Issue with the Web Player skipping tracks on multiple devices

[Yordan]

We received reports from users having issues with the Web Player skipping tracks after a few seconds of streaming (usually around 10) and occasionally displaying a "Spotify can't play this right now" error.

[stopthelies]

loads have tried, tried everything from switching browsers, operating systems, clearing cache, and having this issue affect so many people, i think shows its a spotify internal issue that embarrassingly they cant fix. mods are quiet on it, we know the reason for that, spotify customer service is pathetic, the whole company is a shambles. youtube has issues, fixed in days. trying to get email add for the owners to report these lazy and incompetent staff / mods lol   

[Vasil]

Hey there folks,

We really appreciate all your reports so far!

Our tech teams have looked into this, but weren't able to reproduce it. Since this issue could be caused by individual network setups, we'll close this thread as the issue is something that will need to be looked into individually or could get resolved by an overall system and/or functionality change.

Here are some troubleshooting steps that are worth taking a look into:

Check if there are any pending updates for your browser and installing them? It's also highly recommended you manually check if the latest version of the Widevine plugin is installed. There's a detailed guide on how to do that in this article.

Below you can find some additional things you can try. Click on each section to expand it.

► Audio Output & Sample Rate

Make sure Spotify is mapped to a valid audio device in Windows/macOS and that the sample rate isn’t set too high (anywhere between 44.1 and 192 kHz should be okay). Check “App volume and device preferences” and confirm Spotify is assigned to the correct output. You'll find a detailed guide on how to do that here.

► USB DACs or external audio interfaces

Driver conflicts or odd configuration in advanced setups (e.g., gaming headsets, external DACs) can trigger errors. Disabling/re-enabling the device driver or trying a different USB port often helps.

► Clearing hosts file

Check if the hosts file contains any entries with Spotify in the address and remove them. You'll find the steps to do this here.

► Symlinks or moved browser data

If you moved your browser’s cache/profile via symbolic links, check permissions and confirm Widevine is working with the new location.

► Firewall/Antivirus software or Ad blockers

Aggressive AV or restricted network policies can break DRM or streaming requests. Try disabling them briefly or test with another network. Uninstall any ad-blocker apps.

► In case you're using any DJ apps/ software for mixing or creating tunes

If you have any DJ apps/software for mixing or creating tunes, try disabling the option to exclusively use a specific sound card. You can try using a different device to verify if the issue is limited to your setup and/ or network.

We hope this helps. If you still need a hand, you can start a new topic in the relevant Help board including all the steps you've tried so far and their outcome and we'll take it from there.

P.S. If you're on a non-personal device or network (student laptop, student network, corporate laptop, corporate network) get in touch with the administrator for more help! 🙂

[Aditya50]

Dear Spotify Support,

I’m experiencing a persistent issue with the Spotify Web Player on my current Android phone. Whenever I try to play music through the web player (via browsers like Chrome and Brave), songs either automatically skip without playing or do not load at all. This issue seems to be specific to this phone, as the web player works perfectly on my other phones and desktop.

I’ve already tried the following troubleshooting steps:

Tried multiple browsers (Chrome, Brave)

Cleared browser cache and cookies

Switched between Wi-Fi and mobile data

Disabled battery saver and browser restrictions

Restarted the phone and browser

Enabled desktop mode for Spotify Web

Despite all this, the problem persists only on this device’s web player. I prefer using the web version and would appreciate help in resolving this issue.

Looking forward to your guidance.

Best regards,
Aditya tribhuwan 

[Rapalt]

i got the same exact issue, but this only occurs on my phone. I've tried this on other phone and it works idk why.