[SOLVED] Bluetooth needs reconnecting after using Spotify connect

[CasaDeBasa]

Hello Forum!

I'm running moOde 8.2.3 on an RPi 3 B v1.2 - I have two main use cases for it:
1. Spotify connect
2. Bluetooth streaming from a Google Nest Mini


My problem is as follows:

1. I use Spotify connect (which works wonders)
   
2. I stop Spotify playback
   
3. I start playback on the Google Nest (which is still paired and connected by BT)
   
4. I get no sound
   

If I browse to the web UI and reconnect BT from there, it plays fine.

Is there a way to get playback to switch back to the BT renderer automatically without having to reconnect?

[Tim Curtis]

The audio renderers are independent playback applications and unless they release the audio output when not playing or not connected then other renderers won't be able to play or maintain their connections.

IIRC Spotify Connect, Bluetooth, Squeezelite and RoonBridge do not release the audio output. Only Airplay does this after a 10 second timeout. MPD also releases the audio output. This is what enables a renderer to interrupt MPD playback.

[CasaDeBasa]

The audio renderers are independent playback applications and unless they release the audio output when not playing or not connected then other renderers won't be able to play or maintain their connections.

IIRC Spotify Connect, Bluetooth, Squeezelite and RoonBridge do not release the audio output. Only Airplay does this after a 10 second timeout. MPD also releases the audio output. This is what enables a renderer to interrupt MPD playback.

I was about to accept this fate, understanding from your comment that it would require a considerable effort to have it behave differently.
For some reason, after unpairing BT, restarting both the Pi and the Nest and then pairing again, BT playback can now successfully take over Spotify. Perhaps this is 'allowed' to happen because even when playing through the Nest, it's still Spotify - just on a different Spotify-connect device. This way the renderer probably does release the output. 

[Tim Curtis]

Well, glad it works :-)