Google Assistant can't stop the music

[jegreenwood]

I have a Wiim streamer, and I will often tell the Google Assistant on my Google Home to, "Play WFUV on Wiim streamer," which it does. However on several recent occasions, when I tell it to, "Stop playing music on Wiim streamer," or, "Stop the music on Wiim streamer," or simply, "Stop the music," (when only the Wiim streamer is playing), it responds, "Sorry I don't understand." Repeating other variations of the command makes no difference.

When I type or dictate the command into the Google Assistant on my iPhone 15, it responds properly. When I ask the Google Assistant on my Google Home to repeat the command and it repeats it correctly. I tried the unplug/replug routine on my Google Home, but that made no difference.

It seems like it's just that one command. I can tell my Google Home to change the volume and it does so. If I play music on the Google Home device, itself or on a Naim device also connected, it can stop the music on itself or the Naim device. It's only the Wiim device that's affected - and only when I give the command to the device.

I have also posted in the Google Forum and sent an email to Google, but I haven't received a response.

I've had the issue on a Wiim Pro (Firmware 4.8.717049) and Pro Plus (Firmware 4.8.717458).

 

[Wiimer]

I have a Wiim streamer, and I will often tell the Google Assistant on my Google Home to, "Play WFUV on Wiim streamer," which it does. However on several recent occasions, when I tell it to, "Stop playing music on Wiim streamer," or, "Stop the music on Wiim streamer," or simply, "Stop the music," (when only the Wiim streamer is playing), it responds, "Sorry I don't understand." Repeating other variations of the command makes no difference.

When I type or dictate the command into the Google Assistant on my iPhone 15, it responds properly. When I ask the Google Assistant on my Google Home to repeat the command and it repeats it correctly. I tried the unplug/replug routine on my Google Home, but that made no difference.

It seems like it's just that one command. I can tell my Google Home to change the volume and it does so. If I play music on the Google Home device, itself or on a Naim device also connected, it can stop the music on itself or the Naim device. It's only the Wiim device that's affected - and only when I give the command to the device.

I have also posted in the Google Forum and sent an email to Google, but I haven't received a response.

I've had the issue on a Wiim Pro (Firmware 4.8.717049) and Pro Plus (Firmware 4.8.717458).

I don't know the cause of the problem, but please try creating a routine and see if you can stop the WiiM music.

You can also submit a ticket via the feedback section of the WiiM app, which will send a log of the device and help you resolve the issue.

 

[jegreenwood]

I tried to create a routine, but it looks like the only Routine actions are changing the volume and mute/unmute. This is true for all my music playing devices.

I've submitted a ticket.

 

[Wiimer]

I tried to create a routine, but it looks like the only Routine actions are changing the volume and mute/unmute. This is true for all my music playing devices.

I've submitted a ticket.

Routine actions should be performed using custom actions, not smart home device operations.

 

[jegreenwood]

Sorry - this is new territory for me. How do I create a custom action?

Edit - I created a custom action, but it didn’t work. I got a “I don’t understand.”

I tried several variations to no avail.

 

[Wiimer]

Sorry - this is new territory for me. How do I create a custom action?

Edit - I created a custom action, but it didn’t work. I got a “I don’t understand.”

When you add an action on the Create Routine screen, do you see "Add custom action" at the bottom of the list of actions you can add?

Here you can enter a phrase that speaks to Google Speaker.

E.g., "Stop the music on Wiim streamer".

If you have any questions, please ask again.

 

[jegreenwood]

We crossed posts (mine as an edit). I did find the custom action option and tried several variations on the command, but got an, “I don’t understand,”

Nor did it work when I ran the Routine from within the Google Assistant app.

 

[Wiimer]

We crossed posts (mine as an edit). I did find the custom action option and tried several variations on the command, but got an, “I don’t understand,”

Nor did it work when I ran the Routine from within the Google Assistant app.

Have you tried streaming anything other than WFUV?

When I played Spotify from my WiiM with voice control on my Google speaker, I was able to stop the music with voice control. My WiiM seems to be fine.

I believe you have already tried rebooting WiiM and Google Speakers. What else you can do is reinstall apps, factory reset, etc.

 

[jegreenwood]

I tried streaming YouTube music, but had the same experience.

I rebooted the Google Home but not the Wiim Pro. I can try that, but bear in mind that I also tried this with a second Wiiim device and the command didn’t work.

