Yet another Spotify problem

[Lexman8]

Ffs, Volvo, do you actually do any system integration testing? Or any software testing really?

Spotify never worked well for me until I had a major s/w update (Sensus 2, etc) in Oct. From then Spotify worked really well: started quicker, faster interface, almost no buffering. Great.

Yesterday, I was forced to update Spotify (why does it make you do that?) and since then it hangs every time I go back into it. I can select a track, etc, but then nothing, it just sits there. To get it going I have to select another source, DAB say, then go back into Spotify and after a reload it works fine. This is how it behaved 6 months ago so they seem to have managed to re-introduce a bug.

Here's the thing I don't understand. The cars have a closed, well defined h/w and s/w set. There are very few variables for them to test against. It's not like Microsoft or Apple where there are literally millions of possible device combinations that they have to allow for. It should be dead easy to test all the combinations but it seems like they are scrimping on testing. Volvo, get a grip. Rant over.

[Benjamin Mark]

I have given up using the volvo spotify app as it takes so long to do everything and in my opinion much more of a distraction than it should be. The carplay app works much better. Downside is its a lot more limited and you can't search for artists.

[ulstrup]

something must be wrong with the upload they did.

spotify worked perfectly, for me, from day one and after the last (December) upload it works still very well.

[Jcbrown]

Originally Posted by Lexman8

Yesterday, I was forced to update Spotify (why does it make you do that?) and since then it hangs every time I go back into it. I can select a track, etc, but then nothing, it just sits there. To get it going I have to select another source, DAB say, then go back into Spotify and after a reload it works fine. This is how it behaved 6 months ago so they seem to have managed to re-introduce a bug.

I had the same issue a few months ago: Spotify just hung when starting - play/pause, selecting another track, etc didn't sort it. Had to select another source then back in to Spotify in order to get it working again, just as you describe.

When it happened to me, I had been on the May '17 Update (Sensus 2) for some time, and there had not been a Spotify App update for a couple of weeks. It just started happening for no apparent reason.

I uninstalled and reinstalled the Spotify App, which made no difference for me.

Then after a few days the problem went away! I had not done anything: had not had any updates, ... It just started working again. And has continued to work ever since - through a couple of Spotify App updates, a couple of CANBus updates, through the Nov '17 Sensus update, and with the latest Spotify App update this week - so I don't think it is an issue specifically with this latest update.

It is a pain, but (for me at least), the problem sorted itself out after a few days.

Originally Posted by Lexman8

Here's the thing I don't understand. The cars have a closed, well defined h/w and s/w set. There are very few variables for them to test against. It's not like Microsoft or Apple where there are literally millions of possible device combinations that they have to allow for. It should be dead easy to test all the combinations but it seems like they are scrimping on testing. Volvo, get a grip. Rant over.

I agree that it is not like a PC, and the h/w & s/w is much more closed, and therefore should be much easier to test. But, as this presentation from a few years ago shows, there are still huge levels of complexity involved

[Jcbrown]

Just been out (typical man-thing, family Christmas shopping at the last minute ) and have a different issue with Spotify.

This happened 3-4 weeks ago too, so is not something specific to the latest update, nor the general Sensus version (it happened before the latest Sensus update).

I was listening to "The Other List" in the "Indie" section of Spotify on the way to the shops. When I stopped it was playing "Single, No Return" by "Ten Fé". When I got back in the car, it started playing the same track. At least in the list it is shown as playing "Single, No Return". The actual track playing, being shown at the top, and shown on the "Now Playing" view (if I open it) is actually the next track in the list, which is "In Your Beat" by "Django Django".



If I skip to the next track I just get "In Your Beat" by "Django Django" again. If I try another list and then go back to this list, "Single, No Return" always plays "In Your Beat". If I add "Single, No Return" to my library (on car, on phone, or PC), it is the same. If I search for "Single, No Return" and play it, it says it is playing "Single, No Return" in the list, but "In Your Beat" is the one being played,... If I close Spotify and restart it, the same. If I switch the car off, the next time I start it and play "Single, No Return", it is good old "In Your Beat".

