Spotify's help pages point to a few usual suspects: a shaky connection, an out-of-date app or device, too little memory or battery, or a Connect speaker that needs reconnecting after a pause of more than 10 minutes. Start by restarting, updating or reinstalling the app, then work through the other fixes in order.
Music cutting out mid-chorus is maddening, especially when it happens on a run or halfway through a commute, and where it happens tells you where to look. If tracks stop on the phone or laptop itself, the device is the suspect. If they stop on a kitchen speaker or a TV you're steering from your phone, the Connect link between the two deserves attention first.
A quick way to pick your starting point:
- Stops on a phone you're carrying around: begin with the connection and memory checks.
- Stops on a desktop computer: add a firewall to the list of suspects.
- Stops on a speaker, smart display or TV: go straight to the Connect section.
- Stops on every device you try: look for a known problem before changing anything.
Causes on the phone or computer you're listening on
A wobbly internet connection
Streaming needs a steady signal. Patchy WiFi or a phone flicking between networks can stall a track, so move nearer the router or switch networks and listen for a change.
An app or operating system that's behind
Restarting, updating or reinstalling the app are the first fixes on the official playback list. Bring your phone or computer's own software up to date at the same time.
Too little free memory
The minimum is 250MB of available memory. If the device is short, free up some room on it before blaming the app.
Too much running in the background
Shut apps you've finished with and clear the cache. Both sit on Spotify's own list of playback fixes.
A firewall on a desktop
On a computer, a firewall can block the app. If music only stalls on one machine, especially one on a work network, that's a lead worth following.
Causes when you play through Spotify Connect
A break that ran past 10 minutes
Leave music paused on a Connect device for longer than that and you may need to reconnect before it plays again.
A new speaker on a different network
Pairing a speaker for the first time? Both gadgets must sit on the same WiFi. If your phone has drifted off the home network, the speaker won't find it.
A speaker that just won't behave
Restart all three pieces: the app, the speaker or smart display, and the phone or computer running the app. Then update everything and try the same WiFi or a different network.
Video apps stall for their own reasons. If films and clips freeze as well, the guide on why YouTube keeps pausing covers that side, and Reels that stop mid-playback have their own set of causes.
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What to try, in order
Work down this list and stop as soon as playback behaves:
- Restart the app.
- Update the app and your operating system.
- Close unused apps and clear the cache.
- Reinstall the app.
- Play the same track on another device or in the web player.
- Check whether Spotify has reported a known problem.
Step five is the most telling. Smooth playback elsewhere means the fault belongs to your original phone or laptop, so focus on that one device. If it fails everywhere, the final check becomes the useful one, because a known issue means waiting rather than fixing.
Two things to know before you reinstall
Reinstalling sounds like the nuclear option, and there's a reason to leave it until fourth on the list. Spotify's playback help page notes that you'll need to re-download any music and podcasts you'd saved for offline listening. With a big offline library and a slow connection, that's an evening gone. Restarting and updating take a minute and lose nothing, so exhaust those first.
The other catch is easy to mistake for a fault. According to the Spotify Connect help page, a pause of more than 10 minutes on a Connect device can mean you need to reconnect. If music won't resume after you've stepped away, reconnect before you delete anything.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need the same WiFi every time I use a speaker?
Spotify only states it for the first time you connect to a speaker.
Does the 10-minute reconnect rule apply when I play on my phone's own speaker?
Spotify only mentions it for Connect devices.
Where does Spotify post known problems?
On @SpotifyStatus and on the Community Ongoing Issues board, so check both before you start reinstalling.
Can an SD card make Spotify stop on Android?
It can cause problems, according to Spotify. Take the card out and play again to see whether the pauses stop.
Can a low battery make music cut out?
Spotify lists a sufficiently charged battery among the things your device needs, so plug in and see whether playback settles.
