Spotify GUI freezes in Ubuntu 19.10

[Giannii]

Plan

Free

Operating System

Ubuntu 19.10 on Laptop and double display with HDMI cable

My Question or Issue

Hi,

I'm using Spotify on Ubuntu 19.10 and since I installed the software (some days ago) I noticed an annoying bug: the window of the program is freezed and so non-interactable, but music goes on and even keyboard insturctions (play/pause, go on, go back) works normally. I said that the window seems to be freezed because even automatic reshaping  does not work)

It happens very frequently and the only solution that I found is to close and reopen spotify (the close button 'X' works).

[uffek]

Is this some kind of game ... when I write here everything is ok ... it freezes immediately.

[uffek]

I disabled Adblock Plus on Spotify website (firefox) and things seem little better now.
Does Spotify gui have something to do with web-browser?

[AliGarlanz]

I’m sorry that you think I’m playing games it just I got mine working with no problems and I’m not 100% sure how I fixed it I am trying to help I’m now at a loss I wish I could help you get your working like mine with no problems 

sorry 

[uffek]

Hi Ali .. I apologize ... it has happened 2-3 times for me ... when everything has worked smooth for a while I write here about it and next minute the gui freezes ... just bad luck .. no hard feelings I hope.
Cheers ... uffek

[ravanscafi]

Hey guys, I've found a workaround that has worked everytime so far.

When the UI freezes (but still shows up, not entirely blank as already happened sometimes), go to where is the song title of the current music being played (or other music, since it is frozen, it doesn't matter) and click and DRAG IT like you would do to add the song to a playlist. It will refresh the UI and everything will work again.

Magic, right?

[uffek]

Hi

I just wonder how come there are 3 process id's for spotify when I play song and spotify is ok (not frozen)

[AliGarlanz]

Not 100% sure I think it has something to do with your subscription and how it processes the streaming part whiles online as you use the internet to stream as for your other question disabling the ad blocker in the Spotify account settings would only really make a difference if you had a free subscription or a hacked premium subscription

[uffek]

I have paid family premium.

[AliGarlanz]

Well I don’t know I have paid premium not a family one and I’ve done everything that I’ve said here and my Spotify problem has gone haven’t had any problems since If you system seems fine now a wouldn’t worry that it using 3 process IDs just enjoy Spotify working

[AliGarlanz]

• Ad Blocker plus stops ads in things like Facebook and YouTube etc and Spotify uses Facebook to share and can be used to login to Spotify so having it enabled it probably cause problems but by disabling it sorts you Spotify out but allows ads to appear in Facebook and other things 

[joshua88]

I found the total answer to the problem. 

Spotify installed as a SNAP will not work well on Ubuntu 19.10 19.04 18.04 

So install Spotify as a client (the old way as before snap was invented) and add the gnome support . 

You'll find all as an answer on aksubuntu https://askubuntu.com/questions/1216545/doesnt-ubuntu-patch-for-spotify 

I hope this answer will elevate all your problems with Spotify on Ubuntu . You'll notice as well that Spotify's start up is much faster this way . 

[CyberKiller]

That doesn't really fix anything for people using numerous other distros. Like my openSUSE, or the mentioned Fedora.

I would prefer a native package instead of this snap-thingy if it would exist. Yet, despite rpm being the standard for GNU/Linux packages, Spotify only releases a deb.

note: openSUSE and Fedora use slightly different rpm's (they are totally different distros), but it is possible to make an rpm which would work universally

[mikecspence]

This seems to have worked for me. Thank you. 

[Glioburd]

Same issue for me on KUBuntu 18.04 : sometimes I get a white window, sometime the UI is frozen, but in both case I still can interact with the app with blind clicks.

(I run the snap app).

Edit : actually the UI get frozen, and if I reduce the app and get it back, I get a white window).

[uffek]

I downloaded the package http://repository.spotify.com/pool/non-free/s/spotify/spotify-client-gnome-support_0.9.17.1.g9b85d43... and installed it with software center.
It is not 100% solution to this problem but it helps ... it does not freeze every day anymore.
It is a spotify gnome support package and I'm running Xfce and it made difference .. hopefully it helps Kde also.

[jamesagnew]

I just found this post as I've been having nonstop freezing issues on KDE with the snap package for a while now. Using the solution above (installing spotify-client) seems to completely resolve it.

[gfunkzero]

Snap - busted

client installed from PPA - works fine

No developer replies in here?

[uffek]

For me the PPA version freezes more often than Snap. ... I still wonder why spotify has 3 process-ID;s while every other program has just one. Maybe the gui-refrehment goes to wrong process and disappears in bit heaven

[uffek]

I'm testing with HP Z800 workstation .. 24G of ram and Ubuntustudio 20.04 daily ... Spotify from PPA has been running all day along other programs without freezing.

No extra packages installed (like gnome support) at all.

[rbsbd]

More precisely :

SNAP PACKAGE is not working :

1.1.26.501.gbe11e53b-15

PPA is working fine :

1.1.10.546.ge08ef575-19

Can we get an update ? Any community manager is here ?