Spotify Windows app randomly playing weird music, setting it to repeat, and lowering the app volume

[ExoticHaha]

Hi all,

The past few days, I noticed that my Spotify on the Windows app is playing random music I never started or wanted to listen to and the app volume is set to extremely low (as if to make sure I am not able to notice it playing) and setting the songs to repeat/shuffle. Here is an example of one of the artists that is playing randomly:

As you can tell, it's some AI generated slop - I think this artist is trying to generate fake (but real) streams by using real accounts to auto play music. Here is a list of things I have completed multiple times the past few days:

• Logged out of all devices using the option in settings
• Changed my account password
• Changed my email password
• Ensured no one is remotely accessing my PC by checking current users and only one has access which is myself
• Did a re-install of the Spotify app
• Contacted support who said no one suspicious is on my account
• Ran multiple malware scans using MalwareBytes and Windows Security which showed nothing out of the ordinary

After monitoring, I noticed that the music is playing directly from my own PC, and NOT from another persons device - so when the music starts playing, its from my own PC. Additionally, I didn't receive any mails from Spotify or from my email provider alerting me of new or unauthorised access. I kept monitoring my recently played before I slept and after I woke up when my PC is closed, and the music is not being played when my Windows app is not open.

If I close the app on PC, the music doesn't play. I don't think it's related to my phone either (my only other signed in device) which is an iPhone, as the app is always closed unless I listen to it outside and I didn't get any security alerts on my phone telling me it was accessed in any way. Every account I have has 2FA enabled.

I'm completely baffled by this. I initially thought that it was someone who has remote access to my PC, but all the different malware scans I ran showed that there is nothing strange happening. I also checked my installed apps, and there were no recent installations that looked strange - the last thing I installed which wasn't an application update was Dark Souls 3, so unless Miyazaki is trying to hack me personally I doubt that there are any unauthorised installations on my PC.

Has anyone experienced something like this or have heard of anything like this and figured out a solution? Or any ideas as to what could be happening? I don't want to start a new account or have my information transferred to another account.

Thank you

[Luan]

Hey, @ExoticHaha 
Welcome to the Spotify Community, and thanks for reaching out to us here!

I saw you already took some actions to protect your account, but I just would like to know if you have connected any service to your Spotify account, like Alexa or Sonos. You can view/manage the services linked to your account here:

• Manage Apps 

Some services or apps may have permission to control your account, by managing playlists or controlling your playback, for example. So I consider it is worth to double-check if everything is alright on that side too and you can revoke the access to your account from any of unknown service/app anytime.

After revoking the access, consider a clean reinstall of Spotify on all of your devices. You can find more information about it here:

• Perform a clean reinstall of the app 

Stay awesome! 

Let me know if you have further questions or need anything else! I'd love to help!

[ExoticHaha]

Hi Luan,

Thanks for your message. I already did a clean re-install. I have revoked all access too, the only apps available are "Spotify Premium Plan" and "Profile", which as far as I can understand are Spotify provided apps.

I contacted support who did a forced sign out on all sessions (including remote sessions), and everything seemed fine, but I opened the Windows Spotify app again this morning and the issue is recurring. Random AI music being played directly on my PC and the volume is being lowered. I believe my account is being remotely accessed, but I can't seem to remove the remote session which I never even started

[Dessi · Accepted solution]

Hi there @ExoticHaha,

Thanks for the reply!

There aren't any separate apps for a Premium plan and Profile, so if you do see such here, I'd recommend removing them. Another thing you can do is block the suspicious artists you mentioned to prevent them from being played without your consent - go to their artist profile, click on the three dots and then on Don't play this artist. Also, if you have another device available, you can log in your account on it to see if this also happens there. This is to check if it's device- or account-related.

However, if the issue still persists afterwards, I'd recommend reaching out to Customer Support again as they are best equipped to help secure the account.

Hope this helps.

[ExoticHaha]

Hi @Dessi,

Below is a screenshot of the 2 apps I am referring to. So will removing these be fine and won't affect my profile in any way? 

Thank you

[MihailY]

Hey @ExoticHaha,

I can confirm that removing those is absolutely fine! I'd also suggest starting with the "Spotify Premium Plan" one since I'm fairly confident this is the service/app that's causing the behavior you've described.

Let us know how it goes.

[KuroT]

Did you manage to find a solution? I have the exact same problem. It only plays on my windows client. It started happening after I got some malware, but even after getting rid of all of it, the issue still persists. I’m stumped, I have tried pretty much everything you have done. The only possible solution I can think of is getting a clean windows installation.

[Vicgoat]

Had the same issue that happened on 2 different computers. I still have no idea on how this is happening, I've done the exact same steps as these

• Logged out of all devices using the option in settings
• Changed my account password
• Changed my email password
• Ensured no one is remotely accessing my PC by checking current users and only one has access which is myself
• Did a re-install of the Spotify app
• Contacted support who said no one suspicious is on my account
• Ran multiple malware scans using MalwareBytes and Windows Security which showed nothing out of the ordinary

I'm really clueless and it seems that the only solution might be to recreate an account which I don't really want to do.

[Lainisis]

Hi, i have this problem since 2 years and i have never found a solution ... this is maybe worst than you because it even run music from these shitty AI artists on my phone when connection is on even if i am not currently listening to spotify. It just starts randomly and from no where with no reasons...

The same way you did, i checked password, malwares, 2FA, etc. ...

I am in software engineering so i know a bit in the field and all my check up never had any effects...

I call them "haunted accounts" to be shorter.

The one i often hear starting randomly are :

Hans.office.24, Fizzle25552, Jaike.Gemini.TEAAM, randi939393, and maybe 40 others (i am not joking)

I am a musician and i listen to spotify maybe 4 hours a day in average so this really **bleep** me off... Please spotify do something 

[Lainisis]

Still no change and my spotify app randomly starting these haunted sh*t ...

Little info : this artists, like every other one, was blocked, but it launchs anyway

[aftergleam]

has anyone found an actual solution to this yet? mine has also been playing music from these artists even though i've blocked said artists. i've tried everything above. please help

these are the only apps i left on my account (i trust all of them)