Spotify Not Playing? Fixes for Songs That Won't Start

There's a particular kind of frustration in pressing play and getting nothing, or a message saying 'Something went wrong'. If you play Spotify for clients, for a class or just to get through a busy workday, you want the quickest route back to music.

This page follows Spotify's own 'Spotify not playing' help and the articles it links to. I've kept to the causes and fixes it names, in roughly the order it gives them.

Spotify not playing: the first three things to try

Spotify's help says that when something won't play, or you see 'Page not available' or 'Something went wrong', you should start with:

1. Restarting the Spotify app.
2. Updating the app.
3. Reinstalling the app.

How to update Spotify so it plays again

• iPhone: open the App Store, tap your Apple ID image, find Spotify in the list and tap Update. Spotify says that if it isn't in the updates list, you already have the latest version.
• Android: open the Play Store, search for Spotify and tap Update. If no update shows, you already have the latest.
• Desktop: look for a blue dot next to your profile picture, click it and choose Update Spotify now.

How to reinstall Spotify without losing your place

Spotify says downloaded music and podcasts are lost when you reinstall, so you'll need to download them again. The quick reinstall steps it gives are:

• iPhone: press and hold the Spotify icon, choose Remove App, then Delete App, and install it again from the App Store.
• Android (6.0 and newer): in Settings, open Apps, choose Spotify and tap Uninstall, then reinstall from Google Play.
• Mac: move Spotify from Applications to the Trash, empty it, then download and install it again.
• Windows: close Spotify, then in Settings open Apps, select Spotify and click Uninstall. Reinstall from the Microsoft Store or Spotify's download page.

Spotify also describes a deeper 'clean reinstall' for phones and Macs that involves clearing the cache first and removing leftover folders. It's worth reading its reinstall page for those steps rather than guessing at folder names.

More fixes when Spotify won't play a song

If the quick three don't work, Spotify lists these next:

• Make sure your internet connection is stable.
• Update your device's operating system.
• Close any other apps you aren't using.
• Clear the cache on your device.

For the cache step, my guide to clearing the Spotify cache shows the menus. Spotify says the cache holds parts of music and podcasts that help playback run smoothly, and that clearing it doesn't remove your downloads, which are stored separately. It also recommends at least 1GB of free memory on your device.

Abroad? Spotify says playback issues while travelling may need a change to your country or region account settings.

Spotify not playing on one device only

Spotify suggests testing another device, or its web player. If the problem doesn't follow you there, it's likely your device. Spotify's checklist:

• The device is supported for Spotify and up to date.
• It has at least 250MB of available memory.
• On a computer, the firewall isn't blocking Spotify.
• The battery is sufficiently charged.
• On Android, an SD card isn't causing trouble, so try removing it.

If you've done all of that, Spotify says you may need to carry on troubleshooting with the device's manufacturer.

Spotify not playing downloaded or local songs

Spotify's page points to separate help for two special cases:

• Offline listening: if downloads won't play, check Spotify's listen-offline help, and be aware that reinstalling the app means re-downloading. My walkthrough on downloading songs on Spotify covers the basics.
• Local files: if songs from your own computer won't play, Spotify has a local files page. It says to check the Local audio files setting on mobile, and on desktop to make sure Show Local Files and the right folders are switched on.

Spotify not playing because songs are greyed out

When tracks are faded and won't start, Spotify says to check your device isn't in offline mode, check your network connection or switch to a different network, and remember that songs can be greyed out if they aren't available in your market. If that's your symptom, the offline mode setting on a phone is under your profile picture, Settings and privacy, then Data-saving and offline.

Spotify playing but no sound

That's a different problem and Spotify has a separate page for it. The short version: check your device's sound settings and the audio output, test sound from another app, and make sure you aren't playing to a different device through Spotify Connect or Bluetooth.

Checking whether Spotify not playing is a known issue

Spotify suggests checking its status account on X, @SpotifyStatus, and the Ongoing Issues board in its Community. If your problem is listed as Under Investigation, hit +VOTE to add your voice. If you can't find it, you can post in the Community in English and other members may help.

Another thought: if Spotify is logged in on several devices and playback keeps jumping, logging out of Spotify on all devices lets you start clean.

A simple order for fixing Spotify not playing

1. Restart the app.
2. Update it.
3. Check offline mode and your connection.
4. Clear the cache.
5. Test another device or the web player.
6. Reinstall the app, remembering that downloads need repeating.
7. Check Spotify's status account and the Community board.

Frequently asked questions

Why is Spotify not playing any songs?

Spotify says to restart the app, update it and reinstall it if needed, then check your internet connection, device software and memory.

How much memory does Spotify need?

Spotify's help says your device should have at least 250MB of available memory, and it recommends at least 1GB of free memory overall.

Why are my songs greyed out on Spotify?

Spotify says to check offline mode and your network. Songs can also be greyed out if they aren't available in your market.

Will clearing the Spotify cache delete my downloads?

No. Spotify says downloads are stored separately from the cache, so you'd have to remove them yourself.

Where can I see if Spotify is having problems?

Spotify points to @SpotifyStatus on X and the Ongoing Issues board in its Community.