Google Assistant not playing ROUTINES and personal playlists on Spotify despite proper commands

[marcolopes]

This is a recurrent problem, introduced either by Google OR Spotify (they are NOT clear about that!)

It was introduced in the beginning of the YEAR (2024): https://community.spotify.com/t5/Your-Library/Google-Assistant-devices-re-direct-to-random-albums-wi...

It was FIXED in JUNE!! https://community.spotify.com/t5/Your-Library/Google-Assistant-devices-re-direct-to-random-albums-wi...

It was reintroduced 2 DAYS ago!

GOOGLE NEST Community Thread (the NEW one, because they closed the previous one once this issue was solved by Spotify + Google) https://www.googlenestcommunity.com/t5/Speakers-and-Displays/Google-Nest-Mini-play-wrong-songs-and-p...

[zyberwoof]

This just started happening for an existing, previously working routine this week.  The routine played a personal Spotify playlist.  I even renamed the playlist to make the name longer and more unique, but that didn't help.

[marcolopes]

URGENT! RECURRENT ISSUE! PLEASE FIX ASAP! THIS IS VERY ANNOYING! PLEASE STOP MESSING UP WHAT'S OK!! THIS WAS FIXED!!

SAME problem described HERE: https://www.googlenestcommunity.com/t5/Speakers-and-Displays/Google-Nest-Mini-play-wrong-songs-and-p...

(you should not LOCK topics, because they can be REUSED!!)

Since YESTERDAY, when i try to play "Discover Weekly" PLAYLIST on Google Nest Mini, it plays something else (an LP, a song, etc, called "Discover" or "Discovery", etc) and DOES NOT PLAY the "Discover Weekly" Playlist!

From almost 6 months i said "Hey Google, Play Discover Weekly PLAYLIST", and all was FINE!

Suddenly, it doesn't play the only playlist called "Discover Weekly" that i have on my profile!

What changed???

I could make it play ONCE again (but ONLY ONE TIME!) saying "Play the Spotify Playlist called Discover Weekly"! But now not even this complex command works!!!

[marcolopes]

Thread in the Spotify community https://community.spotify.com/t5/Your-Library/Google-Assistant-devices-re-direct-to-random-albums-wi...

[marcolopes]

As usual, this BUG also affects the execution of ROUTINES, THAT ARE NO LONGER EXECUTED with voice commands!! https://www.googlenestcommunity.com/t5/Speakers-and-Displays/Google-Assistant-not-playing-ROUTINES-a...

[zyberwoof]

This just started happening for an existing, previously working routine this week. The routine played a personal Spotify playlist. I even renamed the playlist to make the name longer and more unique, but that didn't help.

[marcolopes]

Yes...

It's all related to the nonsense BUG that Google keeps fixing and introducing again and again!!

Why???

Using the Nests Mini has been a TERRIBLE experience!!

I've lost more time posting and reaching out for support than any other product I own!

How is this possible???

This is complete and utterly TORTURE!!!

Seems someone is constantly SABOTAGING Google from the inside! 

[Dickiebo]

Completely agree. Mine has been a disaster for over a year now. Just will NOT play my playlists. Instead, plays some unrelated rubbish music!

[Milessimon]

I'm also affected by this, it started on the exact day everyone else started to experience it. 

In my case, I'd previously renamed the playlist "Europa", the command is "shuffle my Europa playlist on the bedroom speakers". 9/10 times I run the routine I'm given a playlist called "this is A-europa", 1/10 I get "the best of Europe". The ambiguity is confusion as it's a routine, so the command is written. 

I've tried all the usual nonsense suggestions, unlinking and relinking Spotify, resetting the speakers, rebuilding the routine. None of it works.

[Dickiebo]

I see a number of similar issues - I suffer also, big time - but no answers?

[marcolopes]

No! The only positive feedback I obtained was from spotify, last year, when they said after the first time this was fixed that they worked with Google and some changes were made to resolve this. Check the Spotify thread https://community.spotify.com/t5/Your-Library/Google-Assistant-devices-re-direct-to-random-albums-wi...

