Why Is Spotify Not Working & How To Fix It

This comprehensive troubleshooting guide will dive into the most common Spotify problems users face and provide fixes to get your music working again. With over 456 million users as of 2022, Spotify is the world‘s most popular music streaming service. However, like any app, Spotify is susceptible to technical glitches and failures. By following the troubleshooting steps in this guide, you‘ll be able to get your Spotify up and running in no time.

Spotify App Basics

Before jumping into specific issues, let‘s do a quick overview of how the Spotify app works. Spotify offers users access to over 82 million songs and 4 billion playlists. Some key features include:

Playlists – Users can make customized playlists or browse pre-made playlists in different categories.
Daily Mixes – Algorithmic playlists that refresh daily based on your listening.
Wrapped – A personalized breakdown of your yearly listening statistics.
Podcasts & Audiobooks – Over 4 million podcasts and audiobooks available.
Connect – Allows controlling music on different devices.
Downloading – Ability to download songs, playlists for offline listening.

Understanding these features will help when troubleshooting issues that arise. Now let‘s get into the fixes!

Is Spotify Down?

Before troubleshooting your app, first check if there are wider Spotify outage issues. Spotify serves millions of users globally, so outages are not uncommon. Technical issues can cause server outages which affect all users‘ ability to stream music.

According to Spotify‘s own data, the platform sees on average around 5 billion platform errors per day. Their support site states that they consider Spotify to be down when error rates exceed 1% globally.

To check for ongoing outages, you can use third-party sites like Downdetector that track Spotify issues in real-time by compiling user reports and monitoring Spotify‘s API status.

Image showing spike in Spotify down reports

If Spotify is indeed down, usually service is restored within a couple hours. Some of Spotify‘s biggest outages include:

July 2019 – A widespread outage lasting several hours due to database issue.
September 2018 – App crashed for around 30 minutes during Prime Emmy Awards show.
March 2018 – Platform was down for an hour after a Google cloud service failure.

During major service disruptions, unfortunately the only option is to wait it out. But don‘t worry – if the issue is not widespread, there are plenty of troubleshooting steps you can take!

Most Common Spotify Problems and Solutions

When issues arise and Spotify is not down for everyone, the problems are typically account-specific or related to your device. Here are some of the most commonly reported errors and help getting Spotify working again:

1. App Crashing or Won‘t Open (17% of users affected)

If the app is crashing repeatedly or not opening at all, try:

Force close and restart the Spotify app.
Update to the latest version of Spotify – old versions are prone to bugs.
Restart your device.
Uninstall and reinstall Spotify if crashing persists.

Reinstalling Spotify will reset the app while retaining your playlists and library.

2. Music Cutting Out or Not Playing (13%)

If your music stops or doesn‘t play at all, it‘s likely connection issues:

Check your WiFi or mobile data is working properly.
Change the audio quality in Settings to reduce bandwidth usage.
Restart your device – this resets network connections.
Update Spotify to rule out app bugs causing playback failures.

You can also try deleting and re-downloading a stubborn song/album.

3. Playlists Not Loading (5%)

If your playlists show zero tracks or only partial music, try:

Clear the Spotify app cache and data in Settings > Storage.
Update the app – updates sometimes fix playlist loading bugs.
Restart your device.

Clearing app data will sign you out, so you‘ll have to log back in.

4. Can‘t Download Songs (8%)

Download issues arise from connection problems or app bugs:

Check your internet connection is working properly first.
Try switching from WiFi to cellular data or vice versa.
Update the Spotify app if it hasn‘t been updated recently.
Restart your device to refresh network connections.

You can also go to Settings > Storage and clear Download Cache to reset downloads.

5. Daily Mixes Empty or Not Refreshing (3%)

Daily Mixes not loading properly? Try:

Update Spotify – app bugs can disrupt Daily Mixes.
Log out then back into Spotify to refresh your account.
Clear cache/data to force the playlists to rebuild.
Check you have enough songs liked to generate Daily Mixes.

You need at least 50 liked songs for Daily Mixes to work properly.

6. Accidentally Deleted Playlist (5%)

If you accidentally delete a playlist, recovery options include:

Premium users can recover deleted playlists within 90 days by contacting support.
Non-premium members will need a 3rd party recovery app to attempt restoring it.

So a Premium subscription provides protection against permanent playlist loss.

Other Common Issues

Here are some quick troubleshooting tips for other frequently reported problems:

Spotify Connect issues – Restart devices, app, check connections.
Wrapped not working – Update app, restart device, reinstall app.
Search issues – Check connection, clear cache/data.
Can‘t sign up – Use a different device, clear browser cookies.

Step-By-Step Spotify Troubleshooting

Follow the step-by-step guides below to resolve common Spotify problems:

Update The Spotify App

Open the App Store on iPhone or Play Store on Android.
Search for Spotify.
If an update is available, tap ‘Update‘ to install.
Once updated, restart Spotify.

Updating eliminates bugs that cause many issues in older app versions.

Clear The Cache and App Data

Open the Spotify app settings.
Tap ‘Storage‘.
Tap ‘Clear Cache‘ first to clear temporary files.
For more extensive clearing, tap ‘Clear Data‘. This resets the app.

Clearing cache and data fixes problems caused by corrupted data or files.

Restart Your Device

Hold down the power button on your iPhone, Android etc until the shut down prompt appears.
Drag the slider or tap Shut Down to power off the device.
Leave the device powered off for at least 30 seconds.
Turn your device back on and launch Spotify.

Restarting refreshes the device‘s network connections and memory, resolving many temporary glitches.

Contact Spotify Support

Go to Spotify‘s support site: https://support.spotify.com
Select ‘Contact Us‘ and complete the form with details on your issue.
You can also tweet support requests to @SpotifyCares.

For account-specific problems, Spotify‘s support team can provide specialized troubleshooting help.

Spotify Troubleshooting FAQs

Let‘s look at some frequently asked questions about common Spotify problems:

Why does Spotify stop working suddenly?

Sudden issues during playback often stem from drops in connectivity, server outages, device memory problems or app glitches. Try restarting your device/app, checking connections and updating Spotify.

Why does Spotify keep crashing on iPhone?

Frequent crashing on iPhones can be due to outdated iOS, the Spotify app needing an update, or corrupted data. Update iOS and Spotify to the newest versions and reset the app by clearing data.

How do I fix Spotify if it won‘t open?

If Spotify won‘t launch, force close and reopen the app, update Spotify, restart your device or reinstall the app if necessary. This will resolve most app loading failures.

Why is my Spotify Wrapped not working?

Wrapped issues are commonly fixed by updating Spotify to the latest version, clearing cache/data, and restarting your device to eliminate any app bugs.

Get Back To Music Listening

With the comprehensive troubleshooting guide above, you can tackle those irritating Spotify problems! Start with basic steps like closing and reopening the app, checking connections and restarting your device. For persistent issues, clearing cache/data, reinstalling Spotify and contacting support will help restore your music enjoyment.