How to Fix Spotify Can’t Play This Right Now

If you love listening to your favorite Spotify tracks on your computer or laptop, chances are that you’ve encountered the “Spotify can’t play this right now” error at least once. This pop-up message can get annoying if it happens too frequently. Fortunately, there are fixes available to solve the problem.

This article will show you how to get back to streaming your favorite music on Spotify in no time.

Check Network Connection

The most common external problem regarding glitches is an unstable or slow Internet connection. Check your Wi-Fi and ensure that its connection isn’t responsible for interrupting your listening experience. If you determine that this is the main cause of your Spotify error, try reconnecting to your network.

Restart Your PC

Like the most famous line from the series IT Crowd goes: “Have you tried turning it off and on again?” – the same solution might help here. Close Spotify and restart your PC before you try the other steps. Although simple and often overlooked, it can be an effective solution.

Update Spotify

Another standard solution to most app problems is updating to the latest version. The same goes for Spotify. Updating the app might not only fix the occasional bugs in your Spotify app, but you’ll also get to experience its new features and enjoy music to the fullest.

Here’s how to update Spotify on your computer:

1. Launch the Spotify app on your desktop.
   
2. Open the three-dotted menu at the top left of the screen.
   
3. Go to the “Help” section by sliding your cursor to the bottom of the pop-up.
   
4. In the new submenu, select “About Spotify.”
   
5. In the dialog box, you’ll see your app’s version number. If your app isn’t updated to its latest version, there’ll be a clickable link enabling an update.
   
6. Click on the link and wait for Spotify to update itself.
7. The app should restart on its own. If it doesn’t, restart it manually by closing the window and opening the app again.
   
8. Find the problematic track and check whether it’s playing now.

Clear Spotify Cache

Clearing your Spotify data might get rid of the bugs and glitches causing your track to crash. This temporary storage makes the app run smoother and faster. But as it piles up over time, it can become corrupt and cause problems. For that reason, it’s necessary to occasionally clean your Spotify cache.

To do so on your computer, follow these steps:

1. Open Spotify.
   
2. Tap on your profile picture.
   
3. In the drop-down menu, select “Settings.”
   
4. Navigate to the “Offline storage location” and memorize where your Spotify storage is located on your PC.
   
5. Find that location in your File Explorer.
   
6. Delete all the files from that folder to clear your PC’s Spotify cache.
7. Go back to the problematic song on Spotify and try playing it now.

Here’s another way to locate your Spotify storage:

1. Press the Windows key and the “R” letter on your keyboard to open the “Run” dialogue box on your computer.
   
2. Type in “%appdata%.”
   
3. Press “OK.”
   
4. You’ll be taken to the window with data folders of all apps on your computer.
   
5. Find Spotify.
   
6. Enter the “Users” folder.
   
7. Open one of the user folders.
   
8. Find “local-files.bnk” and delete it.
   
9. Go back to Spotify and check whether the track is playing without problems now.
   

Disable Spotify Hardware Acceleration

Although hardware acceleration is there to ensure smooth and seamless running of the program, sometimes it may cause certain issues — such as the one you’re dealing with right now.

Here’s how to disable Spotify’s acceleration hardware on your computer:

1. Open Spotify.
   
2. Go to three horizontal dots in the top left corner of your display.
   
3. Slide your cursor down to “View.”
   
4. Click on “Hardware Acceleration” in the new menu if it has a checkmark next to it.
   

Change Spotify’s Audio Quality

If you’ve recently switched from Spotify’s Premium plan to a regular plan, you might need to adjust the streaming quality of your music to be able to play some tracks. Changing the audio quality could be the solution and is definitely worth a try.

Here’s how to lower Spotify audio quality on your PC:

1. Launch Spotify.
   
2. Click on your profile icon.
   
3. Select “Settings” in the drop-down menu.
   
4. Navigate to the “Audio Quality” section in the new menu.
   On the right side, you’ll find another drop-down menu with audio quality. Change whichever quality was previously set to “Automatic” or any of the lower options.
   
5. Restart Spotify and try the track that wasn’t playing before.

Change Crossfading Value

Spotify songs usually have a transitional fading effect that allows no breaks between songs and improves your listening experience. Although this feature sounds incredible, if it’s set to the highest value, it might also be the cause of your problems playing some songs.

To change Spotify’s crossfade value on your computer, follow these steps:

1. Open Spotify.
   
2. Click on your profile photo.
   
3. Go to “Settings.”
   
4. Under “Playback,” lower the number of seconds next to “Crossfade songs” to zero.
   
5. Check whether the problematic song is playing now.

Change Sound Output Device

One possible cause of your Spotify track problem might be that you’ve put the wrong output device for the sound coming out of your PC. Here’s how to check the setting on Windows 10 and Windows 11.

For Windows 10:

1. Open Spotify.
   
2. Press the Windows key and the “I” letter on your keyboard.
   
3. Go to “System.”
   
4. Open “Sound” from the left sidebar menu.
   
5. Tap on “Advanced Sound Options.”
   
6. Under “App Volume,” you’ll see “Spotify Music” and two drop-down menus.
   
7. Set the “Output” and “Input” to “Default” if it isn’t set to it already.
   
8. Go back to Spotify to check whether the song can be played now.

For Windows 11:

1. Open Spotify.
   
2. Hold the Windows key and press “I” on your keyboard.
   
3. Go to “System.”
   
4. Open “Sound.”
   
5. In the “Advanced” section, select “Volume Mixer.”
   
6. You’ll find “Spotify Music” under “Apps.”
   
7. Set the output device to “Default.”
   

Reinstall Spotify

If none of the solutions from above work, reinstalling Spotify is your last hope. It shouldn’t make a spectacular difference and should actually have the same effect as updating the app as it will give you the latest version. But it’s worth a try in case nothing else has fixed the problem.

FAQs

Will downloading the song on Spotify fix the “Spotify can’t play this right now” error?

Downloading the song or the whole album featuring the problematic song might help fix this problem. However, keep in mind that only Spotify Premium subscribers can download songs and albums.

Will using a VPN fix the “Spotify can’t play this right now” error?

Using a VPN to fix this issue will only help if the song isn’t available in your region. It won’t help if it’s a song that you’ve previously played and suddenly can’t for unknown reasons.

Listen to Your Favorite Music with No Distractions

Spotify offers a free listening experience to its desktop users. Nevertheless, there might be some issues with playing some tracks, which isn’t always solved by the simple restart button. To equip yourself with knowledge on how to solve this glitch, use the tips and tricks from this article.

Have you ever encountered this issue on Spotify? Did the pointers from this article help you solve it? Tell us in the comments section below.