Spotify can't play this right now. If you have the file on your computer you can import it

[lukaswil]

Plan

Premium

Country

UK

Device

Desktop

Operating System

Windows 10

My Question or Issue

When I try to play a song I get the following error message "Spotify can't play this right now. If you have the file on your computer you can import it"

I have tried all the fixes I have seen:

Reinstalling app.

Using version from Microsoft store.

Disabled hardware acceleration.

Disabled crossfading.

Changed speaker options.

Deleted local files.

I've had this issue before and it was fixed by using the version from the Microsoft store but this isn't working now.

Spotify works on my phone and my laptop, web player also works only the desktop app doesn't work.

[AcIdReb0rn]

Windows 10 pro Version 22H2

Spotify version 1.257.463.0

Hardware acceleration is turned off

[januaria81]

When seeking online advice for a technical issue, I tend to avoid all advice that suggests you reinvent the wheel or reformat your hard drive or reinstall the OS and all drivers from scratch. The solution (at least for me) was to change the Sound settings on your PC. Scroll through this thread and you'll find the exact adjustments to your settings that will solve your problem. And the solution is simple and painless and quick, not like the nonsense advice you sometimes get.

Unfortunately I'm at work now and can't get into more details.

[topiqq]

Spotify can't play this right now. If you have the file on your computer you can import it.

[Lanciano007]

Hey Hey, I have a similar problem again after installing last update on my desktop. 

In Discography section some albums won't play and hops to the next album. Again I'll get the "Spotify can't play this right now. ... you can import it " message.

I have to click the Album instead, where I can play the songs and don't get the message. Seems Discography got broken again with some Albums in Discograhy section on pc desktop... Sad dissapointment. 😞

Please help. 🙂

Seems the connection with my mobile to my pc desktop app works correctly. I can use my mobile app as a remote control. But this is not how it should work. With this workaround I can stay on the Discography screen on my desktop. But when I use the mouse pointer it gives me the "Spotify can't play this right now. ... you can import it " message. 

Now when I play the skipped Album directly, the next Album in Discography section that was playable before, gets the same message. 

Emptying my cache doesn't solve my problem. But the "Spotify can't play this right now. ... you can import it " message appears randomly.

Update: My message got replaced in this topic so it's a bit messy... I was responding on an ongoing topic where I was already involved...And the first time our problem got solved by a new update. I didn't do anything and didn't mess up anything except updating Spotify like the last time when the same problem appeared for many users.. I'm a bit confused why my message got placed here...

[Lanciano007]

Spotify can't play this right now. If you have the file on your computer you can import it.

AGAIN my discography sections on laptop app got broken after updating Spotify...

Please fix it like last time. Probably same or similar problem as before...

I have an annoying arrow with a sidepanel for a few weeks now from an earlier update. It shrinked all the things i use on the main panel. Please let us choose and opt-out side panels we don't use and even have already in a different section. 

Why am I loosing more and more songs from different artists in my playlists. Seems almost monthly i get more greyed out unplayable songs in my playlists. This is very unpleasant. Even a song as Trenck Town Rock - Bob Marley got greyed out now.

This is something different then the "Spotify can't play this right now. If you have the file on your computer you can import it." message I get in some artists Discography sections.

[Lanciano007]

can't find the topic anymore where my message belonged where the whole problem was explained before...and solved by the techicians who created it with their new update..

. 

Otherwise I would place the link to that topic here to the earlier fix for this annoying problem. 

[Clownizzle]

I am having this same problem over and over again. I will not be renewing my subscription.

[MikeSmith34]

I isolated it to my desktop, went through all the cures, over several hours.  It still refuses to play "right now" but this work around although by no means perfect has worked.  From start Log in/continue to the app/redirecting to browser/ wait/ left click/ "Spotify can't play right now" / name circle icon / account/ "sign out everywhere"/ top right x or left click / log in / password and all good 

[11endr7ck]

You just have to play a song that works, then gradually move up to the one that gives you that error, and that should fix it—or at least, that's how it worked for me.

[yuta127]

I'm just trying to play a song and it won't let me, it tells me "Spotify can't play this right now, you can import the file if you have it on your computer"

Plan

Premium duo

Country

México 

Device

inspirion5570

Operating System

Windows 11

My Question or Issue

I don't know what to do, honestly it's not the first time it's happened to me, and I've already tried restarting the computer, updating it, uninstalling and reinstalling the program, and the thing is that on my phone I don't have a problem, but on the computer I do.