volume controls not working anymore when listening on another device - play/pause/next/previous are

[GWJ]

Plan - Premium - the Netherlands

Device - Macbook Pro Early 2015

Operating System - Catalina 10.15.7

Application - Spotify for macOS (Intel) 1.1.96.785.g464c973a

Issue: when playing using Spotify on MacOS and playing to another device (Chromecast Audio), the volume up/down/mute keys (on Mac keyboard) do not work. The previous/pause-play/next buttons are working. The volume have always been working, so I guess the last update of the Spotify application changed something.

There are no other audio sources active, no browsers that play music, Spotify is the only active audio source. Restarted the Spotify application, logged off and logged on again, can't find a setting that would enable/disable volume control.

[Alex]

Hey there @GWJ,

Thanks for reaching out and reporting this.

Can you let us know if you can control the volume on your Connect device with the in-app volume slider in the Spotify application on your Mac?

Cheers.

[GWJ]

Hi Alex,

Thanks for your response, I checked - the volume slider in the app is working. It's just the 3 volume keys that are not. When using the 3 volume keys on the Mac, the overlay is appearing as you would expect.

I checked on an iPad (with a Zagg Bluetooth keyboard), there the volume keys are working.

Gerwin

[Lyubka]

Hey @GWJ,

Thanks for getting back to us!

Can you check if the volume keys will work if you start a playback using the Web Player? 

It's also a good idea to check the host files on your Mac with the steps here.

In case the issue persists, you can try running Spotify on Safe Mode. 

Let us know how it goes.

[GWJ]

Hello Lyubka,

Thank you or for the suggestions, I tried playback in the web player - I'm afraid it doesn't help. All controls are working in the web player, as long as the output device is the Mac. Once I change output to the Chromecast Audio, the volume and mute buttons do not work anymore. I tried the same with a second Chromecast device (built-in  on a TV) and there the same issue occurs, volume and mute buttons do not work.

I followed the instructions on the host file modifications, no change sadly. The safe mode I'm not sure what that would help, I've been using Mac computers for years and never had to run a Mac in safe mode to debug/test an application. I'l try and update the firmware of the Chromecast Audio to see if that helps.

If you have other suggestions, I'm happy to try them, maybe a beta version of the Spotify App for macOS, if it exists? Not sure if Spotify has a beta tester program.

Gerwin

[Eni]

Hey there @GWJ, 

Thanks for getting back to us. 

It's a good idea to check if the firmware of your Chromecast has any pending updates. Take your time to check that and let us know how it goes.

Also, it's worth checking if the same happens with a different external device using the Connect feature as well, if that's possible.

On another note, we appreciate your interest in Beta testing for Spotify. We’re no longer taking applicants for the desktop Beta. If we need more testers then an announcement will be made on the Spotify Community Blog. However you can sign up for the iOS or Android Betas here.

We'll be on the lookout. 

[GWJ]

Hi again,

So it took some effort to locate the firmware versions, got them from Chromecast Audio, a Chromecast built-in (Sony TV) and  an Nvidia Shield. I could verify that the version for Chromecast Audio to be the most recent one (here).

I've tested with the 3 *cast devices with multiple iOS and macOS devices, where I see that only on macOS devices, the volume controls are not working.

Firmware versions:
CA - 1.56.281627

TV and Shield - 1.56.292394

Would it be possible that another Spotify user on a macOS device verified what I'm seeing? 

Gerwin

[Lyubka]

Hey @GWJ,

Thank you for keeping in touch and for providing those details.

Can you let us know if CMD + Up and Down arrow keys work? You can also see all other keyboard shortcuts by pressing CMD + ?

Keep us posted, we'll be keeping an eye out for your reply.

[GWJ]

Hi Lyubka,

Yes, CMD + Up/Down are working, but that is the same as using the volume slider (see above). That doesn't help I'm afraid. Reason why we want the volume keys to be working is that you can use them while doing something else on the computer. Now as this is working for iOS (iPad + iPhone) but not for macOS it must be related to just the macOS version. Were you able to verify the issue with another macOS user?

Gerwin 

[MihailY]

Hey @GWJ,

Thanks for getting back to us.

Apologies for the confusion, it looks like the behavior that you're describing is expected when controlling another device via Connect. However, we fully understand how this would be a desired feature, so we've made sure to pass your feedback to the relevant team here at Spotify.

Let us know if there's anything else we can help with.

[GWJ]

Hi,

But all controls are working from iPad - including volume - with Chromecast devices. They are not working (anymore) from a Mac. So how is this a feature request? I'm confused. 

Gerwin

[macimp]

Hi

Søren from Odense Denmark here. I have the same problem with my Sonos speakers. However,

CMD up and down still work.

All the Best, SHJ

[terehinn]

Hi,

I'm facing the same issue with adjusting volume on Spotify for Mac, and I believe it's not working correctly.

I work from home and often listen to music via Airplay while working on my computer. It's frustrating that I can't use the volume buttons on my computer to adjust the sound. Instead, I have to keep switching back to the Spotify app, disrupting my workflow.

While the Next/Previous and Play/Pause buttons work fine, the volume buttons don't. They work perfectly on other devices, so I expect them to work on the Mac too. If there are specific cases where this limitation is necessary, could you please consider adding a toggle in Spotify Settings? This would allow users to choose whether they want to control the volume using their computer's buttons.

Such a fix would greatly improve the experience for those of us who find this annoying, even after years of using Spotify and getting annoyed every time the volume buttons don't work as expected.

Thank you for addressing this matter 🙂

[21xbgunpsfh2xfi65oxa]

Hey!

I'm having the same problem on my MacBook Air 2020. Has anyone been able to find a solution? Are the updates of the Mac and Spotify incompatible?

[vdne]

Same issue here. Skip song play/pause works, volume does not. It did before. Still no solutions for this?

[pho_ney]

Same issue here with macos AND ios pls bring this „feature“ back - as it has been a part of the UI ever since. Since other users want this unlinked - why not integrate an opt-in/out in the settings?! pls fix 🙏