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
My daughter is having a A9 MkII. She is now thinking on adding a M3 to the mix.
The M3 does not include Spotify Connect of some odd reason.
Will that be a problem in certain use cases?
I assume that it may be a problem in the case one is airplaying Spotify to A9 and want that experience to be expanded to M3, tapping "join" on M3. Correct?
If the builtin Spotify is used I assume there would be no limitations using the B&O app and expanding the experience in multiroom? Correct?
/C
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
Sadly the M3 does not support Spotify Connect.
And even sader - you can not expand the session/join in on the M3, when Spotify Connect is used on another product/the M3.
Why this is so, I don’t know.
Is that on purpose from B&O.....leaving Spotify (Connect) users in the rain, or?
Only way(s) to use the A9/M3 combo with Spotify is to use ChromeCast and make a group or to use AirPlay 2.....
.....which joth leads us totally out of the Bang & Olufsen app interface.
Funny - because you can Join-in from a NL tv with no problems, and these does not support Spotify Connect either.
P.S. Even worse - it is rumoured the the BS Edge will not have support for Spotify Connect either 🤔😏🙄
MM
There is a tv - and there is a BV
I must correct myself.
There is one more way to do it - which let us use the B&O app/NL to some extend.
If you have activated the ‘Use AirPlay in NL’ function in the settings of the A9, you can do it.
Then you can AirPlay from Spotify to the A9 and join in on the M3.
This is - in my eyes - is a workaround. Good, but not as good as using the original Spotify Connect version.
And it involves the device, that is sending the stream (it has to be active) - whereas Connect lets the device fetch the stream.
Yeah... its strange isn´t ...
One usecase would be to wakeup the M3 (palying Spotify) in the bedroom, and then join that experience on A9. That will not be possble then.
Would be cumbersome to use the phone.
The other usecase would be to start Spotify in the A9a and join M3 to that experience. That will not be possible either, right?
No, there are only the above three ways to do it.
Here - from my setup.
Spotify Connect version is playing on my Essence 2nd gen.
I can add my tv’s, but not my M3.
P.S. If this is really important to you, you will have to go for the M5 (which is much, much better anyway).
But it would be nice to hear an official statement for not adding Spotify Connect to the M3.
I bet Chromecast and Airplay 2 will be the way forward also for coming products. Guess B&O do not trust in continued support for Connect from Spotify. Maybe they even pay royalty to Spotify?
But that would mean a goodbye to the Bang & Olufsen app.
Why should we need that, then?
Well, maybe for setting up the products ;-)
Millemissen: But that would mean a goodbye to the Bang & Olufsen app. Why should we need that, then? Well, maybe for setting up the products ;-) MM
Yes, for Spotify users I would agree. Not much use for the app.
For others (like myself) using Deezer , DLNA and so on, the app is still relevant.
Yes, of course....talking about Spotify user - but there are many out there.
I just answered the question in the op?
This aside, Spotify is the most used music streaming service.
B&O will discourage some potential byuers, when ‘forcing them’ to use Deezer.
For a non integrated service Spotify Connect fits pretty well with the app.
It displays metadata etc on my tv’s when joining in to a Spotify Connect session.....
....in a way that Cast and AirPlay does not do.
The aim should not be to exclude a service, but to include as much as possible - to let the user decide, which one Is best for him.
So - yes, I know that Deezer is fully integrated - but that was not the actual theme.
Which again means - if you want to use the Bang & Olufsen app and a music service, you must use Deezer as your service.
I can then add - as the 4th option for the op/Hiort, when wanting to add the M3 to the A9 - ditch Spotify (Connect) and change to Deezer.
Just wondering for how long the will keep Deezer integrated 🤔
Jon: moving away from integration like that and towards Chromecast/AirPlay/BeoLink Multiroom,
So what does this really mean? Chromecast supports Spotify - how is the Spotify experience different on a "Chromecast-only" device vs. a "Spotify-Connect" device? I don't really see a functional difference with Spotify between my Essence and my Chromecast (connected to a BS9000), but maybe I'm missing something... Is it just support within the BeoApp?
Stan
@Stan
When it comes to ‘functional difference’ meaning the sound, you are listening to, there is no difference, sure.
However, to say, that the difference is ‘just’ within the app, would be misunderstanding, what the Bang & Olufsen app and B&O-NL/multiroom is for.
As I wrote above Spotify Connect is fairly well integrated into the Bang & Olufsen app.
Playing via Connect means that you can expand the experience to other compatible B&O NL devices.
This is something, that you can’t with pure cast from the native Spotify app.
