I only highlight it as a call to action for Sonos to fix their Spotify integration.

The struggle to get partners to agree to any new home electronics is real for many of us 🙂 If the new device is then HARDER to use than the old device, then we all face an uphill struggle.

In my household I am replacing my Bose speakers, and playing via Alexa and then hitting a wall when trying to use the Spotify client is one of the first things that happened.

I would hope the relationship is strong - perhaps Spotify can lend a hand to make the Sonos hardware function correctly!
bockersjv
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There will always be issue with adding such functionality. Sonos was conceived before such streaming services became the norm. It's widely acknowledged that the room for extra functionality is restricted by the memory within the players. Sonos have always tried to ensure even the first players from 2005 still work with all the current functionality. If that were to change the outcry would drown that of the complaints about the CR100 being killed. I suspect adding a return path to Spotify would not be an insignificant addition. The way it works is probably the best compromise. That doesn't help you though 😞
T
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It does work though, once you force the speakers over to the Spotify App (breaking any currently playing music) everything works perfectly, so I do not think it's an issue with memory.

And the Sonos One's are latest gen, so there is even less reason for Spotify to not function correctly on them.

I would also not count this as extra functionality! Spotify Connect is core functionality.
A
Tim, I appreciate your argument here.
I've started Spotify from the Sonos app, it's playing on my One but Spotify has no clue (phone or desktop). There's seemingly no option to control the playback from the Spotify desktop client now (the client with the most robust feature set) since, to even make it aware of existence of Sonos speakers I have to start the playback from the Spotify app on my phone. Not very flexible. I don't how much of that blame Sonos deserves to shoulder but it seems like it makes sense that Sonos should 'report back' to Spotify so that somehow a hand-off could be possible.
If I start Spotify by voice on my Google Home Mini, then the Spotify app is aware of that playback and I could then use it to route music to my One.
I guess the Sonos apologists will tell you the Google Home Mini is more powerful than the Sonos One which is why it's capable of playback AND reporting its status to Spotify.
A
Thank you Tim for bringing this to attention.
I do agree that this is a major issue for cross-device/app operation and home automation, and it annoys me enough to consider leaving the sonos ecosystem if a better option crosses my path (no time to investigate right now).
May I ask if you found a workaround since opening the thread?
C
Hello there, TimDonovan. Thanks for posting about this. You are correct. At the moment, playing Spotify through Sonos does not send current playback information back to Spotify. I am happy to forward this along to the team for visibility and consideration for future updates. Thanks for the feedback and keep it coming.

Somehow I don't expect any response from Sonos, but how can this be an answer to the problem reported? If both Sonos & Spotify advertise a feature and then it does not work as advertised it is a problem with the product, not an enhancement request to consider.

I too have the same issue with Sonos Play:1 speakers and Spotify app - no IP/connectivity issues and it works from Sonos app - just zero ability to control playback from Spotify app on PC.
H
@Keith N is there any update here? It seems really important that this integration work properly. Also necessary to see the Sonos speakers as devices in the Sonos API?
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@Keith N hoping there might be an update on this. It would also be a fix for many of us for the lack of lock screen controls on iOS that’s been an issue for a while now.

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