Spotify on version 9

[P100D_Me]

My day job is a computer programmer (in the automotive industry in fact) so I look at what Tesla are doing with their shoddy updates and just shake my head in disbelief. When programming for Windows PC's one of the biggest issues programmers face is trying to accommodate a million different hardware configurations, with Telsa there is really no excuse why things do not work as they only have three MCU revisions right?
I too believe their code is a spaghetti mess (been there before due to budgets and time) and when that is the case then bugs always surface, always! This Spotify thing is beyond a joke now, how can they keep breaking it, fixing it, breaking it! Everyone please call your service centre and tell them you've had enough, as others have said when the MCU operation is being so flaky all the time it is distracting to the driver and I now have zero confidence Tesla can pull off FSD, zero confidence.
To me these Easter eggs they keep adding in are an insult when the core system isn't stable, I am picturing the Tesla programming department as a bunch of 'kids' sitting on bean bags, disappearing off to play basketball every few hours whilst never staying focussed on the task.
Given we are told over and over that they are a software company, they are a tech company etc, then maybe they need to release updates like software companies do. They need beta testing outside of their programming department, imagine there was beta testers here in Australia (maybe the dealer principles car at each dealer could get early access beta software). We all knew Spotify was broken within 5 mins of installing the update, that says to me it was not even tested at Tesla, really poor stuff for sure and it should never have been released.

 

[P100D_Me]

How hard is it to get the app right, and then not reintroduce bugs? This is a genuine question, I'm not a programmer

In what I imagine would be a fairly big programming department there is usually version controls as files are being shared between programmers. So lets say someone messed with the Spotify code and introduced a bug that got released, when the code is fixed that update is shared with everyone in the pool so when the code is recompiled everyone is doing it off the updated file. This is in its simplest form, but I have worked at places where this sharing can fall over and someone puts back old files into the code pool to be compiled.
I can only assume something like this is happening at Tesla because the Spotify bug is the same everytime. It could also be that the Spotify login bug is caused but something unrelated to the Spotify app part of the MCU.

 

[paulp]

My day job is a computer programmer (in the automotive industry in fact) so I look at what Tesla are doing with their shoddy updates and just shake my head in disbelief. When programming for Windows PC's one of the biggest issues programmers face is trying to accommodate a million different hardware configurations, with Telsa there is really no excuse why things do not work as they only have three MCU revisions right?
I too believe their code is a spaghetti mess (been there before due to budgets and time) and when that is the case then bugs always surface, always! This Spotify thing is beyond a joke now, how can they keep breaking it, fixing it, breaking it! Everyone please call your service centre and tell them you've had enough, as others have said when the MCU operation is being so flaky all the time it is distracting to the driver and I now have zero confidence Tesla can pull off FSD, zero confidence.
To me these Easter eggs they keep adding in are an insult when the core system isn't stable, I am picturing the Tesla programming department as a bunch of 'kids' sitting on bean bags, disappearing off to play basketball every few hours whilst never staying focussed on the task.
Given we are told over and over that they are a software company, they are a tech company etc, then maybe they need to release updates like software companies do. They need beta testing outside of their programming department, imagine there was beta testers here in Australia (maybe the dealer principles car at each dealer could get early access beta software). We all knew Spotify was broken within 5 mins of installing the update, that says to me it was not even tested at Tesla, really poor stuff for sure and it should never have been released.

Based on AP2.5, and the errors it makes, FSD that will not need driver attention is still a long way off.

 

[doctorwho]

In what I imagine would be a fairly big programming department there is usually version controls as files are being shared between programmers. So lets say someone messed with the Spotify code and introduced a bug that got released, when the code is fixed that update is shared with everyone in the pool so when the code is recompiled everyone is doing it off the updated file. This is in its simplest form, but I have worked at places where this sharing can fall over and someone puts back old files into the code pool to be compiled.
I can only assume something like this is happening at Tesla because the Spotify bug is the same everytime. It could also be that the Spotify login bug is caused but something unrelated to the Spotify app part of the MCU.

OK, thanks for the explanation, that would make sense for the first time the error was reintroduced but shouldn't that have been recognised and corrected to prevent it the second time?

 

[ICUDoc]

Given that the media app is likely the most commonly used app in the car, it really needs to be bullet-proof. Problems like this really taint the user experience for so many owners

Absolutely. When there is genuine competition for the Model S (Taycan, maybe?), then I'm going shopping. If Tesla has lifted their game, I'll stick with them, but the ****ing RADIO has to work.
Maybe not a Taycan, VAG has an ugly track record. But similar.

 

[P100D_Me]

Absolutely. When there is genuine competition for the Model S (Taycan, maybe?), then I'm going shopping. If Tesla has lifted their game, I'll stick with them, but the ****ing RADIO has to work.

Yep that is part of the problem, they really have no competition so the pressure to get things right first time isn't there (for now).
I suspect Tesla probably don't believe a dodgy infotainment system is enough to make someone sell a car and move to another brand. I certainly don't sugar coat it when people ask about my Model S, I say everything is brilliant except the software team that program the big screen needs a shake up because it is pretty bad.

