Audiobook stopped working! PLEASE FIX

[neelumjoshi]

Plan

Duo Premium/ Main account holder

Country

United Kingdom

Device

(any device I log into)

Operating System

(iOS 18.6.2 , Windows 11...

My Question or Issue

I've been listening to The Hunger Games Trilogy audiobook by Suzanne Collins, narrated by Tatiana Maslany and at Book 2 - Chapter 5 (audio 38) it just stopped working it wouldn't let me press play or rewind and when i refreshed the app the audio book had disappeared from existence on Spotify, i checked again a day later, i could find the audio book again all looked normal until i tried to play... and it just glitches, i tried playing any of the chapters and they all glitch. i tried to download the audiobook but its been loading to download for like 3 days... I have plenty of audiobook listening time left before my monthly refresh PLEASE FIX this, or explain what is happening 

[Aolivexo]

Same thing happened to me and I’m still on book one around chapter 20. Same issue now none of the chapters will play. Annoying 😭

[neelumjoshi]

😓i really hope someone official from Spotify sees this, coz i've tried to look for a customer service chat to get in touch with a spotify rep but i cant find any way to actually get in contact with spotify on this issue ☹️

[AlejaR]

Hey there folks,

Thanks for posting in the Community and welcome.

We’d recommend, if you haven't, you perform a clean reinstall of the app. By doing that the app can be up-to-date and you can make sure the stored cache is not leading to any glitches.

If the above doesn’t do the trick, we’d like to gather some additional info. Please send us:

• The make/model and OS of the affected device(s).
• The exact Spotify version you’re running.
• Does this happen with other audiobooks? Share with us the link to the audiobook.
• Some screenshots on how the audiobook looks on your end.
  Note: Be aware this is a public space, so please don't share any personal info on the screenshot you'll send us.

Keep us in the loop!

[pjw97]

Same thing has happened to me!

[Dessi]

Hey @pjw97,

Thanks for joining the thread!

Is this happening with the same audiobook @neelumjoshi mentioned? Could you send us the link to it so we can check on our end as well? Are any other audiobooks affected or is it just this one? It'd also be great if you can try clearing the app's cache in Settings > Data saving and offline > scroll to the bottom of the page, as well as logging out and back in a couple of times in a row to make sure everything's synced.

Keep us posted.

[tskye1021]

This is happening to me with Hunger Games Trilogy as well. It says I have until November 23rd to finish it but it will not play. https://open.spotify.com/show/657C2BEPW0e0wcClamYmlK?si=H-gWKwS8TTmUJreKr7jNfQ

[Aolivexo]

Same one for me 

[OscarDC]

Hey folks,

Thank you for your messages.

To continue investigating this issue, would you mind confirming if you've already performed the clean reinstall process mentioned previously? This step is frequently ignored, yet it can assist in eliminating any cache that may be causing issues.

Also, would you mind checking on a different device (using your own account) to see if it plays there? If you don't have another one available, you can borrow one from a friend or family member to test it out. 

Lastly, since this could be also related to network permissions, would you mind checking with a different Wi-Fi connection? Bear in mind that some corporate/school networks may have restricted accesses that may affect the proper behavior of the app. If you don't have another one available, you can use your mobile data.

We'll be on the lookout. 

[tskye1021]

I have reinstalled Spotify, tried on my laptop, and tried on a web browser, all with the same result. The issue started when the book was taken off Spotify. Spotify intended to allow those of us who had already started to finish, but something went wrong that allows the book to show up for us still, but not play.

[tskye1021]

I have also tried both WiFi and cellular data to no avail.

[Maria]

Hey everyone, 

Thanks for reaching out in this thread! We appreciate all the details you've sent over.

We've looked into this from our end as well, and unfortunately, the book is no longer available in our subscriber catalog. It's always worth having a look around for any new editions and explore titles in the same genre or by the same author to find something similar.

We hope this clears things up. The Community is here for you, should anything else appear!

[neelumjoshi]

Hi there, so i deleted the app and reinstalled it and the problem still persisted. Now, after just reading this, i cleared the cashe and log out and back in 3 times, each time checking to see if this audiobook would play and the glitch still persists... is there any more that can be done? (low key have 10hr left of this months audio listening time and was really hoping to use that to get the rest of this book read.) is it possible to fix? or keep the audio book on spotify for longer? i've just recently noticed that the book is being removed on the 23rd nov 😞

[neelumjoshi]

Hi so just a question, if the book has already been removed, why does it say on the app i have until the 23rd Nov to finish it? but yet the app wont let me listen... 😞 

[Yordan]

Thanks for the reply, @neelumjoshi,

It's possible that the audiobook is already cached on your account, but since it's no longer physically available on the platform, you won't be able to stream its contents, I'm afraid. If you currently have it saved in Your Library, try removing it to see if that forces a resync.

Note that as much as we'd love to have all the music, podcasts and audiobooks in the world available on Spotify, the content may vary over time and between countries. This depends on permissions from rights holders.

Hope the audiobook becomes available again in the near future. New content gets added every day, so if you can’t find or play something just now, it may appear (or reappear) soon.

Thank you everyone for sharing your feedback on the topic - we appreciate it. 💚

[tbs_awol]

I’ve deleted & reinstalled app on iPhone 17. Still won’t play my audio book (the Frenchman) . I’ve also tried to play audiobook on Microsoft surface with same result. 
im premium subscriber with 2hrs left on monthly allowance. 

[tbs_awol]

Did not solve issue 

[Yordan]

Hey, @tbs_awol,

You mean "The Frenchman" by Jack Beaumont, correct? If so, it might be that the version you were listening to is no longer part of the subscriber catalog in your region.

Availability may vary from time-to-time at Spotify’s or a third party rightsholder’s discretion. As a result, the titles in our audiobooks subscriber catalog may not be the same as those available to be unlocked on the platform.

Our catalog and access may also vary between countries. You can always explore titles in the same genre or by the same author to find something similar.

Not sure if it's available to you but I found another version which can be unlocked in case you're interested:

https://open.spotify.com/show/1A73KjQ5KfysmRSNQFU2X9?si=cc195467c49a4193

Hope this clears things up. Cheers 🤘

[tbs_awol]

Thanks Yordan. The version you have sent through is not available on my region.

I can see the details of the book , including read & unread chapters, even the fact there is 10 mins left in my chapter.

I suspect Spotify is shortchanging my monthly allowance & trying to force me to purchase more time. I’m unimpressed.

[Steinbeck]

What about the “Separation of Church and Hate” by John Fugelsang? I deleted the app and re downloaded, I’ve cleared the cache and it’s still not working. Other audiobooks work, and I’m not over my limit. I’m on version 9.1.16.1449