Music stops playing when I open another app

[paulrichardcook]

Plan

Premium

Country

USA

Device

(Pixel 3a)

Operating System

(Android 11)

My Question or Issue

I'm trying to figure out how to keep Spotify playing in the background when I open another app that wants access to my phone's audio.

Specifically, when I view a video on twitter or YouTube in the Edge or Chrome browsers, Spotify stops, and the audio for the video clip takes over as the only audio being outputted.  This is especially frustrating when it's a site that autoplays (and sometimes ads will be the culprit).

Is there a setting somewhere (either Android, or Spotify, or browser) that would help me?

[Billy-J]

Hey @paulrichardcook, thanks for reaching out to the Community!

This is expected behavior. Spotify pauses the music you’re listening to when it detects you’re listening to another audio source, such as something on Twitter or on a website so you don’t get interrupted.

If this is something you’d like to see change, you can always create a new Idea about this here, and I'll also pass your feedback on to the right folks.

I'll be here if you need anything else!

[Synchronated]

This is not "expected behaviour" and that's an awful, dismissive and incorrect reply/position to take.
These are multitasking devices...

If the user did not tell Spotify to stop, it should NOT stop, under absolutely ANY circumstances. It is doing something the user did not tell it to and that is a major issue. End of.

It makes it a non-starter to choose to use Spotify while doing anything else on the phone (harming their end too). You have to keep a better player around that does not have this monumental use-stopper of a problem, and use that instead of Spotify, just because of this "behaviour".

Just while posting this, my music (I am using Spotify for a specific playlist today) has stopped 5 times because I had to go to Slack and WhatsApp for stuff. This is stuff that isn't even using audio, to boot. Inexcusable. I wonder if Apple or Tidal have the same problem, because GoneMad with my own files sure doesn't.

[Ver]

Hey @Synchronated,

Thanks for keeping us posted 🙂

If the app pauses without an audio playing from another source, we'd suggest you restart the device and then log out and log back in again. It's also important that all the necessary permissions for the app are enabled. In case you're using any battery optimization or power saving apps, you can deactivate them for Spotify.

As @Billy-J mentioned it's a good idea to give these steps a go and submit your idea. That way other users can support it. Rest assured that the higher the number of votes an idea gets, the more likely it is for it to be implemented.   

Hope this helps. We'll be right here if you have any questions.
 

[Synchronated]

None of those steps work. It's not a malfunction, it is the choice of the app to stop. Good players such as Poweramp and GoneMad have options to ignore audiofocus requests etc. 

The desktop Spotify app, does/should that stop when Windows plays another sound? No. Why should it? Why is Android any Different? It is a multi-use computer, you are using it, you told it to play music, there's a stop button if you want it to stop.

By the way even if the other app *does* make a sound, that is still not a valid reason for your music to stop. It should only stop on command and under no other circumstances. 

[Synchronated]

There are also already many requests posted for this fix. They don't get nearly enough support to hit the threshold because Spotify seems to think this board is way more active than it is and nobody actually looks at those things.

It just needs fixed. Every user would support at least an option to change the way this functions. It is bad. Thanks

[saadmansc]

agreed... i dont get how spotify did not look into this yet... its very frustating and it totally ruined my mood

[Alex]

Hi there folks,

Thanks for your replies.

There is currently no way to give the Spotify app priority over all other sounds on you Android phone. Music should not stop if you go over a video with it's sound set to Mute on the various social media apps, but if those apps play videos with sound automatically, then you'll hear those videos and the music from the Spotify app will be paused.

There are different devices with different personalization settings out there so there is no one for all fix to this. You'd need to go and set us user preferences for each of those social media apps you use so that they don't play sound automatically. Muting notifications can also help on some devices.

Hope you find this info useful.

[Synchronated]

Hi Alex

Thanks but that's just not true. Other players have an option to ignore audiofocus requests and will play through, no matter what. As they should by default anyway. Separate options for calls and other requests, too.

Please relay this to whomever it concerns. 

Thanks

[CassiusTZY]

You are right.. i was listening to spotify but they always stop playing the music whenever facebook video plays (when i scroll) and of course that's annoying. Imagine you want to hear music while scrolling social media but instead spotify just like stopping and playing continously, of course that's annoying right?

And i think it's not "normal" because spotify is a multitasking app, it should be can still go on without stopping like the other multitasking music apps.

Please consider to fix/change this.

Thank You 

[Probaloborate]

Another vote for giving us the option in the app please.

[Welhama]

I just googled this as a new Spotify user.  Its so annoying and never happened with Napster.  It happens if you have preview media enabled on Twitter, which plays / shows media but crucially doesn’t play sound.  Nevertheless, Spotify stops playing.  So yes, it does happen even when you have sound muted on preview.  So I can’t browse Twitter and listen to music 😡.  The only way it works Is to disable media preview on twitter, but i don’t want to do that as it cuts out all pictures completely.  I do understand it more when the sound in twitter or whatever app isn’t muted, but when it is, Spotify shouldn’t stop playing.  

[MafeG · Accepted solution]

Hi folks,

Thank you for your replies. 

What you mention is expected due to a number of factors such as the OS, factory settings and limitations from certain devices.

Currently Spotify doesn't have administrator audio access, so the OS gives priority to whatever is in the foreground that requests multimedia access. This is because sometimes a video is not truly muted, it still initiates the audio codec and reserves it for itself.

Because of this we cannot provide a timeframe for a fix, but will make sure to pass on this information to our developers to keep working on the app's optimization. In the meantime please make sure to keep your app up to date so you don't miss any important fixes or features.

If you need a hand with anything else, the Community is here for you.

[patnshan]

Just reporting to say that this happens to me. To add, it does not only happen when opening an app that contains actual sound like YouTube. It happens to me when I open Mail, Calculator, Notes, etc. Please don’t tell us it’s reasonable to have listening music or podcasts prohibit us from using other apps that do not provide audio. That is totally unacceptable. 

[Boneless2]

Guys turn off camera permision on facebook app in iphone settings menu

[Cguzman1987]

#metoo - Please come up with a solution for this ASAP! 🙏🏼

[Cguzman1987]

Completely agree. Spotify management can give up its caviar one night/week to fix this for us

[MonaMon]

You need to open Spotify as the first app. Then the other that is interrupting songs. 

this works for me 1) open Spotify and play 2) open my intervall app for the gym - gives me ping noises when finishing an intervall 

when I do it vice Vers then Spotify is interrupted by the ping noise. 

[CristinaP]

Oh my God! 😍😍😍 This works!!! Thank you very much!

[willimperial]

Hi Mafe. This 'solution' is completely unacceptable. Millions of people are paying Spotify monthly. This is a problem. We know it's a problem. Spotify knows it's a problem. 

Most people are listening on their phones while they do other things. You need to fix this instead of making excuses. You have the money and wherewithal at your company to make it happen.

No is the easiest thing to say. You NEED TO DO BETTER.

I'm the meantime, I'm researching whether other streaming apps can do what you say you can't. I'd encourage everyone else that's effected by this to do the same.