You can group different cast devices and manage these from the Google Home app.
This means that you won’t need the Bang & Olufsen app - no need for that for you (in your user case).
However, if you have B&O devices (which include Chromecast built-in as one of their sources),
the best way to use these sources is the Bang & Olufsen app - especially if you have more of these setup as multoroom.
In my own case (an Essence-box, which has Chromecast built-in and Spotify Connect support) I can not link the sound to my main speaker setup, which is my Avant-55, when I would cast from the Spotify app. But I can, when I play via Spotify Connect.
So - to answer your question....it depends on how you use Cast!
Casting Spotify to one single device (and maybe to other non-B&O devices) is as good as using the Spotify Connect version - in some cases even nescessary. And there would be no need for using and for further development of the Bang & Olufsen app.
But with a modern B&O NL setup, the Connect version will be the best solution, if you are using Spotify as your music service.
Stan: Jon: moving away from integration like that and towards Chromecast/AirPlay/BeoLink Multiroom, So what does this really mean? Chromecast supports Spotify - how is the Spotify experience different on a "Chromecast-only" device vs. a "Spotify-Connect" device? I don't really see a functional difference with Spotify between my Essence and my Chromecast (connected to a BS9000), but maybe I'm missing something... Is it just support within the BeoApp? Stan
From my understanding, Spotify Connect is a propitiatory method of playing Spotify tracks and I'm not 100% sure but I have a feeling it might not even be a "casting" based method (like Cast/AirPlay) and requires the speaker to connect directly to Spotify's servers (back when I used Spotify, I used connect and then ended up turning the phone off and the music kept playing) and B&O don't seem to be interested in that kind of thing moving forwards. I found the original email from them from January this year if you want their words directly:
Dear Jon
Thanks for your feedback and your kind words. Much appreciated.
Unfortunately we are moving away from the tight integrations with the music services. We have too many times experienced that they pull their API of the market. Another consideration is that we do not feel that we can bring the same experience as their native apps. Therefore we recommend that if you are a user of an unsupported service you should use Airplay or Google Cast.
Thanks MM. I *think* I get it now. If I want to do multi-room with the M3 and my Essence, I would need to create a Google Home "group" and select this from the Spotify app (juggle between 2 apps) vs. press the "join" button on the device and/or use the multi-room part of the BeoApp, correct?.
I'm mostly asking because I'm considering an M3, and trying to figure out if my wife will use it or will it be too fiddly as Spotify is the most common used streaming service. Then, I became confused because I saw other products that don't support Spotify (Naim) and was wondering how they get away with it, and then saw the above comment that maybe B&O is also moving away from it so maybe it's not that big of a deal.
The problem I have with Deezer is that my favorite feature is "flow", but I can't get that through the B&O app (and I can't cast from the Deezer app on Android) so it's not much better than Spotify - even though it's "integrated".
Thanks for posting that Jon.
I can understand their reasoning, but I'm not too happy about it. It's hard to justify continuous software development just to keep up with music services that decide to change their APIs willy-nilly. That's the price you pay when you rely on 3rd parties for key capabilities (looking at my BS5 that no longer works with Spotify). Also, the problem with expensive products meant to last many years in the short attention span internet day and age.
Btw, chrome-cast can work without the phone. I'm listening to Deezer and I turned my phone off, and it's still playing.
I find this really disappointing, can't these companies reach some kind of a deal? What actually makes the M3 "multiroom"? Also, what streaming services could they be talking about?
Beoplay A2Beoplay EarsetBeoplay H6 (Gen 2)Beoplay S3 (pair)Beoplay S8Beovox CX50 (2 pairs)Beovox RL 6000
It is my understanding that it is multi-room for everything except Spotify. That is, if you have an Essence/Core/BS2/BS1/M5/M3 playing TuneIn, DLNA or Deezer, you press the "join" button on a M3 (or select it through the BeoApp), and it plays the same as the other device. Change the source to some other non-Spotify source on the other device, and the M3 changes, too.
Even with Spotify, you can use Chromecast for multi-room, but you have to fiddle between the Google Home app to create the multi-room group, and then the Spotify app to cast to the Home group. I don't know if this is side effect of my specific Chromecast device, my network topology, potential cross-product issues or general Chromecast issues, but I find these groups to be somewhat unreliable. When I cast to a group (I have my Essence and BS9000 grouped via a chromecast audio device), it usually takes more then a "button press" to get it working, and it is not unusual for the music to stop, but Spotify keeps going (shows it's casting, but no music plays from the devices). Reset the apps, and sometimes the devices and sometimes delete and re-create the group eventually fixes things. Typical crappy software... not just from B&O.
