Alexa cant play to Spotify

[m60kaf]

Bought a 522GW and have to say it wasn't very inspiring trying to set-up, didnt feel like a premium device at a software level, but after a lot of messing with resetting and bluetooth I'm coming round to liking it.

Two biggie issues for me.

1. You can't pair (I dont mean connect) more than one phone

2. My Alexa and echos are setup to play Spotify, this camera cant control/play spotify. I understand this is probably an Alexa app issue as their app sees the device as an accessory not an "amazon device"

If I had known this I may have just got a 322GW for £20-£30 less, but polarised filter would have probably swung me back to 522GW

 

[Spuds]

Hi @m60kaf.
Point 1. is a limitation as you rightly point out.
Point 2. is an Alexa app issue as has been discussed many times in the Alexa facebook forum. Here is a solution that may help you>

Facebook for Alexa

Hope this helps.

 

[Spuds]

What is the solution?

Did you click on the link in my post?

 

[m60kaf]

Did you click on the link in my post?

I did it goes to a site I have to join, not a solution

 

[Spuds]

There is several solutions there but here is a cut & paste

 

[m60kaf]

Thanks for that

I think that would only be for if my other devices cant connect to spotify too

Just for clarity, are you saying I should be able to use the dashcam to play and control spotify with Alexa app? or can it only play and control Amazon music?

 

[Spuds]

I can play Amazon music, tune in and every other app I subscribe to without problem through Alexa on my 522GW. I stopped subscribing to Spotify when I took out the family subscription to Amazon music so I'm not certain but I did see the post on the Alexa forums about others having similar problems to what you describe, admittedly no-one mentioned Nextbase.

 

[Chuckalicious]

I'd like to update this thread in case anyone finds it and wonders if there's a fix. Nextbase support stated, in a reply to me:

"We have not got Spotify on the Alexa app with the dashcam I am sorry because Amazon has not allowed this. We hope to have this in the future but this is not possible at the moment I am sorry."

So assuming this is correct, it is very disappointing and essentially removes the whole reason I got one with Alexa integration.

 

[Paul Iddon]

I am sorry because Amazon has not allowed this.

So assuming this is correct, it is very disappointing and essentially removes the whole reason I got one with Alexa integration.

But that's Amazon's fault it cannot be added, surely? NB cannot do what Amazon won't allow.

 

[jokiin]

But that's Amazon's fault it cannot be added, surely? NB cannot do what Amazon won't allow.

what's the actual setup of this anyway, if the camera has Alexa built in what role does the camera play and what other devices are used/needed for this to work?

 

[Paul Iddon]

I believe it will use Alexa commands to do things like saving files, taking photos, that kind of thing, directly related to the camera functions.

 

[jokiin]

I believe it will use Alexa commands to do things like saving files, taking photos, that kind of thing, directly related to the camera functions.

I get that, where does spotify come into it?

 

[Paul Iddon]

It would seem it doesn't.

 

[jokiin]

It would seem it doesn't.

assuming it did I mean, the camera is a dumb device so the playback and data access is coming from somewhere else

 

[Paul Iddon]

You'd have to get Millie to answer that...

 

[Chuckalicious]

The idea is that the camera acts as a microphone and activator for Alexa on your phone. So for example, my phone is connected to my car by Bluetooth so I can stream music. I find Google Assistant very unreliable and have found Alexa in the house much better. So by saying, while in the car "Alexa, play Green Day" for example, it will play Green Day from Amazon music and play through my phone to the car stereo. Great. However, I and my family subscribe to Spotify. In the house I can ask Alexa to play music and she does so from Spotify. So it didn't seem unreasonable to assume this would have been the case in the car, seeing as it is Alexa and my Alexa acciunt.

Sadly that isn't the case.

 

[jokiin]

My experience with Google is much better than that, don't have issues with it working, not sure how Alexa compares though, Amazon isn't as popular here

 

[Chuckalicious]

I have used both for quite a while and although GA is a better product in terms of abilities, for simple things like playing music, especially on Sonos kit (GA just isn't as good on Sonos) I prefer Alexa. Plus, GA sometimes simply doesn't activate on my phone or does but then doesn't complete the requested task, so it isn't reliable.

So due to my household moving more or less to an Alexa household it just made sense to have this in the car too.

 

[Nextbase Support]

Hi all,

Thanks for above hint @Paul Iddon.

In regards to Spotify, we would love for our Dash Cams to be Spotify enabled as it is a very frequent customer request, however the decision is in Amazon's hands, not our own. The Alexa app chooses it's dominant music stream when a song is requested through Alexa, and the app will automatically play the music from that dominant stream (usually Amazon Music). Because Alexa on our Dash Cams require the Alexa app to function, the music request is processed via the Alexa app, not Nextbase's, hence we have no control of the streaming provider choice. I'm aware that on an Amazon Alexa enabled home device, streaming via Spotify works, so i'm not sure on the specific agreement change on the Alexa app for Dash Cams that makes this not possible. The only solution I can currently give that isn't listed above (good hint @Spuds) is contacting Amazon directly and putting in Spotify request feedback.

Regards,
Millie

 

[_ThaNerd_]

So no Spotify compatibility in the near future? I just bought this camera (still unopened) so wondering if I should just return it and wait for the Echo Auto to be released here in Canada.