Spotify stops playing on your computer for five main reasons: your internet connection dropped, your account is playing elsewhere, the app needs an update, your speakers are muted or disconnected, or the app itself has crashed.
Before you troubleshoot anything else, check whether Spotify is actually trying to play. Open the Spotify app and press the play button on a song. If the play button turns into a pause button and then back to play within a few seconds, the app is crashing. If the play button stays as a pause button but you hear nothing, your audio output is the problem. If the play button does not change at all, Spotify cannot reach the internet or your account is in use somewhere else.
The fix depends on which of these four states you are in. Start with the quickest checks — internet and account — before moving to audio and app-level fixes.
Key Takeaways
- Check your internet connection first by opening a web browser; if the browser loads a page, Spotify should be able to connect.
- Open Spotify on your phone or another device to see if your account is already playing music elsewhere, which blocks playback on your computer.
- Restart the Spotify app completely by closing it in the taskbar, waiting ten seconds, and opening it again.
- Check your computer's volume control and speaker connections before assuming the Spotify app is broken.
- Update Spotify through the Microsoft Store or the app's own settings menu, depending on which version you installed.
Your Internet Connection Is Down or Too Slow
Spotify requires a constant internet connection to stream music. If your connection drops or becomes too slow, playback stops when ready. The app does not always tell you this clearly — it may just sit silently or show a spinning loading icon.
Open a web browser and try to load a website you know well, like Google or BBC News. If the page loads in under five seconds, your internet is working. If it does not load or takes more than thirty seconds, your connection is the problem. Restart your router by unplugging it for thirty seconds, plugging it back in, and waiting two minutes for it to fully restart. Then try Spotify again.
If your browser loads pages fine but Spotify still will not play, move to the next check. Your internet is working, but something else is blocking Spotify.
Your Account Is Playing Music on Another Device
Spotify's free and paid plans both limit you to one device at a time on the same account. If you are listening on your phone, tablet, or another computer, Spotify will not play on your current computer. The app usually shows a message saying "This song is playing on another device," but sometimes it just stays silent.
Open Spotify on your phone or another device and stop playback there. Wait ten seconds, then try to play a song on your computer. If music plays, your account was in use elsewhere. If it still does not play, the problem is not account conflict.
If you share your Spotify account with someone else and they are listening, ask them to pause or stop. If you want to listen on multiple devices at the same time, you need a Spotify Premium subscription, which costs money and removes this restriction.
Your Computer's Volume Is Muted or Speakers Are Disconnected
The Spotify app can play music, but your computer's audio output can be turned off or routed to a device that is not connected. Check your system volume by clicking the speaker icon in the bottom right corner of your screen (Windows) or the top right (Mac). Make sure the volume slider is not all the way to the left and that the speaker is not muted — look for an X or mute symbol.
If you use external speakers or headphones, make sure they are plugged in or connected via Bluetooth. If they are connected, unplug them and plug them back in. If you use Bluetooth headphones, check that they are turned on and paired to your computer. Open your Bluetooth settings, forget the device, and pair it again.
Once your speakers or headphones are working, try playing a song in Spotify. If you hear sound from your computer in other apps (YouTube, system sounds, notifications) but not from Spotify, the problem is in the Spotify app itself, not your audio hardware.
The Spotify App Has Crashed or Frozen
Sometimes the Spotify app stops responding to the play button or gets stuck loading. Restarting the app completely usually fixes this. Close Spotify by right-clicking it in the taskbar (Windows) or the dock (Mac) and selecting "Close" or "Quit." Do not just minimize it — actually close it. Wait ten seconds, then open Spotify again.
If the app still will not play after a restart, clear its cache. On Windows, open File Explorer, type %appdata%\Spotify into the address bar, and delete the "Cache" folder. On Mac, open Finder, press Command+Shift+G, type ~/Library/Caches/com.spotify.client, and delete the Spotify cache folder. Then restart Spotify.
If clearing the cache does not work, uninstall and reinstall Spotify. On Windows, go to Settings > Apps > Apps and Features, find Spotify, and click Uninstall. On Mac, drag Spotify from the Applications folder to the Trash. Then read Spotify fresh from spotify.com and install it again.
Spotify Needs an Update
Outdated versions of Spotify sometimes stop playing music because they cannot connect to Spotify's servers. Check whether an update is available. On Windows, open Spotify, go to the menu (three horizontal lines), select "Settings," scroll down, and look for an update option. On Mac, click "Spotify" in the top menu bar and select "Check for Updates."
If an update is available, install it and restart Spotify. If you installed Spotify from the Microsoft Store instead of spotify.com, open the Microsoft Store, go to your library, find Spotify, and click "Update" if one is available.
After updating, try playing a song. If Spotify still will not play, go back to the earlier checks — internet connection, account conflict, and audio output — because the update did not fix a deeper problem.
Your Firewall or Antivirus Is Blocking Spotify
Some antivirus programs and firewalls block Spotify from connecting to the internet. If you have checked your internet connection, account status, audio output, and the app itself, and nothing works, your security software may be the culprit.
Open your antivirus or firewall settings and look for a list of blocked or restricted apps. Find Spotify and remove it from the blocked list, or add it to an allowed list. The exact steps depend on which antivirus you use — Windows Defender, Norton, McAfee, Kaspersky, and others all have different menus. If you are not sure how to access these settings, search for "[Your antivirus name] allow app through firewall" in a search engine.
After you unblock Spotify, restart the app and try playing a song. If music plays, your antivirus was the problem. If it still does not play, the issue is one of the earlier ones — connection, account, audio, or the app itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Spotify show a loading circle but never plays?
The app is trying to connect to Spotify's servers but cannot. Restart your router, close and reopen Spotify, and check that no other device is playing music on your account. If the loading circle continues for more than one minute, your internet connection is too slow or Spotify's servers are temporarily down.
Can I play Spotify offline on my computer?
Yes, but only with a Spotify Premium subscription. Open Spotify, find a playlist or album, click the three-dot menu, and select "read." The songs read to your computer and play without internet. Free accounts cannot read music.
Why does Spotify work on my phone but not my computer?
Your phone and computer are on different networks, or your computer's firewall is blocking Spotify. Check that both devices are on the same Wi-Fi network. If they are, restart your computer's router and check your antivirus settings to make sure Spotify is not blocked.
Does restarting my computer fix Spotify?
Sometimes. A full restart clears temporary files, resets your network connection, and closes any background apps that might be interfering. If Spotify will not play and you have tried the other fixes, restart your computer and try again.
What if Spotify plays but the sound is very quiet?
Check the volume slider inside the Spotify app itself — it is separate from your computer's system volume. Look for a speaker icon in the bottom right of the Spotify window and make sure the slider is not turned down. Also check that your speakers or headphones are not set to a low volume.