Spotify on iPod 4th gen - car connectivity problem

[BradWaltz]

Hi, apologies if this is in the wrong place:

(The low down)

iPod 4th Gen - iOS (6.1.6) 

When connecting via USB to 2013 Vauxhall Astra, the head unit displays song track / artist / how long the song has been playing for etc. 

Problem:

I am unable to change tracks (go back or forward) using the car controls. (on the steering wheel or the dash board)  

I have got the latest version of Spotify and iOS available for the 4th gen iPod. As it is an iPod with WiFi connectivity only, I am playing songs that have been downloaded on the device. 

the Apple iTunes player works perfectly with the car controls and this is the only reason why I have bought Spotify premium as I wanted to downloaded songs to listen offline and as I spend a majority of time the car, this is very important to me.

Has anyone experienced similar issues / know of any past solutions? 

[leiah8853]

I have the exact same issue. iPod Touch 5th gen, latest ios, connecting to my 2014 Nissa Versa Note via USB (Bluetooth, but no BT audio streaming capabilites). I cannot use my steering wheel controls with Spotify, but I can with iTunes. Dont understand why there isnt a fix for this yet, seeing as how this has been an ongoing issue since 2013. Seriously considereing giving up spotify, as I listen to a lot of music in my car, but dont want to cause an accident by trying to switch tracks on my iPod.

Is there any way to make Spotify my proprietary music player, other then iTunes? Maybe that's the issue? Or independant software to help fix the issue?

[BradWaltz]

I really hope they get this fixed, this was the ONLY reason I wanted Spotify premium 😕 

[leiah8853]

I just got this response back from support, kudos on them for the speediness on replying, but the problem still exists. Still had more questions for them, I'll check back with the results...

Hi there,

Thanks for contacting us. We'll give you more information about your request.

Right now we don’t officially support your Nissan Versa Note. So we can't guarantee a resolution to your issue.

It's still possible that our app might work for you. And we'll be more than happy to keep on trying to help. But at the end of the day this might just be a compatibility issue.

Hope this was useful. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to write us.

[leiah8853]

This was what I replied with...

Thanks, so there no way to make this work at all? No third party apps that anyone is aware of, to make the steering wheel controls change? Is this something that you guys are looking into resolving? Like, is it a generic issue, or would the fix be vehicle specific?

[BradWaltz]

I did see that only a handful of car manufactures are supported (can't remember where I found the list) but my Astra was not one of them. 

I've actually considered buying a brand new iPod just to get this problem sorted, however, I'm doubtful that this will even work.

I really don't want to keep looking at my phone / iPod when I'm sat in traffic to change the song, as don't beleive in using any electronic devices when driving. 

Or, I guess I could try Apple music as a solution? 

[leiah8853]

I havent come across the vehicle specific idea yet, but it's curious, what makes it different from vehicle to vehicle?

As for the iPod idea, I went out and got a brand new iPod Touch 5, and its the same thing. For some reason, the controls will only change tracks in iTunes, and not Spotify. Im thinking that its only because the ipod/spotify app doesnt know how to read the instructions for the car itself.The most infuriating thing is, this used to work, then they upgraded the app in 2013, and something went haywire.

I'm considering trying out the app, Music Control Plus, but I'm seeing that it might only be available on a jailbroken iPod, so that might take a bit to try out. Ill let you know how it goes!

[BradWaltz]

Please do let me know how you get on,

Also,

I found the list - https://support.spotify.com/uk/problems/#!/article/can-i-use-spotify-in-my-car

Support steroe's are:

BMW

Mini

"I sync" ? 

Ford

Lincoln

Androidauto

Volvo

Parrot 

But no Vauxhall / Nissan 😕 

[leiah8853]

I will for sure!

And this sucks, makes me kick myself for not upgrading my audio system when I bought the car. But now, this year, audio streaming comes stock with a new versa note. Go figure 😕

[leiah8853]

Wow, they are fast. So, no fix, and a third-party app, is, quote, "a good idea". Oh well. Off to jailbreak my new iPod. Awesome.

Hi Leiah,

Thanks for emailing us back.

The fix is vehicle specific. Right now, Spotify works with Ford and BMW. Nissan need to get in touch with Spotify for them to seamlessly link their car audio system.
 
This sounds like a great idea, thanks for sharing! Please feel free to share it on our ideas board.
 
You can get other users to show their support by voting on the idea. We’ll keep everyone updated on its status.
 
Let us know if you have any other great ideas or feedback.