New podcast episodes on PS5 will not play

[whalleyrulz]

Plan

Premium

Country

US

Device

Playstation 5

My Question or Issue

The latest episodes of several podcasts will not play any more, ever since the latest PS5 update. I'm experiencing this with My Brother, My Brother, and Me, as well as a few other podcasts.

When I select them (and only the latest two episodes, nothing that came out before the latest PS5 OS update) the app attempts to play for about 5 seconds, and then automatically skips to an entirely different podcast. I have noticed that if the podcast it tries to skip to ALSO does not work (for example, during testing earlier it skipped to a podcast named Wonderful) then the app will not try to redirect me again - however, it does not play any audio. I can play older episodes that came out before the latest PS5 update just fine. I do not know how many podcasts this issue affects, as I don't listen to many, but I have noticed it on MBMBAM, Wonderful, and Quick Question with Soren Bowie and Daniel O'Brien.

This only occurs on PS5 - I can play these just fine on my phone, or on the desktop app.

I have tried playing by searching for the podcast in the app, by adding episodes to my "Your Episodes" list, and by casting to the device, both from my Android phone and from my partner's phone which is logged in on an entirely different account. No matter how I try to play them, the same thing happens.

While testing, I tried uninstalling the Spotify app and reinstalling it, I tried clearing my console's cache and rebuilding storage, I even - at the recommendation of someone in customer service - tried connecting my PS5 to my phone in hotspot mode in order to use an entirely different internet connection, but the same issue occurred no matter what.

The customer service agent recommended I create a thread here, as they believed that the app may just need a catch-up update. If this is not the case, I would love to know how this could even happen - I'm a software developer by day and I am wracking my brain trying to work out how "some podcasts don't work on one specific device even after uninstalling and clearing cache" could occur.

[seancuenyy]

This is happening to me as of today as well. Hoping there’s a fix soon

[Joan]

Hi there @whalleyrulz,

Thanks for reaching out. So this issue occurs only on the PS5 app, regardless if playing locally or through connect, regardless of what account is used and regardless of the network, is that correct? Could you also send us a video of the behaviour, that will greatly help us investigate this. If the files are too large to attach here in the Community, you can send them to us via Google Drive or as unlisted YouTube videos.

Keep us posted.

[seancuenyy]

Here’s an example of the issue for me. I’m having the same problem he is describing. It is preventing me from playing certain podcasts altogether on the PS5, yet other podcasts still work (such as the JRE). 

https://youtu.be/4rfFvSJkzM4?feature=shared 

[whalleyrulz]

Here's a video, it's the same behavior as what seancuenyy posted in this thread.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPYvnoGxVWY

[Folgers]

I have the same issue when trying to play the podcast castle super beast.  I also repeated the issue with the podcasts the other users linked in their videos.  It skips until it can find a podcast it can play.  Android Phone linked to ps5.  I don't believe it's tied to audio length.  When playing directly from my phone, it's fine.  Using spotify ps5 version 1.008.000.

[Joan]

Hey @whalleyrulz & @seancuenyy,

Thanks for the videos!

So we can look into this issue further, could you provide us with the OS version and Spotify versions you're using? The OS version is in settings > system > console information. The Spotify version can be found in recent downloads or by clicking the cogwheel in the app. @Folgers could you please provide us your OS version too.

Keep us posted.

[whalleyrulz]

Sure, hopefully these are all the details you need.

PS5 OS: 23.02-08.00.00.44-00.00.00.0.1

Spotify: 1.008.000

[Folgers]

Using the same ps5 os version as whalley

[seancuenyy]

I also have the same versions of Spotify and O.S. 

[asefoewvawear]

I've run into the same issue. Same versions as the other two. It'll play certain podcasts, but on most it just skips the episode (sometimes multiple times in a row) until it hits a random one that plays. Only started after the last PS5 app update. The podcast will play fine on my phone, but as soon as I do the "Select a Device" and choose PS5 it instantly skips.

[Joan]

Hi there all,

Thank you for the info. We've cascaded this to our tech team and will proceed with the investigation. We'll keep you posted on any updates as soon as we have them.

Cheers!

[Hogg4]

Spotify has multiple glitches on various apps on different devices such as the apple watch, ps5, etc currently. I was a major Spotify user for over a decade, but I couldn’t keep using it anymore since years went by with acknowledgments from Spotify about the problems yet they never actually solved them. From consistently un-downloading my songs or playlists without my consent on the phone, to not being able to play or download songs/podcasts on multiple devices. These problems have been reported about for years by different people but have never truly been fixed. I was going to re-start using Spotify after a year to see if this problem and more were fixed, but the podcast skipping on the ps5 is happening right now currently so safe to say i’m sticking with apple music. Hope they fix it soon for other active users but I wouldn’t expect a quick patch anytime soon. 

[SenorMangoSalsa]

Is there any update on this? The problem is truly getting bothersome.

[whalleyrulz]

Yeah, I mostly use Spotify on PS5 and currently Sony only allows it and Apple Music as music and streaming services. If I'm paying money to either company, I'd prefer it be Spotify over Apple, but the second something like Tidal or, really, any other service is allowed to be a background music streaming service, I'm done. This is far from the first problem I've had, but this is the first one where I actively cannot use the service for, y'know, what I use it for mainly. Sucks that it took 9 days after a customer support person told me to post this thread to get the ticket sent to the tech team for the ticket to be sent to the tech team, but it is what it is. Corporations gonna corporation.

[whalleyrulz]

Echoing @SenorMangoSalsa here, but is there any progress, or even just like, any signs that anyone has opened the ticket?

[SenorMangoSalsa]

Like yelling into the abyss.

[SenorMangoSalsa]

Any update, Joan? Would be much appreciated.

[Cleebleclooble]

If this is any help at all, I never had this issue with my digital ps5. However, I got my physical version with the disc drive the other day, and now I'm having this issue. Skipped through 12 MBMBAM episodes but played the first queued NoSleep episode it landed on with no issues. 

[brutusrex]

it seems to happen with select audios only, i can listen to one podcast fine but the next series absolutely not just skips, hopefully itll be fixed soon