Whilst I am fine with "In Your Beat" by "Django Django", I do quite like "Single, No Return" by "Ten Fé", and would like to be able to listen to it if I wanted to.

If I play the list, the track, my library, on Spotify on my PC, or on Spotify on my Phone, then "Single, No Return" is the one that is played. So it does not appear to be a problem with Spotify itself, only Spotify in the car.

As I said, the same happened 3-4 weeks ago, but with a totally different track in a different list - it says Track A was playing, but it actually played the next one in the list.

The only way I found of being able to sort it out was to uninstall Spotify and reinstall it - which is a bit of a pain just to listen to one specific track

[Milliner]

If I play the list, the track, my library, on Spotify on my PC, or on Spotify on my Phone, then "Single, No Return" is the one that is played. So it does not appear to be a problem with Spotify itself, only Spotify in the car.

As I said, the same happened 3-4 weeks ago, but with a totally different track in a different list - it says Track A was playing, but it actually played the next one in the list.

The only way I found of being able to sort it out was to uninstall Spotify and reinstall it - which is a bit of a pain just to listen to one specific track

I had the same. I think it has something to do with Spotify caching the individual tracks to the cars hard drive - it must mess up the indexing slightly.

Hasn't happened for ages now though - I just put the latest update on too and seem OK.

My biggest gripe is that the system desperately needs a full voice control system, like Alexa. On the Amazon dot I can pretty much play anything on Spotify through voice recognition. The Volvo spotify app is far too fiddly to safely use on the go and it would transform the functionality.

Hopefully if Volvo are going down the Android route this is something coming in the future.

[Jcbrown]

Originally Posted by Milliner

I had the same. I think it has something to do with Spotify caching the individual tracks to the cars hard drive - it must mess up the indexing slightly.

Hasn't happened for ages now though - I just put the latest update on too and seem OK.

thanks, will just have to see how it goes-I am on the latest s/w, so other than uninstall and reinstall I guess there is not much I can do. Some sort of Clear Data/Clear Cache like I have on my phone would be good, but there is no such functionality I can see.

Originally Posted by Milliner

My biggest gripe is that the system desperately needs a full voice control system, like Alexa. On the Amazon dot I can pretty much play anything on Spotify through voice recognition. The Volvo spotify app is far too fiddly to safely use on the go and it would transform the functionality.

Hopefully if Volvo are going down the Android route this is something coming in the future.

Agree, VC would be good. I find the Spotify App very fiddly and pernickety, especially in how it interacts with the Sensus Touch interface.

On every other App the touch screen works just fine for me. But on Spotify I find it does not work anywhere near as well. Pressing a button/option/... often just does nothing, have to press 2, 3 or even more times, and usually press and hold. The 1st item in a list often 1/2 disappears off the top of the list when trying to press it, and no amount of scrolling will bring it back.

Trying to use it on the go I find virtually impossible, other than next/previous via the RHS steering wheel controls.

[cassell]

As a side topic to this thread, I have never bothered with Spotify in my V90 but finally decided to give it a go yesterday.

I downloaded the Spotify 'free' version but realised that the in-car app requires you to have the 'premium' version at £9.99 per month. When I went through the procedure to upgrade I was pleasantly surprised to find that until 31st December you can upgrade for 99p for 3 months subscription!

So, I'll give it a trial until mid March 2018 and if it proves to be as problematic as this thread suggests, I'll bin it and consider it 99p well spent!

Paul

[Lexman8]

Weirdly, Spotify seemed to work fine today. Nothing has changed software-wise so have to assume that something eventually resets or clears. Not a perfect way for it to operate though.

Originally Posted by Jcbrown

The only way I found of being able to sort it out was to uninstall Spotify and reinstall it - which is a bit of a pain just to listen to one specific track

Originally Posted by Jcbrown

Some sort of Clear Data/Clear Cache like I have on my phone would be good, but there is no such functionality I can see.

You can clear the Spotify cache somewhere in Settings/.../Storage (can't remember where exactly).

[Jcbrown]

Originally Posted by Lexman8

You can clear the Spotify cache somewhere in Settings/.../Storage (can't remember where exactly).

I thought there was, but I couldn't find it. Only had a quick look though - will look more in the morning