[Linux] Can't Play The Current Song (Tried a billion solutions)

[maplemacchiato]

Plan

Premium

Country

Canada 

Device

Acer R7

Operating System

Linux Mint

My Question or Issue

 Alright gang. I've had this insanely obnoxious issue for ages now. For a long time I gave up and used the web player, but the web player isn't great so I'm trying to get the desktop version working again.

Unfortunately, every time I try to play literally any song, I get the dreaded "Can't play the current song." banner at the top of my screen. I have tried: 

- Restarting (literally 100s of times, this has been going on for months)

- Uninstalling/reinstalling (probably about 7 times)

- Turning off high quality streaming (I'm a premium member but I thought I'd try it anyway)

- Connecting to different wifi networks
- Removing all local sources 

- Disabling hardware accelleration...sort of (I tried for ages to find the setting but can't on the Linux version of the program. I wonder if it's somewhere weird)

- Logging out of Spotify on all my other devices in case this was a Spotify Connect glitch

Ulitmately, I got nothing. Nothing works. Except...disconnecting from wifi entirely. Yep, when my laptop is disconnected from the internet, whatever song is apparently playing actually plays. The second I reconnect to a wifi network, it goes silent and the blue banner returns. Attached are two screencaps - one of me connected to the internet (with the dreaded blue banner) and one of me not connected to the internet (the song plays fine. Literally the second I disconnect, the song starts playing without issue). 

Inexplicably, this problem has gone away on its own twice: Once, while I was in the United States for two months, and another time for about 20 minutes. I have no idea what stopped the problem then. I see no common thread.

I really want to tear my hair out at this point. Only being able to listen to Spotify when I'm not connected to the internet does not help me at all. Someone, anyone, please give me some idea what the heck I could be dealing with here.