How to Fix It When Spotify Can't Play the Current Song

Restart the app and your device, check for updates, and adjust playback quality settings

By
Lisa Mildon
Lisa Mildon
Lisa Mildon
Lifewire Technology Review Board Member & Quality Team Editor
  • Southern New Hampshire University
Lisa Mildon is a Lifewire writer and an IT professional with 30 years of experience. Her writing has appeared in Geekisphere and other publications.
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Updated on September 12, 2024
Reviewed by
Kayla Dube
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Reviewed by Kayla Dube
  • J. Everette Light Career Center
Kayla Dube has 4+ years' experience in videography and filmmaking. She frequently works in production with indie film companies.
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You're jamming out to some of your favorite tunes on Spotify when the music stops and an error like "Spotify can't play current song," or "Spotify can't play this right now" pops up. It's frustrating, but there are a variety of ways to fix that problem. This troubleshooting guide covers Spotify on the desktop, the Spotify mobile app, and the Spotify web app.

How to Fix a 'Spotify Can't Play Current Song' Error

  1. Restart Spotify. This step can fix a random glitch or freezing error. If you're using Spotify on the desktop, select File > Quit Spotify. In the Spotify mobile app, close and reopen the app according to your OS. If you're using the Spotify web app, close and reopen your browser.

  2. Log out of the app and then log back in. If closing out of Spotify doesn't work, try logging out of the app and then logging back in. On desktop and from the web player, select your profile icon > Log Out. In the mobile app, select your profile icon > Settings > Log out.

  3. Restart your computer. If you're receiving a song-playing error using Spotify on the desktop or the Spotify web app, a restart may clear up underlying issues with your operating system.

  4. Check if the app is up to date. If your Spotify app needs an update, you may experience strange glitches and errors. To check for any updates and manually update Spotify in the desktop app, go to Spotify > About Spotify. On mobile, check for updates from the App Store or Google Play.

    Make sure you're not trying to listen to Spotify in offline mode, which is available only for Premium customers. This might also cause song-playing errors.

  5. Turn off high-quality streaming by selecting Settings > Audio quality > and turning on Auto adjust quality. On mobile, you can also select Automatic from Wi-Fi streaming and Cellular streaming sections. There's no option to adjust music quality if you're using the Spotify free web app.

    You may encounter errors and issues if you changed your subscription level from a Premium account to a free, ad-supported account but didn't change the option to stream high-quality music. The highest-quality playback is available only to Premium users.

  6. Check if you're out of space on your device. If you're a Premium customer and have opted to use the offline mode, you may have run out of storage space on your device. Spotify recommends having at least 1GB free for downloads. Clear up space by selecting Settings > Storage > Clear Cache.

  7. Turn off hardware acceleration, if available to you, from Settings > Show Advanced Settings > Compatibility. Using the hardware acceleration feature with Spotify on the desktop helps weaker hardware in your computer. However, toggling on this setting might actually create a poor listening experience by causing songs to skip, lag, or not play at all. Turning off this feature may solve song-playing errors.

  8. Enable or disable crossfading from Settings > Playback on the desktop app. Crossfading can provide a more pleasant transition between songs, but if you're experiencing song-playing errors with Spotify on the desktop, try turning this feature on or off.

  9. Check if the song was pulled from a playlist. If a track appears dimmed, it could have been removed. This issue occurs if you have a local download of a playlist and it doesn't sync properly when a song has been removed from the Spotify database.

  10. Reinstall Spotify. To delete the app on a Mac, drag it to the trash can. On a PC, find the app and select Uninstall. Uninstalling and then reinstalling Spotify will remove any corrupted files that may trigger errors. You'll need to redownload any downloaded music and Spotify podcasts after reinstalling the app.

    Check out our guides to deleting apps on iOS and deleting Android apps to help you with deletion and a clean installation of the Spotify app on your device.

Causes of Spotify Song-Playing Errors

There are several causes for these errors, ranging from a problem with the app itself to issues your computer or mobile device might be experiencing.

As a result, there are different actions to take to fix song-playing errors, depending on whether you're receiving the error with Spotify on the desktop, in the mobile app, or with the Spotify web app.

The first thing to try is a simple restart of Spotify, then move on to other actions if that doesn't solve the problem.

FAQ
  • How do I fix Spotify crashing?

    If Spotify keeps crashing or closing, try rebooting the device you're listening on. If you're on a Mac or PC, force-quit and relaunch the app. Other fixes include logging out of and back into Spotify, clearing Spotify's cache, deleting and reinstalling the app, and clearing your device to create more space.

  • How do I fix Spotify not responding?

    To fix Spotify if it's not responding, restart the device and your Spotify connection. Check your internet connection, device's memory, and Spotify status. You can also try updating the Spotify app or uninstalling and reinstalling it.

  • How do I fix Spotify shuffle?

    If Spotify's shuffle feature isn't working, check that you've turned on Shuffle. Launch Spotify, choose a playlist, and select the Shuffle icon. In the mobile app, tap Shuffle icon to the left of Spotify's Play icon. If Shuffle still isn't working, disable and re-enable the feature and reset the app.

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