For many smart home enthusiasts and music lovers, Amazon’s Alexa offers a convenient way to control music playback through voice commands. When linked to Spotify, users expect continuous playlists, seamless transitions, and hands-free interaction. However, over the past several months, a growing number of Alexa users encountered a frustrating issue: Spotify playback would stop after just one song, requiring constant reactivation. This article explores the root cause of the disruption and how a behind-the-scenes fix—specifically, a token refresh—ultimately restored proper functionality.
Contents of Post
TLDR (Too Long, Didn’t Read)
A recent issue caused Spotify playback via Alexa to stop after each song, disrupting playlist continuity. The root cause was linked to expired or stale access tokens that weren’t refreshing properly between tracks. Amazon and Spotify have since resolved the issue by implementing a more reliable token refresh mechanism. Users should now experience uninterrupted playlist streaming when using voice commands through Alexa.
The Playback Paradox: One Song at a Time
For those accustomed to streaming music through voice commands like “Alexa, play my chill playlist on Spotify,” the sudden inability to enjoy more than one song per command was both confusing and frustrating. The problem wasn’t universal, but it was widespread enough to affect thousands of users globally. After one song, Alexa would go silent or respond with vague errors when asked to continue the playlist.
This issue spanned multiple Alexa-enabled devices: Echo Dots, Echo Shows, and third-party Alexa implementations. Users took to online forums, Reddit threads, Amazon support pages, and even Spotify community discussions to report similar behavior. What had once been a seamless link between two advanced services suddenly felt broken.
Understanding the Problem: Authentication and Expiring Tokens
The core of the issue lay in Alexa’s reliance on authentication tokens granted by Spotify. These tokens allow Alexa to access and control Spotify on behalf of the user. Under normal circumstances, Spotify issues a token that is valid for a set period, during which time Alexa can play songs, control playback, and access playlists without re-authentication.
However, due to a bug or misconfiguration in token management between the two services, these tokens began expiring prematurely—or weren’t being refreshed automatically. The result? Each new song required a new session authentication, which wasn’t happening correctly. Hence, Alexa would play only the first song and then stop.
From a technical point of view, this represents a failure in OAuth token lifecycle management. The refresh token process, intended to extend usability of the login session without requiring user interaction, simply failed to fire in time or at all.
Temporary Workarounds Suggested by the Community
Before an official fix was released, the Alexa and Spotify communities came together to try various temporary solutions. Some of the most frequent workarounds included:
- Unlinking and relinking the Spotify account in the Alexa app
- Changing the default music service from Spotify to another and then back
- Factory resetting Alexa devices, though this was more drastic and often didn’t resolve the problem
- Switching to Amazon Music or Apple Music as a temporary replacement
While a few users reported temporary success with these tips, most found them inconsistent. The underlying issue remained unsolved at the infrastructural level.
The Token Refresh Fix: Behind-the-Scenes Repair
By late 2023, Amazon and Spotify engineering teams initiated a deeper review of the API interactions between their services. It became evident that periodic refresh calls for Spotify’s OAuth tokens were either not being made, or not being handled appropriately by the receiving service, especially after long idle times or app/device reboots.
In early 2024, a silent update was rolled out. Though not publicly announced in a major press release, developer changelogs and user feedback confirmed the resolution. This update allows Alexa to automatically generate and use fresh tokens when initiating or continuing Spotify playback, even after idle periods or when executing long playlists.
The difference was immediate. Users noticed that playlist playback now continued beyond the first song, queues stayed intact, and voice commands such as “next,” “pause,” and “resume” worked without issue. For many, the update brought Alexa’s Spotify integration back to its former glory.
Lasting Effects and Lessons Learned
This ordeal highlighted some key lessons for users and developers alike:
- SaaS Integration Complexity: Even seamless front-end experiences rely on a delicate interplay of back-end systems, including authentication protocols, APIs, and device communication layers.
- Transparency Builds Trust: Many users expressed frustration not only with the issue but with the lack of official updates during the downtime. Future incidents may benefit from more transparent communications.
- User Dependency on Voice Tech: As dependency on voice assistants grows, any disruption is more noticeable—and more disruptive—than ever before.
Preventing Future Breakdowns
While this particular issue appears to be resolved, users can take proactive steps to prevent or mitigate similar issues in the future:
- Keep your Alexa app and device firmware up to date
- Periodically check connected music service settings
- Unlink and relink third-party services if you notice playback issues
- Regularly reboot Alexa devices to prevent memory leaks or caching problems
For developers and system architects, more consistent logging and better error messaging can help reduce troubleshooting time in future cases.
Conclusion
Spotify and Alexa together form a powerful duo for music streaming in a smart home environment. The disruption caused by the music-stopping-after-one-song bug offered a glimpse into the fragility of interconnected systems, especially when token management falters. The eventual fix, rooted in reestablishing a reliable token refresh mechanism, not only restored normalcy but also underscored the importance of constant backend monitoring and adaptable system design.
Now that the systems are in sync again, users can breathe easy and return to relaxing—or rocking out—to their favorite playlists, hands-free.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Why did Alexa stop playing Spotify after one song?
This was due to an issue with expired Spotify authentication tokens that were not refreshing properly between songs. - Was this issue caused by Spotify or Amazon?
The problem resulted from a miscommunication between Spotify’s authentication system and Alexa’s handling of token lifecycle. Both teams collaborated to resolve it. - Is there a fix available now?
Yes. A backend update was implemented that resolved the token refresh issue, restoring playlist continuity for most users. - What can I do if my Spotify is still not working with Alexa?
Try unlinking and relinking your Spotify account in the Alexa app, rebooting your Echo device, or checking for software updates via the Alexa app and your device settings. - Can I use other music services with Alexa?
Absolutely. Alexa supports services like Apple Music, Amazon Music, Pandora, and others that can be set as your default music source.