ARCHIVED FORUM -- March 2012 to February 2022READ ONLY FORUM
This is the second Archived Forum which was active between 1st March 2012 and 23rd February 2022
We just received the following announcement from Spotify:
“We want to give you a heads up that Spotify support will soon be removed from your Bang & Olufsen BeoSound 5 speaker. We want to make playing Spotify on your speaker and other devices better and easier which means regrettably that we sometimes have to discontinue device-specific integrations. For alternative ways to keep enjoying Spotify on your product, please contact your Bang & Olufsen store.
Thanks and keep rocking, Spotify”
96 Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE
We have a BeoSound 5 connected to B&O speakers. What does this announcement mean for us? What are the “alternative ways to keep enjoying Spotfy on your product?”
you can probably use a Google Chromecast audio. relatively cheap option, you just wont have album or track listings displayed on the BS5
Chromecast supports spotify, and lets you 'cast' your music from your phone/ipad/etc over wifi direct to the device.
already the case !!!
BS 5 says " need premium subscription"
I'm beyond mad !!!! Just paid 800 euro (motherboard) after 6 years and now I lose 1/3 of its possibbility's !!! And removing Spotify after what 3 years !?
I want beo4 control in every room to play next or choose playlist (i numbered them or added them to color).
Either they integrate Deezer or spotify again !!!
All other solutions are sub-par. And this without any notice, digusting on a 60K+€ installation. I don't think I will be able to defend B&O ever again if this is really the case.
Frederic,
I can certainly empathize, trust me. It may be a good idea for you to express this concern of Spotify with B&O through their support website as I did yesterday.
StUrrock: B&O should be ashamed.
Livingroom: BL3, BL11, BV11-46 Kitchen: Beosound 1 GVA, Beocom 2 Bathroom: M3 Homeoffice: M3, Beocom 2 Library: Beosound Emerge, Beocom 6000 Bedroom: M5, Essence remote Travel: Beoplay E8 2.0, Beoplay EQ, Beoplay Earset
Hiort:This is not up to B&O. Spotify can discontinue their app on any platform. It's their prerogative. I understand that they are unwilling to support such a small platform. Too bad for Beosound 5 owners though, and I understand your frustration.
w5bno123:Spotify have discontinued this platform not B&O, their decision has also affected other AV brands and users alike.
StUrrock: w5bno123: Spotify have discontinued this platform not B&O, their decision has also affected other AV brands and users alike. Not much comfort to some people who spent tens of thousands on B&O system only say 5 years ago.
w5bno123: Spotify have discontinued this platform not B&O, their decision has also affected other AV brands and users alike.
Spotify have discontinued this platform not B&O, their decision has also affected other AV brands and users alike.
Not much comfort to some people who spent tens of thousands on B&O system only say 5 years ago.
I understand your anger but you only can blame Spotify! They are responsible NOT B&O.Personally I don't even comprehend why people don't use standard internetradio instead of paying for a service like Spotify, Tidal, Apple music etc. Internetradio is much more compatible and many many devices are compatible to it and the best part: There's nobody who tells you on which device you can use it!
Sorry, but we bought the beosound5 at b&o with the Spotify features – so b&o have to care!
For me it sound like a license fee problem between spotify and b&o. what’s next? No deezer on the beosound moment? How long will this work?
I think b&o has now (only with a good support!) this options:
- pay license fee to Spotify and find a solution.
- softwareupdate to integrate Spotify connect to beosound5
- softwareupdate to integrate deezer to beosound5
- swap offer to upgrade to the moment (inkl. Nl/ml converter if needed)
- reduced price of a beosound essence for beosound5 costumer
but I think this all not gonna happened.
BS Ouverture, BS 9000, AV 9000, Avant 32 DVD, BV9, BV6-22, BS 5, BS 4500, BS 7000, BC 9500, Beo6, BL Penta, F1000, BLGW, etc....
From B&O in Denmark (6/23/2017):
As part of Spotify’s strategy to focus on their own mobile app experience, Spotify has decided to discontinue and remove the embedded Spotify client from your BeoSound 5. This decision does not only affect Bang & Olufsen products but also products from other brands. As this is a Spotify decision, Spotify has sent you this mail.
Please contact Spotify for further information about this decision.
We offer different solution options, so please contact your Bang & Olufsen dealer who will be pleased to assist you in selecting the optimum solution: http://www.bang-olufsen.com/storelocator
We're sorry for the trouble.