Meanwhile the problem resurfaced one more time, fixed again, and now it's back!! 

Google says nothing about it...

No explanation, no feedback on possible causes and fixes, NOTHING! 

[marcolopes]

There is NO FIX from the USER side!

This is a recurring BUG being introduced OVER AND OVER AGAIN! 

Please check out the Spotify topic for more information https://community.spotify.com/t5/Your-Library/Google-Assistant-devices-re-direct-to-random-albums-wi...

This was fixed 2 times in the last year, and now it's back!

Spotify said they worked with Google last year to fix this last year, but did not disclose who's fault was it!

It seems someone is boycotting Google from the inside! There is no other explanation!

[Jess5]

This issue started back a few days ago which is  soo annoying after just a few month of working. 

The fixes are so unreliable, seriously what is happening to Google! 

[marcolopes]

I swear I don't understand! 

I wouldn't expect such nonsense, lack of professionalism and lack of quality assurance from ANY company, let alone from Google! 

A line of products that had a CRACKLING POPPING SOUND when playing AUDIO (their main purpose!!) for YEARS! finally resolved last year after so much pain and feedback from the users, here in the community and over support...

A line of products that we cannot trust out alarms, voice commands, ROUTINES, etc etc...

A line of products where problems are eventually fixed but SYSTEMATICALLY reintroduced over and over again!!

How can one expalin this???

[SmartHomeH-TAGS]

Does anyone have a Nest Hub or Nest Hub Max to try the Spotify routines out on? 

Mine are still working perfectly on them , but not on the Google Mini.

I was even able to mute the Spotify Introduction before the playlist starts.

[virnab]

Hi there!

Thanks for posting in our community.

I understand how challenging it has been for you to deal with a recurring audio problem when trying to play routines and personal playlists on Spotify using the Google Assistant. I appreciate everyone actively participating in this thread, sharing your experiences, and detailing the efforts you've made to resolve this issue. Let's find a solution together.

To help me gather more information and provide further assistance, please answer the following questions:

1. Can you play other Spotify playlists (e.g., curated or public ones) via voice command?
2. What exact voice command are you using when trying to play the personal playlist?
3. What does Google Assistant respond with when the command is given?
4. Is Spotify selected as the default music provider?
5. Can the playlist be played from the Spotify app directly on the same device?
6. Are you using a free or premium Spotify account?
7. Does the issue affect all personal playlists or just a specific one?
8. What is the routine intended to do, and which specific actions are included?
9. How is the routine being triggered? Is it by voice, a schedule, or a device-based event?
10. What exactly happens when you attempt to trigger the routine? (e.g., no response, partial execution, error)
11. Which parts of the routine fail to execute, and which parts (if any) still work?
12. Has the routine ever worked previously, and if so, when did the issue begin?
13. Have you recently edited or recreated the routine?
14. Have you tested running the routine manually through the Google Home app?
15. Does the issue occur on all devices or is it isolated to a specific one?

I will be looking forward to your response.

Best regards,

Virna

[marcolopes]

Are you kidding us???

This is a SERVER SIDE problem!

It's a recurring problem that you keep introducing over and over again!

Check my previous posts!

Check the OLD threads over last year with the same problem!

Check the RESOLUTION that you implemented in the last 2 times you introduced this problem!

Investigate WHY is this problem occurring over and over!

Why is it fixed and comes back few months later!

You already KNOW this problem!

You already KNOW how to FIX it!!

[Jess5]

1. Can you play other Spotify playlists (e.g., curated or public ones) via voice command?

Yes

1. What exact voice command are you using when trying to play the personal playlist?

This is part of my night time routine, where on the last part of the routine under the music command, i write [Play "Sleep-Lofi" for 40 minutes]

1. What does Google Assistant respond with when the command is given?

All other aspects of the night time routine work as usual.

- Set Alarm

- Turn off smart lights

- lower volume

- Then good would say "ok playing lofi beat hip hop community, lofi beat, lofi chillhop" 

Which is not the playlist I requested.

