How to get best streaming on Free @ 256 kbps Internet?

[user-removed]

Hey there.

Do you have any suggestions. My brother have now a phone, Trend Plus with Free service of Spotify. On Wifi 100M/5M he gets at home and around it decent 30 Mbps. On computer even 95 Mbps over Ethernet for Web Player. But on mobile phone data plan mobile network is only 256 kbps / 256 kbps Unlimited for 3 € including 100 min voice to own network (numbers from same operator). Package is so cheap, so there's no need for more $$$ to pay... But sometimes Spotify buffers a lot on mobile network at this speed (especially when downloading HQ cover images). How to make Spotify less buffering at this Internet speed 256 kbps on 160 kbps sound? Technically it should go problemfree, as 256 kbps is more than 160 kbps. Only image downloading at Spotify client causes glitches in playback.

I tried 96 kbps sound, playback still buffers and there's a great time with no sound when cover image downloads. Why they sends this no needed garbage at HQ, it could be enough SD quality cover or default cover... at this Internet speed. At least app should prioritise music stream over cover image. So if no speed, prioritise stream to come buffer-free and then if speed at some point, download covers. This causes this problem, music not playing without problems when cover image download takes too much speed at start.

How to eliminate this? Is there any idea at forums about stop cover images from loading in HQ or at all, so only music streamed when speed is slow? Thanks.

[Daniel]

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@hpguru wrote:

Hey there.

Do you have any suggestions. My brother have now a phone, Trend Plus with Free service of Spotify. On Wifi 100M/5M he gets at home and around it decent 30 Mbps. On computer even 95 Mbps over Ethernet for Web Player. But on mobile phone data plan mobile network is only 256 kbps / 256 kbps Unlimited for 3 € including 100 min voice to own network (numbers from same operator). Package is so cheap, so there's no need for more $$$ to pay... But sometimes Spotify buffers a lot on mobile network at this speed (especially when downloading HQ cover images). How to make Spotify less buffering at this Internet speed 256 kbps on 160 kbps sound? Technically it should go problemfree, as 256 kbps is more than 160 kbps. Only image downloading at Spotify client causes glitches in playback.

I tried 96 kbps sound, playback still buffers and there's a great time with no sound when cover image downloads. Why they sends this no needed garbage at HQ, it could be enough SD quality cover or default cover... at this Internet speed. At least app should prioritise music stream over cover image. So if no speed, prioritise stream to come buffer-free and then if speed at some point, download covers. This causes this problem, music not playing without problems when cover image download takes too much speed at start.

How to eliminate this? Is there any idea at forums about stop cover images from loading in HQ or at all, so only music streamed when speed is slow? Thanks.

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Hmmm. Not sure. If rooted I guess you could use app ops & droidwall to restrict the types of traffic being received.

I'd also suggest turning off notifications, scrobbling, facebook sharing etc to eliminate as much of the data flow as possible.