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Premium - Crackling, Stuttering

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Premium - Crackling, Stuttering

After a day of futzing around with this, I'm at wits end.

 

I'm using a Dell Latitude laptop (work laptop).  It has a fully updated version of Windows 7 64-bit.  Since the last update (I think) I've bee hearing crackling and stuttering in any and all tracks.  It comes and goes, there could be 30 seconds of pristine playback and then a brief crackle/stutter.  

 

After searching the forums and Intertubes, here's the things I've tried:

 

1. Resetting sound device settings, and trying various stample rates and bit-depths

2. Toggling off Hardware Acceleration

3. Toggling off Play all songs at same volume

4.  High quality streaming

5.  Downloading playlists local

 

I went so far as to drop $100 on a USB DAC that bypasses my built in Soundcard in my laptop and docking station, and the crackling still persists.  

 

It does NOT happen in iTunes, Windows Media Player, or in YouTube videos.  Only Spotify.  I'm getting really frustrated, as I'm paying $10 a month for a service that is almost unusable to me for 8-10 hours a day.  

 

It works fine on my iPhone and my several Macs at home without issues.  Only my Windows 7 machine that's causing the problem.  

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183 Replies

Just adding to the pile**bleep** that is Spotify Tech support [not the posters, SPOTIFY TECH SUPPORT!!!]

 

I've been having this issue as well and it's absolutely an issue with the software.

 

wth guys, wth. 

 

SIXTEEN PAGES OF PROBLEMS WITH NO OFFICIAL RESPONSE FROM SPOTIFY. 

same prob here, X-Fi Titanium Fatality Champion Pro Series Sound Card. All music plays ok with other software, but not with Spotify 😞 Minimizing the Spotify window suppresses the crackle. Seems to be linked to buffering / CPU priorities?

C'mon, Spotify - pls react to this massive issue for sooo many of  us users finally. Otherwise will cancel my Premium membership, there are alternatives out there...

(99% dissatisfied with SF service :-()

WTH?? After posting this message, a new Spotify update auto-installed on my computer. After updating, bug is gone!!! 🙂 No idea what exactly the fix is, but can now minimize SF window without any crackle / noise!

No such luck here. Still hear the scratching noises on Spotify desktop app but not on Chrome and I never got an update, not sure how or why you did.

Hey guys i found a bad solution, still; a solution. I keept downgrading spotify until version 1.0.70.388.g8e1ed5af

wich gives no distortion, minimized or not. This with the X-Fi Titanium Pci-e.

 

https://www.filehorse.com/download-spotify/33328/download/

 

Cherrs guys!

30 minutes, no crackling or broken record... Thank you @carlel

This morning, Spotify automatically updated and the broken record is back. Hopefully this helps stop it updating.. until Spotify fix whatever is broken.. 
http://drownedinsound.com/community/boards/music/4430815

Happened to me to ty for the extended info, have downgraded again.

All well now! Cherrs M8.

Unfortunately Spotify will keep updating itself on every computer restart.

I haven't found a way to block it doing that... yet.

Try making the "spotify.exe" and "spotifylauncher" read-only to. In the folder specified in your post.

Seems to have stop mine from autoupdate for now atleast.

Thanks, that seems to work.

crackling is back - updating spotify seems to have been a temporary fix only 😞

I ended up replacing my motherboard.. kept all my other peripherals I had before (CPU, VIDEO CARD, RAM, drivers, etc) and now the crackling is GONE! lol 😉

Seems to me it's a sound card/device driver issue with Windows and not necessarily a Spotify issue only.

I have this problem too. SoundBlaster Z here. It didn't happen for the first week or so of use either. Very strange.

ok  the clicking noise is back.pffff . getting really annoid...But i found the problem ( for me)..Spottify is playing perfect.But as soon i turn on facebook the clicking begins.( first i thought it was the edge browser but in chrome it also happens...reinstalled spottify . disconnected facebook from spottify..stil it is there.Not al the time i hear the cliks but enough to  irritate me. so everybody.....can you please verrify that facebook is causing the problem?

 

I've given up and cancelled my subscription. 
Over a year with this issue still unresolved. 
I love Spotify but paying for a service that won't work properly got old, fast. 

Hey that's not a bad idea,

 

#UnresolvedIssues from a 3 billion dollar company cause #CancelledSubs

Stop using the old spotify installer.

Use the official windows 10 market store app.

CRACKLING PROBLEM was improved but not gone 100%

The app can be found by searching the windows marketplace store.

That's what I was initially using before changing to the old spotify due to the crackling. Neither work properly for me

If the problem persists, then it's not a solution.

 

Just because you bold your words and make them big doesn't mean you're right

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