The latest version of the iPhone Spotify App had an annoying bug in it that appears to be corrected when combined with the most recent iOS update I downloaded this morning. Good thing as it was making me crazy thinking the App was going to crash in the middle of class, while I'm waiting for the song timer to catch up with the music after a transition.
My Settings
Apple and Spotify update software in batches of users = your iPhone may update at a different time, depending on your location. If you want to compare yours with mine, I'm running Spotify version 1.1.0.2549 and iOS 7.1.1.
Crossfade set at 10 seconds and Gapless Playback turned on.
Here's what was happening
I you were watching the playlist timer during the crossfade between tracks, you would hear the music transition smoothly, but the timer and album artwork would freeze in place for an agonizingly long period of time.
Why this is/was important to me... I can barely see those tiny numbers
I will often use the Stage button on the console (with it's large numbers) to help me time longer intervals - possibly different from how you would. This is a work-around (hack) for me, due to having a hard time focusing on the small fonts Spotify is using.
The 3-4 minute "Best Efforts" I do early in class, to establish PTP (Personal Threshold Power) are a great example. I want the effort to end along with the song if possible, so I need to understand the total length of the track - but not have to continuously watch the countdown timer I have trouble seeing. During the fade between songs I'll sit up (bringing my eyes to the best focal distance) and take a quick peek squint at my iPhone, note the total time and then hit the stage timer on my bike.
Yesterday I used The Crystal Method — Busy Child which is long - 7:25 mins, for the opening 4 min PTP effort. If I hit the Stage timer at the start, I now have the large numbers counting up. Next I can do so simple math in my head: 7:25 - 4:00 = 3:25. Now I know that if the class and I hit the Stage button (resetting the timer to zero) and start the effort at the 3:25 mark on the console timer, I have a near perfectly timed 4 minute interval timed to finish with the music 🙂
Understanding how I do this, do you see how frustrating it would be for me to be sitting there, watching and waiting for the timer to catch up and display properly? I swear there were times when it would take 10 seconds or more, with me staring at my iPhone like Mr. Magoo.
Now everything appears to be working smoothly - and that makes me happy!
John is a member on the AFS (Association of Fitness Studios) Advisory Council.
Holding certifications from; Schwinn, Heart Zones, Team ICG and Life Time Fitness, John's held regularly scheduled cycling classes between 1998 and 2015 when he moved to Florida.
When the weather permits, you'll find him riding and leading outdoor groups by himself or with his Tandem partner (wife) Amy.
- ICI Podcast 238 Meet Nerd Fitness Creator Steve Kamb - April 6, 2024
- ICI/PRO Podcast #113 Explosive Power pt 3 – Video PROfile with Tom Scotto from Stage 5 Cycling - March 31, 2024
- Spinning RideBook of class profiles - March 28, 2024