Default Touch and Go to Spotify

[Guest 86guns]

I have the standard Touch and Go headunit feeding into a separate amp with sub and front Focals. I’ve been playing Apple Music on my iPhone via usb quite happily for a while with control of the music via the headunit. I recently moved to Spotify and I’m finding that the only way to get Spotify to play is if I manually select an album on the phone first. Also there is no visibility of the Spotify music library when you browse on the headunit. It only browses what’s in Apple Music. 

Has anyone solved this or is it just that the “iPod” usb setting is as it says on the tin, i.e. it only really supports Apple/iTunes control?

 

[Lowe 191]

Hey Siri, Open Spotify.

Done.

[Guest 86guns]

On 23/10/2018 at 6:14 PM, Lowe said:

Hey Siri, Open Spotify.

Done.

Nope. Not really what I'm after.

You can only open Spotify via Siri if the phone is unlocked. If you need to unlock it, then you might as well manually find the music you want. Even if Spotify is open, Siri can't control it. Also, when you finally get Spotify playing, the Touch and Go still reverts to iTunes/Apple Music when you browse for artists/albums etc.

[nerdstrike 186]

I presume it's treating it like an iPod, i.e. the device is a file system. Spotify is just an audio streamer with no file system presence so the head unit can't see anything. Even if you download the Spotify tracks, they're probably walled in and not visible as traditional files. Unless Spotify develop their app to listen for media controls or accept Siri commands, you're stuck.

I guess that's what carplay and android auto are trying to resolve, but not on this headunit!

[Guest 86guns]

15 minutes ago, nerdstrike said:

I presume it's treating it like an iPod, i.e. the device is a file system. Spotify is just an audio streamer with no file system presence so the head unit can't see anything. Even if you download the Spotify tracks, they're probably walled in and not visible as traditional files. Unless Spotify develop their app to listen for media controls or accept Siri commands, you're stuck.

I guess that's what carplay and android auto are trying to resolve, but not on this headunit!

Ah cheers. Bit of a bummer that. 

[nerdstrike 186]

It gets even gnarlier in USB sound output.

I connected my phone to a Chord Mojo to audition it. I couldn't get Google Music to play via USB, but files on the device could be played back through another app. The "offline" music from Google Music is not visible in the file system, so I was unable to meaningfully audition the Mojo, because all I had were alarm clock noises... I then tried a Audioquest Dragonfly, and that could play from Google Music. However, the Dragonfly defaulted to very low volume (patched in later firmware...) so while it would work, the volume was quiet at most.

Google assistant can control Spotify, as can Alexa, but Apple doesn't seem to be playing along. So I can voice-control playlists via bluetooth, but I strongly suspect it won't work if did the same via USB... the whole thing is a bloody mess!

[Oghero 3]

Nope. Not really what I'm after.
You can only open Spotify via Siri if the phone is unlocked. If you need to unlock it, then you might as well manually find the music you want. Even if Spotify is open, Siri can't control it. Also, when you finally get Spotify playing, the Touch and Go still reverts to iTunes/Apple Music when you browse for artists/albums etc.

I have a couple Toyota's and Lexus with the latest infotainments, and they're all the same. The problem is that the head unit recognises Apple music first over anything else.

To get Spotify working seamlessly with the infotainment you will have to remove your Apple music from your phone, after i removed it I've had no problems since. I do, just to make things easier for myself, sometimes pre-select an album/ playlist while I'm getting ready to go out, it's just became part of my "Put sneakers on and open Spotify" routine now.

If you have Bluetooth though the way i keep my phone on charge on longer journeys is just via usb to a power bank i keep in the cup holder in the door. If you try to connect Bluetooth while the usb is plugged in at the same time, a lot of the Toyota's and Lexus's [Lexi?] don't like that.

Hope this helps. If I'm inaccurate anywhere feel free to correct me.


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[Church 209]

Why powerbank? Why not consider active phone mounts, in which inserted phones will automatically get power cable (which can be routed more neatly at that) connected? Using mounts will also ease phone usage for satnav.

[Oghero 3]

Why powerbank? Why not consider active phone mounts, in which inserted phones will automatically get power cable (which can be routed more neatly at that) connected? Using mounts will also ease phone usage for satnav.

I haven't found one i like yet. I don't really like the bigger square looking phone clamps that come with them, i have a tidy looking belkin suction cup mount that doesn't feel cheap and always stays in place for me, and I've been happy with that so far. And i really don't mind the power bank thing as i take it with me everywhere anyway. The cable is not that bad as i have my phone mounted in the driver side corner so it just goes straight down to the cup holder.


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[KAS 25]

I’ve never even tried using the head unit to control Spotify, didn’t even cross my mind!

I always have Spotify open on my phone and connect via Bluetooth, and 60% of the time it’ll play from where it left off every time.

But if I’ve watched a video or something before getting in the car I have to manually press play on the phone. And since the new iOS update it’ll default to Apple Music sometimes, so I’ll have to open Spotify and press play to override it.

Waiting for some decent sales so I can splurge on one of the new wireless CarPlay pioneer headunits. That’ll fix the problem for sure