1. Is Spotify selected as the default music provider?

yes

1. Can the playlist be played from the Spotify app directly on the same device?

yes the playlist can be played on Spotify

1. Are you using a free or premium Spotify account?

Premium

1. Does the issue affect all personal playlists or just a specific one?

I have a workout routine where I ask Spotify to play "Today's Top Hits" which works fine. Both playlist are public playlists.

1. What is the routine intended to do, and which specific actions are included?

The Bedtime routine is as follows:

Set Alarm

- Turn off smart lights

- lower volume

- Play "Sleep-lofi" for 40 minutes - it suppose to play this specific public playlist

1. How is the routine being triggered? Is it by voice, a schedule, or a device-based event?

When I say "Hey Google goodnight"

1. What exactly happens when you attempt to trigger the routine? (e.g., no response, partial execution, error)

Partial execution, a wrong playlist is played. Does not read the command properly. Google won't play the "Sleep-Lofi" playlist and instead selects this one "lofi beat hip hop community, lofi beat, lofi chillhop" public playlist which is not even close.

1. Which parts of the routine fail to execute, and which parts (if any) still work?

The playing the correct playlist fails in the routine. The rest of the routine works.

1. Has the routine ever worked previously, and if so, when did the issue begin?

Yes, worked perfectly fine until a week ago. However this issue had happened previously and only just resolved in about May this year.

1. Have you recently edited or recreated the routine?

no

1. Have you tested running the routine manually through the Google Home app?

yes

1. Does the issue occur on all devices or is it isolated to a specific one?

yes happens to all my google device.

[Milessimon]

Most of this is answered in the initial reports but hey, why not?

1. Can you play other Spotify playlists (e.g., curated or public ones) via voice command?
   Yes, without any issues.
2. What exact voice command are you using when trying to play the personal playlist?
   It doesn't work in any variation of "Play/Shuffle my (playlist name) playlist on the (speaker name)". It is also unaffected by omitting the words my, playlist, or not specifying a speaker.
   The specific example I cited was "Shuffle my Europa playlist on the bedroom speaker", which results in either "This is A-Europa" or "The best of Europe" being played on the specified speakers when initiated via routine. How a written command can produce different responses is beyond me.
   When initiated by voice command this works perfectly 100% of the time.
3. What does Google Assistant respond with when the command is given?
   "OK, playing (totally unrelated playlist)"
4. Is Spotify selected as the default music provider?
   Yes
5. Can the playlist be played from the Spotify app directly on the same device?
   Yes, but not using a routine.
6. Are you using a free or premium Spotify account?
   Premium
7. Does the issue affect all personal playlists or just a specific one?
   All personal playlists, and generic ones too. The routine never selects a matching playlist, but something debatably similar.
8. What is the routine intended to do, and which specific actions are included?
   This is not relevant. The routine I noticed causing the issue completes a variety of tasks such as reading my itinerary for the following day, adjusting screen brightness, switching off lights. I have created a new routine with just the playlist command (no other tasks) and the outcome is the same.
9. How is the routine being triggered? Is it by voice, a schedule, or a device-based event?
   Not relevant. The outcome is the same for all 3, as well as manually triggering in the Home app.
10. What exactly happens when you attempt to trigger the routine? (e.g., no response, partial execution, error)
    Assistant believes it has completed the routine successfully (since it has initiated a playlist, albeit a totally incorrect one)
11. Which parts of the routine fail to execute, and which parts (if any) still work?
    All parts work, except the playlist selected is incorrect.
12. Has the routine ever worked previously, and if so, when did the issue begin?
    As countless people have already advised, this issue seems to reoccur on a regular basis. We all experience it at the same time, as well as receive a fix at the same time. This demonstrates that it is not user error.
13. Have you recently edited or recreated the routine?
    Only to test after the fault occured.
14. Have you tested running the routine manually through the Google Home app?
    Yes, same result.
15. Does the issue occur on all devices or is it isolated to a specific one?
    Multiple devices in my home (various phones, various accounts) as well as the other users on this thread.

[Dickiebo]

How long before you reply?

