Since about 2 weeks ago, Spotify Connect no longer works on Echo devices for some content

[teaser4]

Plan

Premium

Country

Germany

Device

All (iPhone, Mac, etc.)

My Question or Issue

About 2 weeks ago I noticed, that content from the "ARD" (which is public service broadcast and free in Germany with the "Rundfunkgebühren") stopped working with Spotify on Amazon Echo devices. Weirdly only those devices, because the DENON receiver still works as a target device in Spotify Connect. The Echos show as dark grey with a "Can't play this track" message. Music or other podcast content (for example "Deutschlandfunk" which is another public service) work as usual.

This is a big issue for me, because my kids listen to a lot of kids content from the ARD on their Echos. If you try to start the content via voice command, it responds with the teaser, but won't play the content.

"Alexa, play 'Die Maus zum Hören' on Spotify"
Response (loosely translated): "Here is 'Die Maus zum Hören'. This is the latest episode 'Falter und Falten'", then just silence. No error or anything.

It worked flawlessly over the last 3 or so years.

[rotkarl]

I have the same problem, if I try to connect via Spotify Connect an ARD podcast to my Yamaha devices or play the podcasts via the BMW app in my car.

The connection via bluetooths works very fine.

A fix or an explanation would be very helpful! Many thanks.

[AlejaR]

Hey folks,

Thanks for posting in the Community and welcome.

In this case, @teaser4, @rotkarl, in this case, we'd recommend reinstalling the Spotify app on the affected mobile devices to see if you notice any difference. By doing that, the app can be up-to-date and you can make sure the cache is not leading to this inconvenience. You can see the steps for a clean reinstall here.

If the above doesn't do the trick, we'd like to gather some additional info. Please send us the make/model and OS of the affected mobile devices along with the Spotify version you're running there. It'd be really helpful if you sent us the exact models of the mentioned speakers.

Lastly, would you mind checking if your speakers have some pending firmware updates? If yes, try updating them to check if this behavior persists. Please send us the link to the podcast in which you noticed this issue. To do it, you can follow the steps in this article.

Keep us in the loop!

[teaser4]

I did reinstall (just in case) on my phone, but since the problem exists on all devices (iPhone, iPad, Mac App and Spotify website, as well as when you ask the echo device directly to play that content („Alexa, spiele die Maus zum Hören auf Spotify“) … so it would have surprised me if that would have worked. 

The thing is: it is very specific to the content of the ARD. All other content (that I knowing and use) works just fine. And the ARD content plays just fine on every device directly (like the iPhone) and if I connect the iPhone via Bluetooth to the Echo speaker, it works as well. 

It just won’t play THAT content via the Spotify Connect option on the Amazon devices, as if there is some weird licensing issue. 

Here is a link to „Die Maus zum Hören“: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7rU4KOofaU1rb1QpnOAs2H?si=aK2vpn6NQB2gsDOT_8_NOA&context=spotify%3A...

Depending on your country, it might not work for you, since it’s strictly for Germans. It’s like the BBC content which is geo-locked to the uk. 

[teaser4]

iPhone 13 with iOS 16.6. Spotify on iOS is on version 8.8.58.450.

We have 6 echo speaker in the house (different models and different generations). The particular one is a first gen Echo Plus with software version 669701420. But it won’t play on either one. 

I‘m not sure about the Spotify skill version, but I did reinstall that as well, so it should be the newest version. 

and as is mentioned as well: the ARD content works just fine via Spotify Connect on my DENON AVR-X1400H. It just refuses to accept all the echo speakers as target. 

so my guess is: it might be a problem either with the Spotify skill on the echo device or a licensing issue

[LaberCast]

I have the same problem. ARD content (Deutschland 3000, Talk ohne Gast, etc.) won't play any longer on my Sonos speakers. I deleted the cache of my Spotify App, no pending updates for my speakers. I also tried it on another smartphone, but it's no use. This is extremly frustrating.

[rotkarl]

I reinstall the Spotify App (8.8.58.450), but no positiv result. It is independet if I use an Apple Iphone 11, SE2 or Ipad.

Affected a different Yamaha MusicCast (CD-NT670D; WX-010; WX030 and WXAD-10) devices and my BMW car. The software is up-to-date.

Due to the fact, that we have only problems with ARD content  - all other podcasts working well - I see a content related issue.

[Joan]

Hi @teaser4, @LaberCast, @rotkarl,

Thanks for the info. We've tested this on our end and can confirm that due to technical limitations, some content cannot be played on all devices and this appears to be the case here. We'll happily pass your feedback onto the appropriate team. Be advised however that we cannot say for certain at the moment when or if this is going to get implemented.

Hope this clears things up.

[teaser4]

This worked for years without any problems. It just stopped working out of the blue a couple of weeks ago. I hope you find a reason and possibly a solution, because this is a real big issue in our daily routine with our kids. 

[prophi]

Same here

[markolox]

Same here, only ARD & Co. related content is affected. 

[f1ght3rt]

Could it be that the start of the ARD Mediathek, which is a paid “service” (even though we pay for Rundfunkbeitrag), has something to do with it? Like ARD wants to hinder users from other streaming services to play the content on Spotify connect?

[teaser4]

@f1ght3rt It works with Spotify Connect. I have a Denon AVR with Spotify Connect and the ARD content plays just fine here. It just won't play on Amazon Echo devices ... so it's either a specific licensing issue or the echo skill is somehow broken.

It's not only Spotify Connect that's affected. It also won't play the content when I order Alexa directly ("Spiele Die Maus zum Hören auf Spotify"). There will be the default jingle by Alexa "Die Maus zum Hören. Ich spiele die neueste Folge 'Spenden'." ... and then silence.

[tripfish]

Same here. All content of German public broadcasting is affected. There's a lot of content for children underneath.

[LaberCast]

On Saturday it worked again for a short time, today its not. Very strange and frustrating.

[mercury666]

Same issue for me. I already contacted the ARD Audiothek team who creates those podcasts but they state there's no technical issue on their side, I should contact Spotify. I could only play all of those podcasts using Airplay or Bluetooth.

I like to state that there's another podcast with the same inability to be played via Spotify Connect, it's "Kpop Weekly Deutschland". However in this case it might be the music that is included (licensing reason). 

[mercury666]

It’s not only the Echo devices. I also have a Sonos Arc device which is accessible via Spotify Connect, but the ARD podcasts cannot connect to this one either. Only when using Airplay.

[teaser4]

Forgive my ignorance, but isn’t Sonos also using (some) software from Echo devices? They have Alexa voice assistant, haven't they?

[mercury666]

Yes some devices have (not all), and those where it’s integrated, voice services can be disabled. 

[mercury666]

Any update on this, Spotify team? Still no change, still not working. Thank you!