Spotycast metadata not updating
If track titles are missing, stale, or incorrect, the problem is usually in metadata forwarding, Icecast now-playing propagation, Liquidsoap tag handling, or caching on the player side.
Quick answer
If audio is correct but titles do not refresh, the problem is usually not in the audio samples themselves. It is more often in the metadata side channel: Spotify metadata ingestion, Liquidsoap propagation, Icecast now-playing state, or the client’s refresh behavior.
Typical symptoms
Track title never changes
The stream plays correctly, but the same title remains visible across multiple songs.
Artist or title is blank
The player sees a stream but does not receive complete metadata fields.
Metadata updates late
Title changes eventually arrive, but with a lag or only after reconnecting the player.
Common causes
- Liquidsoap not forwarding metadata correctly
- Icecast mountpoint metadata path not updated as expected
- Player-side caching in Roon, LMS, Volumio or another client
- Metadata generated only on startup instead of per track update
- Unexpected tag format or missing artist / title fields
- Frontend reading the wrong mountpoint or stale endpoint
Step-by-step fix
1. Check Icecast now-playing first
Icecast is the best neutral reference. If Icecast shows the right metadata, the player may simply be caching it badly.
- Open the Icecast admin or status page
- Observe title changes across multiple tracks
- Compare with what Roon, LMS or your frontend shows
2. Verify the mountpoint you are reading is the correct one
A surprising number of stale metadata incidents come from reading an old or different mountpoint than the one actually in use.
http://YOUR_HOST:YOUR_PORT/YOUR_MOUNT
3. Review the Liquidsoap metadata path
Ensure your stream pipeline does not drop tags between capture and output publishing.
- Verify metadata is attached upstream
- Check whether title updates are emitted per track
- Avoid custom transforms that accidentally strip tags
4. Test with another client
If one player shows stale metadata and another shows correct updates, the issue is likely client-side caching rather than stream-side failure.
vlc http://YOUR_HOST:YOUR_PORT/YOUR_MOUNT ffplay http://YOUR_HOST:YOUR_PORT/YOUR_MOUNT
5. Restart the metadata-producing services cleanly
After config changes, restart the relevant services to republish both audio and tags consistently.
systemctl restart spotifyd systemctl restart liquidsoap systemctl restart icecast2
What to collect in logs
Metadata issues are easiest to isolate when you compare what each layer believes is the current title.
journalctl -u liquidsoap -n 200 --no-pager journalctl -u icecast2 -n 200 --no-pager curl http://YOUR_HOST:YOUR_PORT/status-json.xsl
How Spotycast fits into the fix
Spotycast is designed to expose Spotify playback as a stable HTTP / Icecast stream, including usable “now playing” behavior. When metadata is wrong, the failure is usually localized to the metadata propagation path rather than the transport of audio itself.
When this is probably not a metadata issue
- Use No audio if the stream carries silence
- Use Dropouts if playback stutters or cuts
- Use Device not showing if Spotify never sees the device
Frequently asked questions
Why is Icecast showing no metadata?
The most common reason is that metadata is not being forwarded correctly from the upstream source into the published mountpoint.
Why does my player keep showing an old title?
Often because the player caches metadata updates aggressively. If Icecast now-playing is correct, the client is the likely bottleneck.
Can metadata work differently between Roon, LMS and VLC?
Yes. Different clients refresh and display stream metadata differently, so the same mountpoint can appear more reactive in one player than another.
Can Spotycast still be used with Roon or LMS once metadata is fixed?
Yes. Once metadata propagation is correct, Spotycast provides a standard HTTP / Icecast stream with usable now-playing behavior for compatible clients.