Nothing could be simpler than playing your favorite music on Spotify. Since all you want to do is lose yourself in your favorite song. It is upsetting when you are confronted by a “Spotify can’t play this right now” error message.
Except for those who are determined enough to search through its community sections or user forums like Reddit in search of solutions, Spotify regrettably doesn’t readily share information regarding this problem.
There is no need to look far and wide for solutions, so relax. We’ll discuss every potential reason for the error in this article, along with several solutions so that you can fix it.
Why Spotify Can’t Play This Right Now Error Occur?
There are many reasons for the “Spotify can’t play this right now” error. Most of the time, it occurs due to the slow Internet connection. We have listed some of the other most common reasons below.
- Slow internet connection: If your internet connection is slow or your Wi-Fi disconnects, Spotify frequently stops playing tunes.
- Frozen Spotify app: The Spotify app occasionally freezes or has this problem due to a bug.
- Crashed System Files: To keep Windows healthy, users typically opt to use third-party software. However, occasionally such software identifies some crucial files as having a flaw and crashes them. Due to this, Spotify is unable to play the tracks.
- Corrupt cache: The application needs temporary storage from the cache to function properly. But occasionally, these cache files crash due to overloading or when several processes are running simultaneously.
Fix Spotify Can’t Play This Right Now Error
Several fixes are available that you can try to fix the “Spotify can’t play this right now error.” We have listed some of the working fixes below in the article.
1. Restart Spotify
The very first fix we have is to restart the Spotify app. It may sound very obvious but restarting the application often fixes many minor bugs and issues. It clears the RAM that is being used by the application and allocates it again.
Close and reopen the Spotify mobile app. Close and restart your browser if you’re using the Spotify web app. If you use Spotify on a Windows PC, choose File > Exit Spotify if you use Spotify on your desktop.
2. Change The Streaming Quality
Only Spotify Premium users have access to high-quality streaming audio. If you decide to stop using Spotify Premium, the service automatically switches you to the free plan.
Unfortunately, this stops your account from using high-quality streaming, which may cause your sudden inability to play music. This problem can be fixed by manually adjusting your streaming quality. Here’s how to go about it:
1. Launch the Spotify desktop application. Select your avatar by clicking in the top right corner.
2. From the drop-down box, select Settings.
3. Select the Audio Quality. Set it to automatic or a lower level.
3. Get Rid Of The Spotify Cache Files.
Your Spotify cache files contain various information, including searches, liked songs, downloaded tracks, and more. Occasionally, this local cache data may become faulty and display errors, like “Spotify can’t play this right now.” Thus, deleting such files can resolve issues of a similar nature. Spotify cache files can be deleted using the following method:
For Android Users
1. Open Spotify and click the Settings button in the top right corner.
2. On the Spotify app, select Settings.
3. Then, select Storage from the list of options in Spotify Settings.
4. Then, choose Clear cache.
For iPhone Users
1. On your Spotify homepage, click the Settings symbol in the upper-right corner.
2. Next, scroll down and select Storage
3. Then, click on Clear Cache.
4. Finally, restart Spotify.
For Windows Users
1. Launch the Spotify desktop application.
2. In the top right corner, click on your avatar, and then choose Settings from the drop-down menu.
3. To view the folder where your cache is saved, click on Offline storage location. Make a note of this location.
4. Navigate to that location on your drive by opening File Explorer on the taskbar.
5. Select all the files in that folder and remove them.
4. Troubleshooting Local Files
Spotify provides a function that enables you to play music files that are kept locally on your computer, provided you have a premium subscription. To accomplish this, use the Spotify desktop application to import local files into Spotify.
However, there may occasionally be issues where Spotify fails to identify changes to your file settings, which can prevent your local files from correctly syncing. There’s a chance you won’t be able to play or stream such tracks.
The best course of action in this situation is to update your Local Files Settings. You can then load and play those audio files because Spotify will now reflect any modifications or changes to your preferences. Follow the steps listed below:
1. In the top-right corner, click on your username, then choose Settings.
2. Under Local Files, go to Show Local Files and manually turn the switch off and on again.
3. Click on Add a source as a further step to confirm any adjustments and changes.
4. Go to the local drive folder where the audio files you want to play are located. If necessary, re-select it to ensure that Spotify tracks the location of your local files.
5. Your local file’s preferences must have been updated by now.
5. Enable Protected Content
Due to built-in authorization settings in some web browsers, you might be unable to play or watch copyright-protected content. This could be why you may encounter the error message “Spotify can’t play this right now” while using the Spotify web player. You must permit viewing of restricted content to correct this.
1. To access Settings on Chrome, select the three dots in the top right corner.
2. Choose Privacy and Security from the options.
3. Then, choose Site Settings
4. Then, tap on Additional content settings.
5. Activate Allow sites to play protected content under protected content.
6. Disable Hardware Acceleration
The seamless operation of the application and app is facilitated by hardware acceleration. It makes the hardware settings available and aids in fulfilling the needs of the software.
However, occasionally the app becomes sluggish, and the song is not played. The steps below will enable you to disable hardware acceleration functionality on Windows and Mac computers.
For Windows Users:
1. The three dots menu icon is located in the top left corner of the dashboard while the Spotify app is open.
2. Select View and determine whether the Hardware Acceleration option has a checkmark.
3. Uncheck this box if there are any. Start your application again after that.
For Mac Users
1. Launch Spotify on your Mac.
2. Following that, select Spotify from the top left corner.
3. Uncheck Hardware Acceleration.
4. Stream any song after restarting the application. The issue has been resolved if the song plays.
7. Reinstall Spotify
In the worst-case scenario, reinstalling Spotify is the best possible choice. By doing this, you’ll be able to start over with Spotify’s most recent version and remove any issues or flaws. Here’s how to remove and reinstall Spotify on Android, just in case:
1. First, navigate to Settings.
2. Scroll down and look for Apps.
3. Under apps, search for Spotify and then uninstall the application.
4. Next, visit the Play store and download the most recent version of Spotify.
FAQs
Why does Spotify keep displaying an error message?
Despite being among the top music-listening apps, Spotify is not infallible. Users may occasionally have to deal with a single error code or several, and the reasons why this happens vary.
How do I respond if Spotify says I can’t play this right now?
To troubleshoot the Spotify can’t play this right now error, try restarting your device, clear Spotify cache files, adjust the streaming quality, or disable the hardware acceleration.
Final Words
As far as music streaming services go, Spotify is among the top ones. You will occasionally run into unanticipated issues with this software, just as with any other. After reading this article, we hope you will be able to play the Spotify can’t play this right now error message. Now that your favorite music is back on, you can unwind and enjoy it!
