How to Fix Spotify Not Playing Songs

When you’re enjoying some favorite music but suddenly the Spotify not playing songs error occurs, it can ruin the mood. Though Spotify is an amazing music streaming platform, users still often encounter some unwanted problems. 

Many users have complained that when they try to play a track, the app shows, “Spotify can’t play this right now”. This is irritating and that’s why you need to fix it.

There can be different reasons behind Spotify not playing tunes and you need to find out the exact root cause. In this article, we’ve explained all the possible reasons for Spotify not playing songs and troubleshooting solutions to eliminate the error.

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Why does Spotify Not Playing Songs?

Here are the possible reasons why your Spotify app is not playing songs:

  • The Spotify server is down due to some technical issues. 
  • The Spotify app on your device isn’t updated to the latest version.
  • Spotify may not play songs if there’s no sufficient storage on the device. You need a minimum of 200 MB of free space to use this music streaming app.
  • You’re over your device limit. For a Spotify Premium Family plan, you can stream songs on up to six devices together and play 10,000 downloaded songs offline. 
  • Your private music session is affecting the algorithm causing the app to malfunction.
  • The Crossfade feature of the app is causing a disturbance in-between song plays.
  • You’re trying to play songs in offline mode. Spotify can only play songs you’ve downloaded to listen to offline.
  • High streaming quality is enabled for a free subscription.

Fixes for Spotify Not Playing Songs

You may think why your Spotify app is facing trouble. It can happen due to several issues in the Spotify app, such as corrupted files, subscription issues, or app malfunction. 

If Spotify doesn’t work smoothly, You can try the following fixes to resolve the issue and make the app work.

Fix 1. Restart Spotify

Spotify does not play songs is a common situation for its users. There can be a software glitch, bug, or crash that causes many issues. The primary and quick solution for this error is to restart Spotify. A simple restart can often refresh the service and help the app work properly.

To restart the Spotify app,

  1. Select the Tasks button or App Tray from the bottom of the mobile screen.
  2. Find the Spotify app and swipe up to close it.
  3. Now, re-open the app and check if it works normally.

If you’re using Spotify on a web browser, then close and relaunch the browser to solve the issue.

Fix 2. Restart Device

Whether it’s a computer or mobile, give it a restart to resolve the Spotify not playing tracks issue. Similar to restarting the app, restarting your device will clear any corrupted cache causing the error. In short, it refreshes the system so that the device can function smoothly.

Once you restart the device, reopen the app. If the error still shows up, restarting may not be enough. Move on to the next fix.

Fix 3. Log Out and Back In

When restarting the app or device fails to work, try to log out of the app and re-login.

For Spotify desktop users,

  1. In the upper right corner, click the small dropdown arrow beside your name.
  2. Select Log Out.
  3. After logging out, log back in and see if it helps.

For Spotify web app users,

  1. Open the profile.
  2. Select Log Out.
  3. Now, log back in again.

For Spotify mobile app users,

  1. Open the app, and select the cog icon to open Settings.
  2. Scroll down to the bottom and tap Log Out.
  3. Again log back in and check if the problem still persists.

Fix 4. Ensure You Have Enough Space

If you have a Premium subscription and get the error on the mobile, you may need to ensure that you’ve enough free space. Premium users often download songs to listen to them offline, which requires sufficient storage. Spotify recommends a minimum of 1 GB of free space to download the songs. If your driver is almost full, Spotify may not able to play songs.

You can also remove the files from Spotify and clear out some space by following:

1. Open Spotify and log in.

2. Navigate to Settings and select Local Files.

3. Toggle off Show Local Files.

4. Exit Spotify and reopen the app. Now, play any song and check if the problem has been solved.

Turning off the local files is like disconnecting the app from the local library. In case you want to use Spotify in offline mode, check if you have the necessary space.

To ensure enough space, try the following:

  • Clear some photos, videos, and large files.
  • Delete unused apps.
  • Remove files and other content to an external drive or SD card.

Fix 5. Resync Spotify App

If you have downloaded too many songs from Spotify and use the app only offline, you may face this problem. You need to log in back using the internet once every 30 days, or else the downloaded songs can’t be played.

If it has been over 30 days since your last login, log back in and resync Spotify. When you do, go to the offline mode once again and the songs must work.

Fix 6. Change Streaming Quality

If you have recently changed your subscription plan, it also can cause this Spotify error. Some users have claimed the issue occurs after downgrading from the Premium to Free plan. If you doubt this is the scenario for Spotify, not playings songs, change the settings.

Here’re the steps to follow:

  1. Log in to your Spotify account.
  2. Go to Settings from the upper-right corner.
  3. Scroll down to move to Audio Quality. Then, set the WiFi streaming and Cellular streaming to Low from High/Very High. (the “Very High” option is only available for Premium users).

Another consequence of having a free account is you can’t listen to the downloaded songs offline. This feature is only available when you have a Premium subscription. Once you switch to a Free plan, the feature becomes unavailable and it can be the reason for Spotify unable to play songs.

Fix 7. Turn Off Crossfade

The Crossfade feature on Spotify helps eliminate silence between two tracks so you can enjoy music non-stop. But the feature often fails and triggers the “Spotify can’t play this right now” error. In order to get rid of it, turn off Crossfade on Spotify.

Follow these steps:

  1. Open Spotify on mobile.
  2. Go to Settings.
  3. Under Playback, you can see the Crossfade option.
  4. Drag the slider to adjust the crossfade length or drag the slider completely to the left side to turn it off. It allows a faster transition between songs.

Check if that helps you with the error.

Fix 8. Check For Server Status

If Spotify is unable to play songs for you, check if the app is facing a server outage.

To check the server status, visit the Spotify Twitter account @Spotifystatus or use a third-party tool like Downdetector.

Fix 9. Uninstall and Reinstall Spotify

If you have tried all the methods above and still Snapchat not playing songs, try reinstalling the app as your final option. 

There may be corrupted files in the system causing the error.  With a fresh installation, you can clear out any error or bug.

On Android,

  1. Open Settings> Apps.
  2. Find Spotify in the list and select it to open.
  3. Tap Uninstall.
  4. Tap Ok.
  5. Now, go to Google Play Store, search for Spotify and Install.

On iOS,

  1. Tap and hold the Spotify app icon for a few seconds.
  2. Select Delete App> Delete.
  3. Go to the App Store, look for Spotify and tap Install.

This should fix the problem.

If nothing works, then you can delete the Spotify account permanently and create a new one to get rid of this problem.

This is frustrating when you try to play your favorite music and Spotify not playing songs. So, to fix the problem, we offer you top solutions so that you can get the best audio experience. Give them a try and check which one works quicker for you.

If you have any more issues related to Spotify, please let us know in the comment section. We’ll give you the solutions as soon as possible.