Kind regards,
Thomas Roswalld Andersen (Mr) | Customer Service
Bang & Olufsen A/S | Peter Bangs Vej 15 | DK-7600 Struer | Denmark
My response back to B&O in Denmark (6/23/2017):
After 27 years of enjoying our B&O 5500 series system, in October 2013 we paid major dollars to Bang & Olufsen State Street in Chicago for a BeoSound 5 System (computer, speakers, stands, installation, etc.) that B&O heavily promoted with “Spotify Inside” - a significant reason for this B&O purchase. After just over three years of use, it is extremely disappointing to learn that we will no longer be able to use Spotify with our relatively new system. B&O advertised “Spotify Inside”, not Spotify, and it is unreasonable that B&O cannot work with Spotify to insure that the many loyal B&O customers can continue to use Spotify with their B&O systems. Individuals acting alone will not have the same clout as B&O.
Your suggestion to contact “your B&O dealer” for the “optimal solution” is a disingenuous. I have provided our nearest dealer (Bang & Olufsen at ABT Electronics in Glenview, Illinois) with a request for help, but they have not responded. If there is an “optimal solution”, why can’t you provide it directly to me? For example, is there any way for an iPhone or iPad to connect with the B&O system through another piece of equipment?
Agree, it's a appalling- B&O or Spotify, costumers will leave because of this !
shouldn't be to much reprogramming to get Deezer to, guess they don't care.
Peter
Beovision eclipse 65, Beolab 50, Beolab 18, Beovision 11, Beolab 3, Beolab 2, BeoVision 10, MLGW, BeoLink converter Nl/Ml, Beosound 5, BLGW
Your letter to Bang & Olufsen is well expressed. I, too, purchased my Beosound 5 from the State Street Store in Chicago around the same time you did. The store's pitch for the device at the time was like the best love story ever told! It was a year after, and especially now, that I started to become very disappointed with an extremely expensive purchase.
Rob.B: you can probably use a Google Chromecast audio. relatively cheap option, you just wont have album or track listings displayed on the BS5 Chromecast supports spotify, and lets you 'cast' your music from your phone/ipad/etc over wifi direct to the device.
probably the best option for Beosound 5 users that can't live without spotify.Get the Behringer USB-Audioninterface for the Beosound 5, plug in the Chromecast Audio or use a Bluetooth Audio adapter and use your phone / tablet to stream to it.
Behringer USB-Audiointerface UCA222:https://www.thomann.de/gb/behringer_ucontrol_uca_222.htm
Bang & Olufsen doesn't get many things right nowadays, but this time it's clearly NOT their fault! There's only one to blame: Spotify! They did it to our Beosound 5, not B&O!
will there be a softwareupdate from b&o in the beosound5 to erase the spotify menu option and the logo? i do not want see this every day ;-)
If you can't get specific "parts" from your supplier anymore you can blame him for sure... BUT you have to find a solution, quickly!But I agree that B&O is fully responsible for their customers satisfaction. Does B&O care about their customers?
beoandy: will there be a softwareupdate from b&o in the beosound5 to erase the spotify menu option and the logo? i do not want see this every day ;-)
What happens if you delete the account - any 'optical' change?
MM
There is a tv - and there is a BV
Millemissen: beoandy: will there be a softwareupdate from b&o in the beosound5 to erase the spotify menu option and the logo? i do not want see this every day ;-) What happens if you delete the account - any 'optical' change? MM
okay, that was easy! thanks mm!
It turns out this is indeed B&O's problem. They rely on the libspotify.dll library (can be seen in the program folder on the BM5). This library was already deprecated in 2015 (https://developer.spotify.com/technologies/libspotify/#libspotify-and-cocoalibspotify-downloads) and was announced at that time to be shut down in 2017. B&O have had plenty of time to react to this. They could have implemented support for the newer Web API - or added support for another music service.
I am thinking that maybe one could write a wrapper for the now support Web API, in a "fake" libspotify.dll. But not sure how difficult that would be....
Sucks...
lano:They choose to implement Spotify as a music service and now the product that they have sold and marketed doesn't live up to what they told us.
Is there any legal recourse? I'm sure some customers will be looking at that already... Those who can't be bothered will just stop using their BS5 and vow never to buy B&O again. Either way it's a 'lose' for B&O.
I know Spotify hold all the cards here, so B&O can't really be blamed for Spotify not being available. However, some kind of replacement should be made available.
A bit of clever marketing would have been to make a positive out of a negative. B&O seem to be pretty useless at that.
Here's what I'd do....
Let's say a Moment costs £700 to make. I don't know what it costs, but I doubt it's more than £700 as most of the development costs will now be paid.
