How to Fix Spotify Can’t Play This Right Now

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Grace
March 27, 2025

The “Spotify can’t play this right now” is a relatively common error that many users face, typically  occurs due to technical glitches or licensing issues. In this article, we’ve compiled a comprehensive guide to help you resolve this issue. You’ll find all the most effective fixes to save you time and frustration. Read on to find out which method works best for your situation and get back to enjoying your music on Spotify.

  1. Update the Spotify App
  2. Log Out and Log Back into Spotify
  3. Restart Your device
  4. Disable Hardware Acceleration
  5. Clear Spotify Cache
  6. Lower Spotify’s Streaming Quality
  7. Use a VPN
  8. Reinstall the Spotify App
  9. Download Spotify Songs to MP3

1. Update the Spotify App

In certain cases, outdated software can lead to issues with Spotify. If you’re experiencing problems, it’s possible that you don’t have the latest version of the Spotify app or desktop program installed. Updating to the most recent version can often resolve bugs or errors. If you see the “Spotify can’t play this right now” error message, consider updating your Spotify app to the latest version available.

How to update the Spotify App on your computer?

If you use a Windows or Mac to stream Spotify songs, follow these steps to update your Spotify app.

  1. Open Spotify on your computer. 
  2. Go to the menu in the top left corner and
    • On Mac: Click on Spotify > About Spotify
    • On Windows: Click on Help > Check for Updates
  3. The current version of Spotify will be shown. If there’s an update available, follow the instructions to install it. 

How to update the Spotify App on mobile devices?

If you’re using Spotify on mobile, check for Spotify updates on Apple App Store or Google Play Store. 

  1. Open the Apple App Store or Google Play Store on your mobile devices.
  2. Type Spotify in the Search bar to find the app.
  3. If there is a new version available, tap the Update button to update your Spotify app.
update spotify

2. Log Out and Log Back into Spotify

Sometimes, simply by logging out and then logging back into your Spotify account, you may resolve the playback errors or glitches that were affecting your experience. This can help restore the proper functioning of the application.

To log out of Spotify on your computer, click on your Profile picture in the top right corner of the app. Then, select “Log out” from the dropdown menu that appears.

log out of spotify

If you’re using the Spotify app on your phone, here’s how you can log out:

  1. Tap on the Settings icon (the gear icon) in the top right corner of the Home page within the Spotify app.
  2. Scroll down to the bottom of the Settings menu and select “Log out.”
log out of spotify mobile app

After you have logged out of Spotify, the app will prompt you to sign back in. Simply follow the instructions provided by Spotify to complete the sign-in process.

3. Restart Your Device

When you’re experiencing issues with a slow, unresponsive, or buggy computer or mobile device, a common solution is to restart it. Restarting your device is effective because it stops all background apps and clears the device’s internal random-access memory (RAM). This process can make your device feel faster, smoother, and more responsive overall.

If you’re encountering the error Spotify Can’t Play This Right Now, it’s worth trying to resolve it by restarting your device. Simply power it off, wait for a few seconds, and then turn it back on. This simple action may help refresh the device’s system and resolve any temporary issues that were impacting the playback of Spotify.

4. Disable Hardware Acceleration in Spotify

Hardware acceleration in Spotify is designed to optimize the app’s performance by leveraging the capabilities of your computer’s hardware, resulting in a better music-listening experience. Currently, hardware acceleration is available only on Spotify desktop versions for Windows and macOS. However, some users with older computers have reported issues such as song skipping or unplayable tracks when hardware acceleration is enabled.

The hardware acceleration feature is enabled by default on Spotify, but you can disable it by following these steps:

On Windows

  1. Click on your profile picture in the top right corner of the Spotify app.
  2. Select Settings from the drop-down menu
  3. Turn off Enable hardware acceleration under the Compatibility section.
Enable hardware acceleration

On Mac

  1. Go to the menu in the top left corner of your screen and click on Spotify.
  2. Tap on Hardware Acceleration.
  3. Confirm your decision to turn off hardware acceleration and restart the Spotify app.
Hardware Acceleration Mac

Disabling hardware acceleration may help resolve many issues you’re experiencing with Spotify, particularly on older computers. By adjusting this setting, you can potentially enhance the performance and stability of Spotify on your desktop.

5. Clear Spotify Cache

Spotify uses a cache to store data on your device such as your frequently played songs and downloaded music, in order to enhance the app’s performance. However, if the cache is not cleared regularly, it can accumulate and potentially overwhelm your device, leading to storage capacity issues and device lag. Additionally, corrupted cache files can cause errors when playing songs on Spotify.