[Anarchocommi]

For the last month or so, my Google Nest Mini has stopped playing the Spotify playlists in my morning routines, and I’ve seen countless threads on here discussing this. This makes my Google Nest Mini obsolete not only because this is the only reason I use it, but also because it ruins my Spotify taste profile because now it doesn’t play my routine playlists which were excluded from my taste profile.

• Device: Google Nest Mini
• Country: United States
• Purchased: United States
• Voice command: None
• Automation ‘What music would you like to play?’: “xxxxxxxxx summer routine”
• Saying “hey Google play ‘xxxxxxxx summer routine’ playlist” also doesn’t work

The playlists used to be just called ‘podcast routine’ and ‘summer wake up routine’ and those stopped working. Voice commands to play other personal playlists don’t work either. 

• I ensured that the Google account linked to the speaker is the same one on my phone.
• I offloaded and reloaded the Google Home app to clear the cache.
• I unlinked and relinked Spotify as my default service.
• I had recently turned off the microphone on the Nest so I re-enabled it to see if that would fix it but it didn’t.
• I reset and repaired the speaker, which caused it to update in the process, but this didn’t fix it either.

My Google Home app is up to date.

Google Nest Mini (1st gen) Technical information

System firmware version: 468362

Cast firmware: 3.75.468362

• can I play other playlists? No
• not using a voice command
• assistant plays random Spotify music even if I use a voice command
• spotify is the default provider
• yes i can play the playlist on my phone
• using premium spotify
• affects all personal playlists
• routine: start at 8am, adjust volume, play music: [playlist name]
  
• trigger: schedule
• when triggered, fails to play correct playlist, everything else works
• routine worked for years and stopped ~1 month ago
• i did not edit the routine, but I tried recreating it and it didn’t help
• running it manually doesn’t help 
• I only have one device, can’t test on others 

[marcolopes]

Thank you for your feedback!

It's all related to the way GOOGLE keeps "changing" the way VOICE COMMANDS are prioritized!

This is all related to the problem playing Spotify Music using VOICE commands...

As said, this is a PROBLEM introduced last year at least 2 TIMES (and FIXED after much pressure from users!)

Google Knows it, and knows HOW to FIX.

This ecosystem is PLAGUED with reintroduced BUGS and PROBLEMS.

One can't ever say that something is FIXED forever, as Google keeps bringing this problems back!

I never experienced such a HORRIFIC user experience on anything in my (long) life!!!

[Anarchocommi]

If you’ve fixed this problem before, please please please fix it again.

What’s the estimated wait for a solution? 

I’m getting to the point where I want to take my Google Nest Mini to e-waste recycling and tell everyone I know not to purchase Google devices if I can’t get my Spotify playlists back for much longer. 

[marcolopes]

Sadly, looking back on the other two times this happened in the last 2 years, it will take months  before anyone does anything...

It puzzles me how a company like Google allows this to happen...

It's the pinnacle of disorganization!...

[Dickiebo]

Exactly my feelings.

[Tommyg83]

1. Can you play other Spotify playlists (e.g., curated or public ones) via voice command?

No
2. What exact voice command are you using when trying to play the personal playlist?

I've tried many.  Oddly I'm having the opposite issue. I can trigger my personal playlists with a voice command, but not via a scheduled routine.
3. What does Google Assistant respond with when the command is given?

It normally doesn't respond with anything and just plays a random public playlist with a similar title to the one I requested.  IMPORTANTLY!! occasionally when trying to manually trigger the routine to play a personal spotify playlist I get the response "this feature is only available to Spotify premium subscribers" " or playing albums is only available to Spotify Premium Subscribers" which i am.  This tells me it's an issue with google routines not recognising your spotify premium subscription.

4. Is Spotify selected as the default music provider?

Yes

5. Can the playlist be played from the Spotify app directly on the same device?

Yes
6.Are you using a free or premium Spotify account?

Premium

7. Does the issue affect all personal playlists or just a specific one?

All. 