What really annoys me with the current status is I only updated from the last release which fixed the broken Spotify login as they apparently fixed the bug when the BT was being muted when answering calls. The BT issue seems to be fixed but now Spotify is broken again. I'm hoping that at least one release this year will have everything working and stable and I'll never bother updating after that, their track record is not good enough to always be on the latest releases.
To add salt to the Spotify wound, the USB audio player that has audible glitches when playing regular old mp3's, it's so bad I don't even bother with USB now, combined with non working Spotify and no DAB to use we really only have FM and Tunein (which thankfully always seems to be working).

 

[baillies]

Really wish Tesla had Spotify in the US. If the Cali owners and especially Tesla employees all had these issues maybe it would get more focus. With probably around 50% of global Tesla’s (lots of model 3’s last year) being in Cali issues like Spotify, windscreen wipers and water ingress that can freeze overnight are not coming up as big enough issues.

 

[P100D_Me]

I suspect they don't have any beta testing mechanisms in place outside the US or they would have known right away Spotify was again broken. It really isn't fair on the service centres to be bug reporters for what should be classed as beta releases we are installing.

 

[PJF000]

To me these Easter eggs they keep adding in are an insult when the core system isn't stable, I am picturing the Tesla programming department as a bunch of 'kids' sitting on bean bags, disappearing off to play basketball every few hours whilst never staying focussed on the task.

 

[raynewman]

I suspect they don't have any beta testing mechanisms in place outside the US or they would have known right away Spotify was again broken. It really isn't fair on the service centres to be bug reporters for what should be classed as beta releases we are installing.

I don't know what all the fuss is about; nothing at all wrong with Spotify in my car (Model S 85).
Been playing 'The best of Queen' and my private playlist most of the day - no worries.
Tesla software version 2018.44.

 

[paulp]

I don't know what all the fuss is about; nothing at all wrong with Spotify in my car (Model S 85).
Been playing 'The best of Queen' and my private playlist most of the day - no worries.
Tesla software version 2018.44.

Agree, mine is also stable, using the latest version.
Just a thought, I use the basic tesla spotify account. Are those of you with issues using that or your own account?

 

[Tension]

I'm using the basic Tesla spotify account too and haven't been able to use it since updating to version 9 back at around Christmas.

 

[P100D_Me]

I don't know what all the fuss is about; nothing at all wrong with Spotify in my car (Model S 85).
Tesla software version 2018.44.

Yeah that version works fine, 2018.48 is when the problems came back.
I've only had my car since September 2018 and two updates have stopped Spotify working (car account or my own).
Whatever software the car had in it when I got it Spotify was working, updated not long after and it stopped working. They released another update which fixed it again and now the last one (2018.48) had wrecked it again, not a good run at all.

 

[Rockford]

I am running 2018.48.12.1 and have had no issues with Spotify, use it most days. (2015 Model S). I use my own account.

 

[P100D_Me]

2015 Model S

Maybe it is the AP2 and later cars that are having the issues then. I've seen the occasional freezing and rebooting of the screen as well with this update, others are getting that daily.

 

[doctorwho]

Agree, mine is also stable, using the latest version.
Just a thought, I use the basic tesla spotify account. Are those of you with issues using that or your own account?

I'd tell you if I could log into the Tesla Spotify account, I can't log into that one, nor my own account

 

[EcoCloudIT]

I have a 2015 Model S (AP1 with 3G) and a late 2018 Model X (AP2.5 with LTE)....both having similar issues...both on the latest software...and yes P100D_Me is right in that 2018.44 fixed things and then along came 2018.48 and it's all broken again...I suspect the rollout was stopped and some got unlucky.

Sort of went like this:

1. v9 release, Spotify unstable on S but okay on X
2. Update released on both cars and everything perfect including Spotify
3. XMAS presents released (Farts and Fire) now S and X (2018.48.etc, slight different numbers on the S/X) and now not only Spotify unstable but also spontaneously half reboots etc. even when not using Spotify

BTW, doesn't seem to matter if using own Spotify account of Tesla's....same issues....

 

[Vegas]

There is a deeper reset you can do via the touch screen - hit the vehicle icon at the bottom of the screen then go into safety and security. Then select 'powerdown' (may be power off - I'm just running off my memory here). Then it's important to not open the car doors or push any petals, or move in the seat - let it sit completely still for 3 minutes. After 3 minutes, open and close your door and allow it to reboot.

This is the deepest reboot you can do at home.

On the other issue regarding Spotify and screen lagging since installing V9 - I was constantly rebooting my car (2015 AP1) to try and improve this, with marginal success. I rang the tech support and they logged into the vehicle and have told me that there is a connectivity issue with my car and that they will get back to me in a few days with a 'fix'.

Hopefully, this problem will be rectified remotely for everyone with AP 1 cars via a bug fix.

 

[P100D_Me]

XMAS presents released (Farts and Fire) now S and X (2018.48.etc, slight different numbers on the S/X) and now not only Spotify unstable but also spontaneously half reboots etc. even when not using Spotify

And that release is still being rolled out as we type. The service centre in Melbourne are getting numerous complaints about the 2018.48 release and Spotify yet cars are still getting it, seems odd to me.
FWIW, yesterday my Spotify started working, no real reason why it just did when I turned the car on. Then the next drive it stopped again and the MCU froze and rebooted and I am back to no Spotify.

 

[doctorwho]

Now, I can suddenly login to my Spotify account, a step forward. Every time I try to select a playlist or play a song though the UI freezes and then the screen reboots after 30 seconds or so. Still useless