To maintain optimal performance, Spotify suggests having at least 1GB of free memory on your device. Here’s a guide on how to clear the Spotify cache on your device, and the procedures are basically the same on your mobile devices and computer.

  1. Select Settings on your device.
    • On your mobile devices, tap the gear icon on the Home page to show the Settings menu.
    • On your computer, click your profile picture to find the Settings option.
  2. Scroll down and click Storage.
  3. Click on Clear cache.

6. Lower Spotify’s Streaming Quality

Spotify Premium users have the privilege of enjoying Very High streaming audio quality, which is approximately equivalent to 320kbit/s. On the other hand, ad-supported users may experience audio quality of around 160kbit/s. If you cancel your Spotify Premium subscription, you may encounter the “Spotify Can’t Play This Right Now” error because the high-quality streaming feature doesn’t automatically disable. To manually adjust your streaming quality, follow these steps:

  1. Select Settings on your device.
    • On your mobile devices, tap the gear icon on the Home page to show the Settings menu.
    • On your computer, click your profile picture to find the Settings option.
  2. Scroll down and click Audio Quality.
  3. Change the streaming quality to Automatic or a lower option.
Spotify Audio Quality

7. Use a VPN

Certain Spotify songs may be restricted to specific countries or geographical regions, making them inaccessible when you’re not in the authorized area. However, you can overcome these restrictions by using a VPN (virtual private network). A VPN allows you to change your device’s location to a different country, enabling you to bypass the restrictions and access the desired Spotify songs.

Established VPN providers such as NordVPN, Surfshark, ExpressVPN, and others offer stable services that can help you resolve the “Spotify Can’t Play This Right Now” error caused by copyright regional restrictions. With a reliable VPN, you can enjoy a wider selection of music on Spotify, regardless of your physical location.

8. Reinstall the Spotify App

If you’ve tried all the troubleshooting steps and are still encountering Spotify Can’t Play This Right Now, uninstalling and reinstalling the Spotify app can be an option. This process helps remove any corrupted files or bugs that may be causing issues.

Before proceeding with the uninstallation, it’s important to note that reinstalling the Spotify app may result in the loss of your downloads. You will need to download them again after reinstalling the app on your device.

The exact method to uninstall Spotify may vary depending on your device’s operating system. Once the app is uninstalled, visit your device’s app store (e.g., Google Play Store, Apple App Store), download and install the Spotify app again by following the installation instructions. After reinstalling, you can start fresh with the latest version of the Spotify app.

9. Download Spotify Songs to MP3

The most effective solution for the “Spotify can’t play this right now” error is to download songs, playlists, or albums as MP3 files for playback on any compatible media player. While Spotify Premium allows offline listening, these downloads is restricted within the Spotify app and cannot be transferred elsewhere. To download your Spotify songs to MP3, we recommend Pazu Spotify Converter, a smart tool for both Spotify Free and Premium users to download any Spotify song/playlist/album/podcast for offline listening.

Pazu Spotify Music Converter can download Spotify music to MP3, M4A, AIFF, WAV, FLAC, and AAC. It preserves original audio quality and enables playback on any device or media player. With this specialized software, you’ll never encounter the “can’t play” error again.

Key features of Pazu Spotify Converter:

  • Download Spotify songs, albums, playlists, and podcasts with either Spotify’s free or premium account.
  • Built-in Spotify web player, no Spotify app needed.
  • Download Spotify to MP3 in 320kbps.
  • Multiple output formats: MP3, M4A, AAC, FLAC, WAV, and AIFF.
  • Keep all ID3 tags.
  • Rename Spotify songs with titles, albums, artists, etc.
  • Archive downloaded songs by album or artist.
  • Multilingual interface.

Download Spotify to MP3 with Pazu Spotify Converter

  1. Install and launch the Pazu Spotify Converter on your Mac or Windows. Log in to your Spotify account.
  2. Click the gear icon (Settings) at the top right to choose your output format (e.g., MP3, WAV), audio quality, output folder, and other preferences.
Spotify Downloader Settings

  1. Find the playlist you want to download and click “Add to List.
Add Spotify Songs to Download List

  1. Uncheck any songs you don’t want. Click the Convert button to begin the download.
Download-individual-spotify-songs

  1. Once the download is complete, click the folder button to locate your downloaded songs.
Find-downloaded-spotify-songs

Note: The free trial version of Pazu Spotify Converter allows you to convert the first three minutes of each track. Upgrade to the full version for unlimited conversions.

Spotify Music Converter

Spotify Music Converter

Download and convert any Spotify songs, albums, playlists to MP3/M4A etc.