8. What is the routine intended to do, and which specific actions are included?

"shuffle my Home Quiet Mix playlist on spotify on the living room speaker" is all I'm using to test now.  Even this most basic command doesn't work. 

9. How is the routine being triggered? Is it by voice, a schedule, or a device-based event?

I have less trouble using a voice command, I can trigger many personal playlists using a voice command, but not via a scheduled routine, or manually triggering a routine. 

10. What exactly happens when you attempt to trigger the routine? (e.g., no response, partial execution, error)

When I try to play a personal Spotify playlist via a scheduled routine or manually triggering a routine, it plays a similar sounding public playlist and I get one of these responses from the google home speaker. 

 "this feature is only available to Spotify premium subscribers" "

or

playing albums is only available to Spotify Premium Subscribers" 

11. Which parts of the routine fail to execute, and which parts (if any) still work?

suddenly for many months triggering personal spotify playlists via voice commands didn't work, I uninstalled everything, flushed google and spotify caches, signed out everywhere on Spotify, relinked spotify in the home app, recreated my Home in the home app, recreated the routines and eventually voice commands worked again, but now I still can't trigger a personal playlist via scheduled routines or manually triggering the routine.

12. Has the routine ever worked previously, and if so, when did the issue begin?

Yes it used to all work perfectly, up until around March or April 2025.

13. Have you recently edited or recreated the routine?

Yes, see question 11

14. Have you tested running the routine manually through the Google Home app?

Yes, see question 11

15. Does the issue occur on all devices or is it isolated to a specific one?

All devices

[AuIP]

I don't think anyone is expecting much to happen, as this issue has been ongoing for months that with no resolution.

However, I am adding my information on the hope that Google will realize that this is STILL a problem over 4 months later, and it is not just a Spotify problem, it also affects Deezer and likely other music platforms.

Can you play other Spotify playlists (e.g., curated or public ones) via voice command?

• Again, this is while using Deezer for music, which is compatible with Google Home.
• By vocalized (out loud) voice commands: I can summon my playlists without issue.
• In Home Routines: will not play the correct playlist with either the "play music" command or a custom command identical to the vocalized command.

What exact voice command are you using when trying to play the personal playlist?

• Vocalized (out loud): play my sleepy lofi playlist (WORKS PERFECTLY)
• Routine commands-
• Play Music: my sleepy lofi playlist

• Play Music: my "sleepy lofi" playlist
• Play music: My sleepy Lo-Fi playlist 
• Play music: the playlist sleepy lofi made by Deezer
• Play music: the playlist "sleepy lofi" by (name of Deezer DJ)
• (Above all result in random incorrect playlists or albums playing, and often a completely different one at each instance that the routine runs)
• Play music: (url link to my playlist) (result: "sorry I could find that")
• Custom command: play my sleepy lofi playlist [and other iterations as above]

What does Google Assistant respond with when the command is given?

Is Spotify selected as the default music provider?

• Deezer is selected as the default provider. This Google Nest integration is affecting multiple music providers that "work with" Google Home (term used lightly because I'm not sure you can say these devices "work" with anything at this point)

Can the playlist be played from the Spotify app directly on the same device?

• Playlist can be played without issue on mobile device manually, with mobile-device Google assistant vocal command, and when vocalizing the command out loud to the Google speaker
• The problem only happens when trying to play a playlist via a Google home routine using a Google speaker. Why bother making a routine if it is not going to DO IT. Why do I have to say the playlist OUT LOUD to get it to play correctly?

Are you using a free or premium Spotify account?

• I am using a premium Deezer account 

Does the issue affect all personal playlists or just a specific one?

• It affects all personal playlists, and playlists created by other users that I have added to my favorites. It is like Google is purposely blinded to what is in my favorites. It will play anything and everything EXCEPT what is in my favorites

What is the routine intended to do, and which specific actions are included?

• Bedtime routine: play bedtime announcements, play playlist, decrease music volume at steps until routine states to stop music
• Morning routine: announcements, news, playlist

How is the routine being triggered? Is it by voice, a schedule, or a device-based event?