It sells at circa £1,800.
Send a letter to every BeoSound 5 customer and say the following - in plenty of time before Spotify is taken off their machine...
"Dear Mr/Mrs Customer
Bang & Olufsen would like to make something up to you, before it's happened. Yes, it's a strange way to do things, but at B&O we really do care. In 2 months, Spotify have decided to withdraw support for your BeoSound 5. We have tried to keep it for you, but sadly there was nothing we could do...
We realise that many of our customers bought the BeoSound 5 with Spotify inside high on their priority list, and for many people this was the deciding factor in buying the equipment back then. It may have been some years ago, but we are still committed to you having a long and enjoyable period of ownership.
So, with this in mind, may we offer you a 50% discount on a brand new Moment? You can keep your existing BeoSound 5 - and perhaps use it in another room or gift it to a friend to let someone new discover Bang & Olufsen. The choice is yours.
All we ask you to do is contact your nearest dealer who will arrange everything for you. As long as you are the original purchaser of the BeoSound 5 and bought it from our official dealer network - you're covered, and we'd love to make good on our promise.
Etc Etc."
This way you look like you actually give a damn, you're addressing a problem before it becomes an issue, you're not losing money (the dealer can get the £200 to cover admin and make a small profit) AND, most importantly, the customer is going into a dealership where they can see the current product range and potentially make a purchase of some speakers - or more.
Is this a stupid idea by me?
9 LEE: Is this a stupid idea by me?
No, it's the only way to do sustainable business!Despite that the Moment looks like a cheap China toy that was released after finishing 80% of the exterior design and the Beosound 5 looks like a real Bang & Olufsen product. Another cheaper option would be to offer e.g. the Behringer interface to offer AUX-input on the Beosound 5 and a Bluetooth-Adapter. That would be the most compatible option to use any music service from your phone / tablet.
9 LEE: This way you look like you actually give a damn, you're addressing a problem before it becomes an issue, you're not losing money (the dealer can get the £200 to cover admin and make a small profit) AND, most importantly, the customer is going into a dealership where they can see the current product range and potentially make a purchase of some speakers - or more. Is this a stupid idea by me?
hi lee!
as I wrote a few postings before...
@9 LEE
This way they would also benefit from selling....
....a lot of NL/ML Converters
:-( or :-) ---- depending on your sense of humour.
I like Lee's idea. I would also be satisfied with B&O re-purposing their coding to support Deezer instead of Spotify. I'm sure it's not quite as easy as that, but I'm not a programmer. Also, software programming seems to be B&O's very week point right now and they can't even get things sorted in other areas. For example, the spotty Essence Remote connections, the pulling of the BeoMusic App before having things sorted with the new Bang & Olufsen app, and the random music blasts at full volume of the NL music products. Any one of these issues would be inexcusable. The fact that there are so MANY software issues is just disastrous if B&O wants customers to keep faith in the company.
While I like the Moment, the limitation that it does not support 5Ghz networks is a real issue. That really needs to be updated to be consistent across all of the products. I also really thought that by now there would be some different options to the woodgrain finish.
I truly love(d) the BeoSound 5. It has a unique interface that was designed to keep the spirit of approaching a music player and have the tactile experience of selecting music. Something that truly kept that B&O "magic." While the BeoSound 5 has been around for some years, we must keep in mind that it was the flagship music player for B&O and was QUITE expensive. I feel that investment deserves some care from B&O.
Well said Beojeff..
Spotify hasn't worked on my BS5 for quite some time... but maybe this is because I screwed with the Spotify installation a few years back - don't quite remember the goal, but it's off topic anyway. I pretty much switched to the Chromecast since I can select songs from my phone so it didn't bother me (and I blamed myself for the Spotify trouble). I bought my BS5 before it supported Spotify so I'm not too upset about this, but I can definitely understand others who feel differently.
Anyway, this is a cautionary tale for everyone using products that depend on some type of "cloud service". The service provider can stop or change their service according to their priorities, not yours, and there seems to be very little we consumers can do about it. I guess the lesson is don't spend big money on any device that requires "the cloud". This isn't the first instance of a cloud service provider dropping support for paying customers, and I'm sure it will not be the last.
Stan
.
Present: BL90, Core, BL6000, CD7000, Beogram 7000, Essence Remote.
Past: BL1, BL2, BL8000, BS9000, BL5, BC2, BS5, BV5, BV4-50, Beosystem 3, BL3, DVD1, Beoremote 4, Moment.
just got this answer from beocare :
Hey,
I'm still wondering if it is pure stupidity or totall arrogant behavior by B&O.
