Spotify is a very popular audio streaming service using which you can play high-quality music and podcasts. Simply register with Spotify using your e-mail ID and start listening to millions of songs from a huge number of artists from all around the World. Like all online services, even Spotify has problems associated with connectivity, playback, etc. Is your Spotify Not Working? Is it a problem with the app or the service?
In this guide, we will explore more about the Spotify Not Working issue and see some basic troubleshooting steps.
A Brief Note on Spotify
Sony Walkman, Apple iPod, and Spotify. Probably the three revolutions in the way we listen to music. While the first two are physical products, Spotify is a digital platform that streams music, podcasts, and videos from various artists all over the world.
While you need to register with Spotify, you don’t need to pay any subscription fee to listen to music. To get started, all you need is to sign-up with your e-mail ID or log in using your Facebook account and start streaming music.
As of 2022, Spotify has more than 433 million registered users and out of those 188 million are paying a subscription fee.
Speaking of subscriptions, there are two basic Spotify plans: Spotify Free and Spotify Premium. There is an upcoming Spotify HiFi plan as well.
In Spotify Premium, there are again different tiers of plans such as:
- Individual ($9.99 per month)
- Duo ($12.99 per month for two accounts)
- Family ($15.99 per month for six accounts)
- Student ($4.99 per month)
All the Spotify Premium plans support ad-free music playback, offline, and Spotify Connect.
Why is Spotify Not Working?
Spotify App is available for Desktop (Windows), Android Phones or Tablets, and iPhones or iPads.
You can download the app from respective stores, log in with your credentials, and start enjoying your music. The more you listen on Spotify, the better it serves you with recommendations.
Everything is fine till now. But what if Spotify suddenly stops working? If this happens to you, instead of worrying about “Why is My Spotify Not Working?”, let us explore more.
There are several reasons for Spotify Not Working as expected. Some of those reasons are:
- An issue with Spotify Servers
- Internet Connectivity
- App Updates
- Operating System Issues
- Data or File Corruption
- Bad Updates
What Makes Spotify Stop Working?
The first reason for Spotify Not Working is if there is a problem with the Spotify service itself. This could be due to an issue with the server or the network infrastructure.
If this is the case, then millions of users worldwide will have a problem connecting to the Spotify service.
Next, Spotify will not work if there is a problem with internet connectivity. Like all online and streaming services, even Spotify is reliant on the internet.
You can use either Wi-Fi or cellular data to connect to Spotify and start listening to music.
But if there is a connectivity issue, then the Spotify app cannot connect to the servers and stops working.
Spotify regularly updates its app for bug fixes and user-reported issues. So, if your Spotify app is not up-to-date, then it might not work properly.
Problems with the host operating system such as Windows or Android can also make Spotify Not Working.
Apps maintain a bunch of temporary files and data on the system (be it a desktop or Smartphone). If there is a corruption of this data or files, then Spotify cannot use those files and stops working.
While updates try to improve performance, they could also potentially crash applications. A bad app update or system software update can make Spotify not work normally.
Problems with Spotify Not Working
If Spotify stops working for any of the reasons we mentioned above, then it creates issues with playback, connectivity, UI, etc.
The following is a small list of problem user might experience while Spotify is not working.
- You hit the play button but there is no sound.
- Music plays normally until it stops randomly.
- The app cannot load your playlists.
- An issue with downloading songs for offline playback.
- “Daily Mixes” are unavailable.
- Playlists are no longer available
- Accidentally deletes offline downloads
How to Fix Spotify Not Working?
Let us now see how you can easily fix Spotify Not Working issue.
1. Restart Spotify
If the Spotify App is in memory for too long, it might behave strangely. The simplest solution is to close and restart Spotify App.
2. Check Internet Connection
Nowadays, everything is associated with the internet, especially online streaming services such as Spotify. So, make sure you have a working internet connection.
Switch between Wi-Fi and mobile data. You can also restart the Wi-Fi router to get new IP Addresses from the DHCP Server.
If you are using cellular data, try to put the Smartphone in Airplane mode for a minute or two, before switching it off. This will turn off the radios and turn them back on.
3. Update Spotify
Go to Google Play Store (for Android devices) or App Store (for iOS devices) and update the Spotify app immediately.
4. Uninstall an Update
App updates sometime make things worse. If this is the case with Spotify, try to uninstall the recent app update and see if it’s working or not.
5. Uninstall and Reinstall Spotify
You can uninstall Spotify from your device and reinstall it. This means you are likely to lose any saved data on your device.
But this solution will give Spotify a new start as you need to do everything from the scratch (login to your account, download offline music, etc.)
6. Check if Spotify is Down
Sometimes, the problem can be with the Spotify server. Check Downdetector for any reports of downtime with Spotify.
The advantage of services like Downdetector is that collect user-reported data. They also continuously monitor all the major services and websites.
If there is a problem with Spotify’s servers, then all you can do is wait for them to fix it.
7. Try Spotify Using the Web App
While Spotify App (either on your smartphone or desktop computer) is the go-to application to use the Spotify service, there is also a web version of it.
Open the Spotify Web Player. Log in with your credentials and see if you can play music or podcasts.
8. Clear App Cache and/or Data
If there is any data corruption in Spotify’s files, then deleting its cache and data is the only way to fix the problem.
In Android devices (smartphones or tablets), you can easily access an app’s properties and delete the temporary cache files or important data.
Go to Settings and then Apps. From the list of all the apps, look for Spotify and open its settings. Clear cache and data of Spotify.
Note that if you delete an app’s cache, it will delete all the temporary files on the device.
But if you delete the data, it will delete everything, including login credentials, downloaded music, etc.
So be careful before proceeding with this solution.
Do You have Enough Space?
Like all apps, Spotify needs some space in the device’s storage to save all its critical files, temporary files, or any downloads.
Make sure you have enough space on your device for Spotify to work normally. You can delete unnecessary files or apps to free-up space.
1. Check System Settings
Sometimes, system settings can also cause Spotify’s Not Working issue. This is true especially if you are using the desktop app on a Windows machine.
Check and see if Windows’ Firewall (or any other Firewall you are using) isn’t blocking Spotify from accessing the internet.
2. Restart Your System (Smartphone or Computer)
Whether it is a Smartphone or a computer, a simple restart can solve all the problems including Spotify not working issue.
So, save all your work and restart your device. Once the system boots up, launch the Spotify app and see if it’s working properly.
3. Contact Spotify
If Spotify isn’t working even after trying all the above solutions, then you can communicate with Spotify’s support team. Write to them using their official support page or use Twitter to tweet about your problem.
Hopefully, you will get a response that fixes the problem.
Also Read : Spotify Vs Pandora: What’s The Difference?
Conclusion
Spotify is a popular digital streaming app where you can listen to music, podcasts, or watch videos. Its services are available in more than 185 countries.
Despite its popularity, there can be problems with Spotify that make it stop working. If you are facing a similar issue, then instead of worrying about “Why is Spotify Not Working?”, try some basic troubleshooting solutions we mentioned in this guide.
