HIGH CPU usage Mac.

[jwindmoeller]

Hey all.

Hoping someone can help.

After the latest update, I am running on overdrive on my machine, spinning fans etc. I have uninstalled and reinstalled and I am getting the same issue even when spotify is at idle. Just running it is straining my CPU. Can anyone help?

A more detailed description, using numbered steps

1. First, I was originally running a previous verison of spotify without the follow feature. 

2. I then downloaded a new install of spotify and installed over the previous version. (The problem started then)

3. I then un-installed and re-installed spotify without removing the caches. (problem persisted)

4. Then, I finally un-installed spotify and deleted caches.

5. I re-installed and am still experiencing the problem.

6. Now I am here.

What I expected to happen

I expected the first install to be an update and my machine to run as normal.

What actually happened

Instead, I am now running on fans whenever spotify is open (not even playing music), I have tried on multiple networks with different proxies as well.

My Operating System

(From the Apple menu, select About This Mac)

E.g. OS X 10.8.3, 

2.3 GHz Intel Core i7

8 GB 1333 MHz DDR3

.

My Spotify version

E.g. 0.8.8.454.gfb120cda

My internet provider and country

USA, varied providers

My username

jwindmoell

[Peter__]

Try reducing your cache size in Edit/Spotify > Preferences > Cache and see if that makes any difference? 

Peter

[ruccola]

Yup, I've set the cache to just 1gb, but there's no difference. Right now the CPU usage is around 20%. 

[Peter__]

Does hiding the activity feed View > Activity Feed make any difference? 

Peter

[superpronker]

If it bugs you too much, try using the web player. When it goes to 20%, I find that killing the process and starting again helps bring it back down. But Peter I don't think you're right that it's the p2p part hogging the CPU cause then it shouldn't use resources when there's no Internet and it still does.

Try using the web based player. In Chrome, that never uses over 20% for me. Only, the playlist folders don't work there which sucks cause I use those a lot!

[Peter__]

---

@superpronker wrote:
If it bugs you too much, try using the web player. When it goes to 20%, I find that killing the process and starting again helps bring it back down. But Peter I don't think you're right that it's the p2p part hogging the CPU cause then it shouldn't use resources when there's no Internet and it still does.

Try using the web based player. In Chrome, that never uses over 20% for me. Only, the playlist folders don't work there which sucks cause I use those a lot!

---

A fair enough good spot, happy to admit when I am wrong! 😉 

Just going on previous experience with p2p killing CPU on my linux machine.

Peter

[ruccola]

I haven't had the activity feed on for a long time. So no, that's not it either.

---

@Peter wrote:

Does hiding the activity feed View > Activity Feed make any difference? 

Peter

---

[Spotty-fly]

Yup, it looks like they don't care a darn down in their development pit that there are people using spotify on computers that have batteries.

[kegonomics]

I was also experienceing high CPU usage on a Mid 2010 15" MBP, 2.66 GHz Core i7, 8gb RAM.

After turning off Activity List and unchecking iTunes from the Local Files portion of the preferences, I got a significant decrease in CPU usage, but the app still jumps between 20-100% CPU usage at times. These changes just made it a little better and easier to use besides the random jumps in CPU usage.

Would still like to see a fix for the CPU usage. Don't understand why it is taking up 1/3 of my processor to listen to music.

[ryanmallen]

Running MBP 15-inch, late 2011

2.4 Ghz Intel Core i7 processor

8 GB RAM

OSX 10.9.1

Spotify v 0.9.6.81.gd359a796

according to "top" printout from terminal:

"Spotify" fluctuates between 20% and 30% CPU usage

"Spotify Help" hovers around 105% CPU usage

Seems like an awful lot just to listen to music!  Also drives my cooling fans crazy and affects performance of other CPU-intensive apps (DAWs, Photoshop, etc).

I've turned off activity feed, unchecked iTunes from local sources, and reduced cache size.  No difference noticed.

Hoping a fix for this comes soon!

[mike_sde]

Hi,

I'm running mac OS X 10.9 and I noticed the same problem.

I think I got rid of it when I "force quit" one (of the 4 in total !!) process called "Spotify Helper". It (they) don't use CPU but they effect the CPU usage of the main process "Spotify".

I hope this helps you.

[cewan]

I had the same problem, and tips I found here did not help.

I ended up uninstalling and then installing again.

It seems to work fine so far!

[jontybrook · Accepted solution]

I have been experiencing INSANE CPU usage from the Spotify app - 45% average - until today...

THE FIX IS THIS:

Go into Settings and switch off all Local Files sources.

When I did this, CPU load dropped to ~3.5%, much more like you would expect for an app just playing music!

Switching the local files sources back on does not seem to cause the CPU to go up again.

Good luck!

[DasMonx]

You helped me out m8

had the exact same problem - turned off local file search and presto from 150% CPU > 1.7% CPU

[Danny182]

that was before. now i disabled "local files" and it's normal... 

my new macbook pro 13 retina was heating up.. 

[Miyagui]

Had this leak for so long, somehow I stumbled upon the Activity Monitor and this was eating up my resources.

Thank you!

[xGhOsTkiLLeRx]

Thanks. I've had about 70% CPU load from Spotify Helper. When I disabled local files it dropped to about 5%.

Running OS X 10.10.4 (14E36b) and 1.0.7.157.g2a6526f9

[TheKingpin]

you can also reduce your local file sources to the minimum... I for instance switched off everything except "iTunes". The CPU usage dropped from 30-40 to 6-7%. If you dont need any automation you can of course turn it off completely. Teedledee 

[laptopleon]

I know this is an old thread but after a year or so without this problem, my Spotify CPU usage went through the room again (± 100%) so I Googled for a fix.

Although restarting helped bringing CPU usage down to ~ 10% to 30% in combination with switching off just about every option in the preferences and the View / Feed of Friends.

But what really made a difference is hiding the app. Yes, I mean hiding it with CMD-H or -H if you like old-skool.

This brings CPU usage down to between just 1% to 2% while playing!

(Spotify 1.0.24.104.g92a22684 on OS X 10.11 on a late 2013 retina MacBook Pro 15" 2,3 GHz Intel Core i7)

[tommizi]

For £10 a month this is unacceptable! The computer becomes so irritating because of the fan, it is UNREAL!

[superpronker]

The thread is old but the problem has re-appeared, and I can confirm that it is not the same problem as originally. This time, for me it is the "spotify helper" that appears to be sitting on 100% cpu in the activity monitor. 

My solution is to kill the spotify app (cmd+q) and start it again. Then the helper doesn't appear in my activity monitor. I know when it happens because sitting at 100% cpu for an extended period causes the computer to overheat (up to over 70 degress celcius). 

The spotify app itself never uses more than ~20% cpu, but I can confirm that cpu usage drops to ~1-2% cpu for that app when I hide it as suggested by laptopleon, so kudos for that! I do not know if the spotify helper 100%-cpu problem will reappear when the app is hidden, I suspect it will. I think it is doing background stuff. Will monitor it now.