I had my dealer on the phone yesterday and the suggested a chromecast and behringer. But that is an awfull solution compared to the functionality we had before. Even if I was part of B&O inner circle a couple of years ago, it was never ever suggested, told or implied at the time that this service could dissappear! It never said “ Spotify temporally inside”.
Until a couple of days it was fantastic, i heard a song somewhere on the go, shazaam-ed it and added it to the top of my playlist. When i got home all i had to do was press AMEM and red button (linked to my playlist) on the beo4 and I was able to enjoy my music.
Chromcast solution is awfull and user unfriendly:
- first of all I tested the behringer before with an airplay device. I hated/removed it because you can hear ticking noise (leakage,?) when playing soft classical music you hear regulary this ticking. On beolab 9’s you go crazy.
A . I respectfully disagree as well, this is a B&O problem to solve (ok they have to get together with spotify and find a solution) they should have secured a deal longer than 3 years
B. Because standard internet radio doees not :
- play the list like I like it with only 'my' songs (especially when diverse mixed taste from jazz, classical piano, rap and electronic...) , can't skip songs
- have commercials (abc lounge radio did not in the beginning and now they do
Question:
Imagine I integrate an Essence (somewhere hidden in a seperate room) in my pure ML-network, and switch to Deezer , which functionalities can I expect if eg. Deezer is under AMEM (if possible through NL/ML Converter)? Can I start deezer and switch songs, start playlists with beo 4 ?
Frustration with B&O Continues
e-mail from B&O Denmark (6-26-2017):
“Your nearest Bang & Olufsen retailer is able to offer you three options:
- A free Chromecast Audio incl a USB/Line-in adapter. This will allow you to keep enjoying Spotify on your BeoSound 5 from your mobile device
- A discount on a BeoSound Essence
- A discount on a BeoSound Moment”
e-Mail reply to Bang & Olufsen in Denmark (6/26/2017):
Last Saturday (6/24/2017) the Glenview, Illinois, B&O dealer (ABT Electronics) offered the following solutions, but without mentioning anything for free or with a discount:
“The alternatives that can be proposed to customers who still want to use Spotify are:
1. Using a “line-in – to – USB” adapter and a Chromecast Audio dongle (http://www.google.com/chromecast/audio). That would allow customers to stream Spotify Content from their mobile device and the Spotify app, to the BeoSound 5.
2. Using a “line-in – to – USB” adapter and a BeoSound Essence Box. That would allow customers to stream Spotify Content from their mobile device and the Spotify app, to the BeoSound 5. It would also provide other features, such as AirPlay, Bang and Olufsen multiroom and Bluetooth.”
With no knowledge of the three options you (B&O Denmark) are now offering, I directly ordered the USB/Line-in adapter from Amazon and the Chromecast Audio from Google.
My original notification of the Spotify problem came from Spotify not B&O (I paid B&O through their State Street Chicago dealer major dollars for the BO5 system – NOT Spotify) and now a very late offer to “solve” the problem after I have already paid Amazon and Google for parts. Why no advance warning from B&O in the first place? Why so much delay in developing a solution? And the solution seems to require forcing loyal B&O customers to become technical geeks to solve the problem, and a solution far below B&O historical standards.
The simplicity and elegance that I have associated with Bang & Olufsen for the 30 plus years of enjoying B&O products seems to have evaporated.
nico vercammen:just got this answer from beocare : Hi Nico, I am sorry to hear that you were not informed by Spotify and I fully understand your frustration. There are no plans to introduce Deezer in the BeoSound 5, but there are a few different options available to still enjoy Spotify. If you contact your Bang & Olufsen dealer, they will explain further about the possibilities, which are: - A Chromecast Audio and line-in converter free of charge - Discount on a BeoSound Essence - Discount on a BeoSound Moment
Beolab 28s Beolab 9s Beolab 12-3s Beolab 1s Beolab 6000s 2 pairs Beolab 4000s Beovision 7-55 Beovision 10-40 Beoplay V1 32 inch Beovision Avant 32 inch Beosound 1 (CD player) Beosound 3000 Beosound 5 Core Essence MKII Beoplay M5
Just from Beocare this morning (below). My question is if a Chromecast Audio USB is added to the Beomaster 5, will I still be able to listen to that same music source through not only my Beoplay products but also my active speakers connected to the Beovision Avant and the other Beolab speakers throughout the house with the present ML/NL convertor I have.
Thank you for your request. Below is a summary of your request and our response.