To your other question about "reach some kind of deal", it's easier said than done as each company has competing priorities in their quest to maximize profits. I'd guess we're not seeing Spotify in the M3 because Spotify wanted too much $$$ for the license (and B&O's cost analysis said not worth it for their "budget" device - customers can just use Chromecast... Naim and other high-end brands get away with it), or, possibly, Spotify has changed their API one too many times, and, again, B&O's cost analysis said not worth the development spend to try to keep up.
Speculating on the other services, that would be any service that they currently support - Deezer, TuneIn. Reading between the lines, it is saying we are just one API change or license renewal ($$$) increase away from B&O saying "not worth it".
Bringing up an old thread again.
I don't mind too much that I cannot play spotify directly to the M3 via spotify connect. However, I do mind a lot that I cannot have the M3 "join" a spotify stream from my A9 or other B&O devices. When streamed to the A9 via spotify connect, this seems feasible on other B&O devices without spotify connnect. So, why not for the M3? And even more importantly, is there still hope that B&O will eventually allow to "join" into chromecast streams. B&O web-site said this was upcoming, but I remember MM (who is typically well informed) suspects that this plan was dropped.
Any insights on joining both "from spotify connect" or "chromecast"?
I am afraid not, apart from what has already been written in this thread.
It seems rather clear that the new devices are not supporting Spotify Connect - much to my personal disappointment!
As for Chromecasting - there won’t be any changes there. You have to use the groups created in the Home app and cast from your favourite app.
This is more a ‘Chromecast-thing’ - I guess it would be very difficult - to make a workaround in order to include that in the BeoLink Multiroom experience.
And I don’t expect anything to happen there.
Most people don’t care!
Personally I have an M3, and have noticed that I don’t use that as much as I had expected.....maybe I should sell it and get a M5, which still has support for Spotify Connect.
Fl_ip:This will help: https://bogo.custhelp.com/app/answers/answer_view/a_id/15609/loc/en_GB/s/16777216_26701fe8a903a-50fc-4da6-9e4c-1c0ac1e33ed0/prTxnId/1864227372/txnId/1864227372#__highlight
https://bogo.custhelp.com/app/answers/answer_view/a_id/15609/loc/en_GB/s/16777216_26701fe8a903a-50fc-4da6-9e4c-1c0ac1e33ed0/prTxnId/1864227372/txnId/1864227372#__highlight
Hmmmm - with what?
Sure, but that was not the point of the op.
It is about Spotify Connect to one device and joining in from a device - like the M3 - that does not have support for Spotify Connect.
Try using the latest mod spotify premium apk free, I believe it will be different.
Don’t get it. Do you mean by that statement that I can use Spotify connect on a M3?
stampfki: Don’t get it. Do you mean by that statement that I can use Spotify connect on a M3?
There is no support for Spotify Connect on the M3!
However, you can cast or airplay (if iOS device) from the Spotify app.
M3 does not have Spotify Connect. But if you have an AirPlay device you can use it to play Spotify on any device and then tap on the AirPlay icon and join to any other AirPlay 2 speaker like the M3. I use it all the time and to be honest is exactly the same number of steps since you don't need to open any app to join - just swipe down and tap on the speaker or speakers.
I guess if you are OK using the Spotify App on an iDevice you should be good to go!
B&O in my life 😊:
Jaffrey2230: M3 does not have Spotify Connect. But if you have an AirPlay device you can use it to play Spotify on any device and then tap on the AirPlay icon and join to any other AirPlay 2 speaker like the M3. I use it all the time and to be honest is exactly the same number of steps since you don't need to open any app to join - just swipe down and tap on the speaker or speakers. I guess if you are OK using the Spotify App on an iDevice you should be good to go!
Of course everyone should do as he pleases.
However, it is good to know, that you can Join in on an M3, if you already have started the Spotify playback via AirPlay on another device (e.g. the A9)......just by tapping the M3 directly.
There is no need to grab your iPhone for that.
And that is exactly what I wrote in my third post in this thread/page 1:
‘ There is one more way to do it - which let us use the B&O app/NL to some extend.
Then you can AirPlay from Spotify to the A9 and join in on the M3.’
For the record....I just did it.
Many people have their M3’s in the kitchen or in the bathroom....and don’t always carry their phone with them, when they go there.
In short, we should all find the way that suits us best.....but knowing how to is a premise for deciding.
This is a great feature to just touch and join - definitely makes it more flexible to use to just tap the device.