Also, as I noted, if I issue the command (not the Routine) to the Google Assistant app on my iPhone it works, i.e. the music turns off. It’s just the Google Home/Nest devices that don’t work give me an error message.

And to be clear, this problem is recent. It worked just fine until recently. Something changed.

 

[Wiimer]

I tried streaming YouTube music, but had the same experience.

I rebooted the Google Home but not the Wiim Pro. I can try that, but bear in mind that I also tried this with a second Wiiim device and the command didn’t work.

Also, as I noted, if I issue the command (not the Routine) to the Google Assistant app on my iPhone it works, i.e. the music turns off. It’s just the Google Home/Nest devices that don’t work give me an error message.

And to be clear, this problem is recent. It worked just fine until recently. Something changed.

Sorry, I'm not sure any more, but if you are experiencing the same problem on more than one Google Home/Nest device, it may be an issue with the Google home app.

It may be worth removing the Google home device from the app and trying to re-register it.

 

[Wiimer]

Btw, do the commands "Stop WFUV" and "Stop YouTube Music" also fail?

 

[jegreenwood]

Btw, do the commands "Stop WFUV" and "Stop YouTube Music" also fail?

Nope. But if I tell the device, “Set the volume level on my Wiim streamer to 70,” it knows exactly what to do. The only instruction it doesn’t understand is to stop playing music, no matter how it is phrased. If it were just one Google smart device I would do a factory reset. But it started happening on my several Google device, all at the same time. (But as I said NOT on the Google Assistant app on my iPhone, which carries out the command.)

I posted in the Google Forum and sent a problem report to Google before posting here. So far no response to either. I have had nothing but problems using Google Home/Google Assistant to manage an admittedly extensive music streaming set-up.

 

[Burnside]

In my Alexa based setup, I have a small routine called “Silence” that often helps when devices won’t respond to a simple “stop” request: I play a very short silent track such as “Silence - 5 Seconds” by Brett Black on all my attached speakers. You should be able to find a similar silent track on whatever streaming service you use.

 

[jegreenwood]

I like that. I have one that's a little bit longer by Rosanne Cash (in memory of her father).

 

[jegreenwood]

I may have gotten to work. I created an “album” called “Silent Cash” consisting solely of the uploaded. silent track. If I tell Google to, “Play album ‘Silent Cash’ from my library on dining room streamer,” it has worked. If I convert that into a routine (or issue the command in any other form) it will probably play the track, but then Autoplay kicks in, and I have yet to find a way to turn it off within the routine.

All in all, the Google Assistant’s responses to play music commands are wildly inconsistent. Right now it will not play any of the playlists from the songs I uploaded to my library. Instead it provides a YouTube music station (which generally has nothing to do with the music I requested). This is true even if type the command into the Google Assistant app.

 

[Burnside]

I may have gotten to work. I created an “album” called “Silent Cash” consisting solely of the uploaded. silent track. If I tell Google to, “Play album ‘Silent Cash’ from my library on dining room streamer,” it has worked. If I convert that into a routine (or issue the command in any other form) it will probably play the track, but then Autoplay kicks in, and I have yet to find a way to turn it off within the routine.

All in all, the Google Assistant’s responses to play music commands are wildly inconsistent. Right now it will not play any of the playlists from the songs I uploaded to my library. Instead it provides a YouTube music station (which generally has nothing to do with the music I requested). This is true even if type the command into the Google Assistant app.

Using Alexa, I can use a routine custom action to ask it to “turn off autoplay” which I’d issue before the silent track, and possible use a similar “turn on autoplay” action after that. Doesn’t Google assistant have an equivalent command?

 

[Deleted member 20976]

Siri, tell Alexa's distant cousin to please shut up.

 

[jegreenwood]

Using Alexa, I can use a routine custom action to ask it to “turn off autoplay” which I’d issue before the silent track, and possible use a similar “turn on autoplay” action after that. Doesn’t Google assistant have an equivalent command?

I know I included an instruction within the routine to turn off autoplay, but that was after the play command. Let me try to flip the order.

 

[jegreenwood]

Well, if 71 seconds of silence (the length of the track) followed by a message, “Sorry - something went wrong,” and then silence is an acceptable compromise, it seems to work. I may try to substitute the Brett Black track.

 

[jegreenwood]

Curious as to whether Alexa is as problematic in complying with streaming-related commands. In addition with the issues raised in this post, I have an ongoing problem with Google Home and my Naim devices.

Bear in mind here, that what I’m doing is troubleshooting a workaround. The natural command - Stop playing music - still doesn’t work.