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Google Home - Use voice commands while controlling music from app

twong757
Local Performer

Signed up for a free trial of premium. Trying to see if I want to switch from Spotify. So far, the main issue for me has been problems integrating with my Google Home speakers. Have Pandora on my Pixel 3a, I am the only account in the Home, and I set Pandora as the default music app.

When I ask one of my Google Home speakers to play music, it does. No issues with voice commands. So far so good. But when I open the app on my phone, the app does not show the current song or station being played on the speakers. So there is no way for me to thumbs up, thumbs down, change songs/stations, or do any controls using the Pandora app. In fact, I can start listening to another station on my phone, while the speaker is still playing. This ultimately leads to one of the two disconnecting because "someone else" is using Pandora.

I saw that the Pandora app has the ability to cast to my speakers. So I tried that instead of using my Google Home voice controls. But it NEVER works. It always attempts to connect to a speaker, but then fails to connect. As you can imagine, very frustrating.

The only workaround I have found was going in my phone settings first, then casting to a specific speaker. Then I can control the music using my phone. But this isn't ideal. I want to be able to issue voice commands to my speakers and still control music on the app and see what is playing on the speakers. Something I've been able to do on almost every other music streaming service I have tried. Really frustrating hearing a new song, looking at the app to see what it is, and not being able to.

TLDR, if I use Google voice commands to listen to Pandora on my speakers, the app is essentially useless. The app does not integrate with what is playing on the speakers. And casting from the app does not work either. Only thing that works is casting from my phone settings.

Things I have tried: Uninstall/reinstall the app. Reset speakers. Unlink/re-link my Pandora account to Google Home. Reset the phone.

I REALLY want to make the switch from Spotify. But the lack of proper integration with my Google Home speakers is driving me crazy.

Moderator Edit: Changing title for clarity

Labels (2)
3 Replies

TannerPandora
Moderator
Moderator

Hi @twong757! Thanks for posting to community. 

While controlling the Pandora app and using Google voice commands at the same time is not a feature, there is a feature request for this experience. If this is something you'd like to see for Pandora, feel free to vote by clicking here.

In the meantime, you can thumb up or down songs or change stations using Google voice commands. Here are some examples of voice commands you can use with Google:

  • Request a station: "OK Google, play ____ station on Pandora."
  • Create a station: "Hey Google, create a ____ station on Pandora."
  • Personalize your listening with your Thumbs: "OK Google, Thumb up/down this song."
  • Hear your greatest hits: "OK Google, play my Thumbprint Radio on Pandora."
  • Skip a song: "Hey Google, skip" or "OK Google, next song."
  • Play an album, playlist or specific track (if you have Premium): "Hey Google, play "Truth Hurts."
  • Pause: "Hey Google, pause the music."
  • Resume play: "OK Google, continue playing."
  • Adjust volume: "OK Google, turn it up/down."
  • Set the tone with a genre, mood or activity: "OK Google, play Music for Cooking on Pandora" or "OK Google, play a Hip Hop station on Pandora."
  • Stop playing Pandora: "Hey Google, stop the music."

Keep in mind that if you have Pandora set as your default music provider, you won't need to say "On Pandora".

You can find more information on voice commands on Google's Help Page.


Tanner | Community Moderator

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saheyse
Local Performer

@TannerPandora wrote:
  • Play an album, playlist or specific track (if you have Premium): "Hey Google, play "Truth Hurts."

How? What it the Command to play a specific track of an Album with the Google Home interface?

(Yes I have premium)

For long albums, saying "hey google.. skip" then waiting for the next song to start before repeating; 18+ times is very annoying.

Example: Sweating Bullets by Megadeath

  1. You can get the song via Pandora website
  2. You cannot get the song via Google Home by asking for it directly as you will instead get a very crappy live version so poorly recorded its not worth sitting through.
  3. It is track 18 on the album Warheads On Foreheads which you can ask for via Google Home and it does contain the real songs, and will pay them.
  4. Using Google Home to skip that far is very slow and tedious
  5. If you ask for  "track" Google home either plays some song with track in the name or replies it doesn't understand
  6. If you ask for "Play Warheads On Foreheads track 18" it just starts at track 1

Moderator Edit: Format

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BugSlayer
Underground

What verbal command do I give to the Google Hub to stream my Pandora Shuffle station?

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