Spotify is one of the most popular music streaming services on the planet, and while the service itself is rather reliable, sometimes you can have issues with the Spotify app.
In this article, we’re looking at why Spotify can’t play certain songs and what you can do to fix the problem.
Also read: How to unhide a song on Spotify?
Why won’t Spotify play certain songs?
The error is triggered when you try to play an unavailable song for some reason. The most common reason behind it is copyright issues, but there can be other reasons.
- Regional availability.
- Damaged, corrupted or missing cache files (for local playback)
- Webplayer not working properly.
- Incorrect Spotify settings.
11 ways to fix the ‘Spotify won’t play certain songs’ error
Here are 11 solutions you can try out to see if they fix the Spotify won’t play certain songs problem.
Try restarting
Restart the Spotify app, your device (whether PC or your phone) and check to make sure you have an active connection. Restarting can fix many seemingly random issues that appear to be coming out of nowhere.
You can select the Spotify app window on a macOS device, open the Apple menu, and click Force Quit. Alternatively, you can press Option + Command + Esc and select Force Quit.
Run the app as an admin
Sometimes running programs at an elevated level can help solve problems. All you have to do is press the Windows button, search for Spotify and click the Run as administrator button.
Look for updates
The next thing to do is check for updates for the Spotify app. If there’s one available, install the update immediately and check if Spotify won’t play certain songs issue has been solved.
Log out, restart and log back in
This is a combination of a few tips from back in the day but still work remarkably well. All you need to do is log out of the app, restart it and log back in.
It’s a bit of a cliche, but it works.
Reinstall the app
Another twist on the classic on/off tip, except this time we’re going full-on by completely removing the app and installing it again.
Sometimes apps need to build themselves from scratch to resolve any under the hood errors they might have run into. This will help get everything a fresh start and fix the Spotify can’t play this right now issue.
Clear out the app cache
This further takes the step mentioned above and deletes any data that the app might have stored on your phone or PC and forces it to rebuild the entire library again.
Often files saved in the cache get corrupted or unreadable for several reasons, which can cause random, unexplainable crashes for just about any app.
Try compatibility mode
Sometimes a Windows update can cause conflicts with games or programs on your PC. Try running the program in compatibility mode to check if that resolves the issue.
Step 1: Press the Windows key and search for Spotify. Click on Open file location.
Step 2: Right-click on the Spotify icon and click Properties.
Step 3: Head over to the Compatibility tab and check the Run this program in compatibility mode for option.
Step 4: If you’re using Windows 10, select Windows 8 from the dropdown. Similarly, if you’re using Windows 8, set the dropdown to Windows 7.
Restart your PC and try relaunching Spotify.
Also read: How to see lyrics on Spotify?
Repair the program
Repairing (or resetting) a program in Windows 10 can go a long way in helping resolve any errors.
Step 1: Press the Windows key and search for Spotify. Click on App Settings.
Step 2: Use the Repair or Reset buttons to perform the corresponding action and see if that resolved your error.
Try starting Spotify now and playing the same song again.
Disable Hardware Acceleration
Hardware acceleration is meant to enhance performance, but if your PC is too old, it can cause problems.
Step 1: Open Spotify, click on your account name followed by Settings.
Step 2: Click Show Advanced Settings.
Step 3: Under Compatibility, disable the Enable hardware acceleration slider.
Now restart Spotify and try again. The Spotify won’t play certain songs error should be fixed.
Reinstall the application
Another step that can solve just about any issue with the app is to straight-up reinstall. Here’s how.
Step 1: Press Windows key + X to bring up the Quick Access menu and click on Apps and Features.
Step 2: Find Spotify in the list and click the Uninstall button to remove the app.
Step 3: Now press Windows key + R to open the Run prompt. Type %appdata% and press enter.
Step 4: Delete the Spotify folder in the directory.
Now restart your PC and try reinstalling the Spotify app from the Microsoft Store. Log in again, and Spotify can’t play this right now error should be resolved.
On a macOS device, follow these steps.
Step 1: Open the Finder menu and click Go.
Step 2: Head over to Library, followed by Caches.
Step 3: Find and delete the com.spotify.client folder.
Step 4: Now head over to Application Support.
Step 5: Find and delete Spotify.
Now try reinstalling the program to see if your error is resolved.
Use the web version
If the solutions above didn’t solve the problem, it likely indicates a bug to be fixed in later updates. Till then, you can resort to using the web version of Spotify.
The web version works exactly like the app and supports features like Spotify Connect and, of course, Search. The good thing about using the web version is that there will be no errors or bugs there, so you should stop seeing the Spotify won’t play certain songs error.
Also read: Spotify web player not working: 10 Fixes