• The routine plays the erroneous playlist regardless of whether it starts automatically, manually, or is triggered with a vocal command

What exactly happens when you attempt to trigger the routine? (e.g., no response, partial execution, error)

• All parts of the routine work fine EXCEPT for the music prompts. 

Which parts of the routine fail to execute, and which parts (if any) still work?

• See above 

Has the routine ever worked previously, and if so, when did the issue begin?

• Yes, this routine previously worked fine. The issue began shortly before my mental health started unraveling (because my Google Home routines no longer played the music I expected in relation to the various transitions in my day.)

Have you recently edited or recreated the routine?

• Yes but only after the issue started to try to get it to work again.
• I gave up on routines for several months and just today tried again. I was extremely disappointed to find that this bug still persists.

Have you tested running the routine manually through the Google Home app?

• I already answered this, do you like repeating yourself? I do not

Does the issue occur on all devices or is it isolated to a specific one?

• It occurrs on any/all devices running a routine with a music command or custom command for a specific playlist or specific album. I have a Nest and 4 mini 2nd gen

[laurenjy26]

I've been having this issue too for months ! tried changing playlist names, clearing caches, uninstalling apps, nothing has made a difference! have had these speakers for years and suddenly the they can't do the thing I've been using them for daily !!!

[marcolopes]

NOTHING to do with apps!!!

This is A SERVER SIDE problem that keeps being introduced OVER and over again!

[Vicki3]

My issue is that i cannot get any radio stations. I have been in co tact with radioapp and they have been very very good trying to resolve the issue but it is google and they don't care. I have changed to alexa with no problems. I will go back to google when they sort their **bleep** out

[jpzsports]

Same issue here! Extremely annoying. It's been happening for several weeks now. My Google home automation for bedtime would automatically play a specific playlist for me and it is not working anymore and keep playing a different playlist. What is odd is that when I say the command by voice, it does work. But when I have the exact same command built into the automation, it fails to pick the correct playlist. Google and Spotify need to fix this ASAP!

[marcolopes]

THEY know how to FIX it because they fixed 2 TIMES already over the past year!

The thing is they keep REINTRODUCING the problem over and over again!

Seems there is a saboteur in their teams!!!

[wedge11383]

I am having this issue but for me it seems confined just to my Google Nest Minis.  The hubs and my old Lenovo smart clock recognize the personal playlist and work properly.

They are on firmware 468348

Tested on 3 Nest minis -doesn't work.

Tested on 5 Nest Hub displays and 2 Nest Hub Maxes and working fine on those.

[marcolopes]

Yes, the problem is mainly (or only?) related to Nest Mini (i have 3)

I've been living with this nonsense over and over again for 2 years!

At least, THIS time, i can still play the playlists i need saying "Hey Google, play XXXX PLAYLIST".

Yet, when i say "Hey Google, Sleep"!!! Instead of executing the SLEEP routine, it plays a Sleep playlist!

I've said it MANY times!!! This was OK... then NOT ok... then OK again... Google keeps messing this all up!

PRIORITY in VOICE commands SHOULD BE the routines!

If a prefix PLAY is used, the priority should be:

- Playlists (PERSONAL first -> then PUBLIC)

- LPs

- Songs

That's is!!!

This was working! Until it was not...

[jpzsports]

How has this issue not been fixed yet?? A massive company like Google should be able to figure this out within 24 hours. The fact that it has been over a month and it still persists is mindblowing.

[marcolopes]

The fact that it was fixed and REINTRODUCED 2 times last year alone says it all!...

Check the previous locked topics and the Spotify community one, still active since the first occurrence.

[kizzydanger]

What are the odds I chose now to create my first ever Google Home routine including a personal Spotify playlist 🤦‍♀️

[SmartHomeH-TAGS]

.......................

[jpzsports]

Is there an alternative way to get this playlist to work? I've tried renaming it to different things and it hasn't worked. Is it just personal playlists that are not working or are there regular playlists that are working? I'm open to trying anything to get this resolved in the meantime because it seems like Google could care less about fixing this issue for all of us.

[SmartHomeH-TAGS]

..........................