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Whenever I download a podcast episode, the video won't play anymore.

Whenever I download a podcast episode, the video won't play anymore.

Plan

Premium

Country

New Zealand

Device

Asus

Operating System

Windows10

 

My Question or Issue

Whenever I play a podcast episode, the video plays fine. Then when I "download" it and try to continue watching later (no matter whether I'm offline or online), the video wont play anymore. The audio plays but I just see a black screen in the video (see screenshot)

jewel.png
Reply
27 Replies

Hey @brendanjohnlee,

 

Thanks for posting here.

 

In case you're using the app from our website, you can try downloading it from the Microsoft store and vice versa. Are there any changes?

 

It's also a good idea to give these steps a go and run a clean reinstall. This one is more thorough than the usual one.

 

If nothing changes, could you share with us the following? We'll look into this further.

  • The exact Spotify version that is running on your device
  • If the same thing happens when you try logging in to another account on the same device
  • If you've tried other troubleshooting steps
  • Does this happen with a specific podcast and specific episodes?

Keep us posted.

Ver Moderator
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Had already done a clean reinstall before posting here.

Just downloaded MS Store app and tried with another podcast (Misfits) and same issue so looks like it's all podcasts and eps.

Don't have another account to try with.

Version is Spotify for Windows
1.1.74.631.g0b24d9ad

Hey @brendanjohnlee,

Thanks for getting back to us.

 

We checked and we can confirm that currently videos can be played only with an active internet connection. They are not available in offline mode on desktop.

 

We appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback with us as we always strive to improve our app.

 

You can have a look in our Idea Exchange to see if someone else has already made a similar suggestion. If there isn't one, you can give these steps a go and submit your idea. That way other users can support it. Keep in mind the higher the number of votes an idea gets, the more likely it is for it to be implemented

 

The Community is here for you if there's anything else!

Ver Moderator
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I have sent complains and suggestions to Spotify, notifying the same problem but still no solution. And not only that... once you download it, you can delete the download, and it still will not play. Only audio. I delete all my downloads, and the cache and still will not play! The only way is to erase the app from the phone, and install it again... then it plays! Is it very hard to install a button for the video in the app? Like on the desktop version! 

And just to add... i just saw the spotify staff reply to this thread. And can confirm that it will not play even with wifi connection. ONCE YOU DOWNLOAD THE PODCAST, THE VIDEO WILL NOT PLAY. I have tried it with different smart phones. So it is not my phone's problem

Can confirm. This is happening to me too. I downloaded the damn thing so I wouldn't have to use bandwidth to re-watch. Now I cna't watch no matter what I do. ... This seems like an important thing to fix.

 

Mods, please advise on how I can watch the ep I downloaded and then un-downloaded.

 

Thanks

Hey @tomhoeck,

 

Thanks for your reply in this thread 🙂

 

Currently videos can be played only with an active internet connection and they're not available in offline mode on desktop. The podcast audio will be available to download to listen offline but not the video as this is currently only a Premium feature.

 

Can you share with us if your account is Premium or free? This could help us to gather more information about the inconvenience you mention.
 

We'll keep an eye on your response! 

CarlosEModerator
 
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Not sure you guys are getting this. The video stops playing once downloaded and will not play again whether on or offline. You can erase the download. Makes no difference. This should be an easy fix?

Here's an actual temp solution, you know, cuz why get any help from PAID EMPLOYEES, when you can just get it from a random other user right.....

I opened another podcast with video, after that one played with the video I opened up the previous podcast and now it shows video again... They really should just add an option for video on/off...

How is this still not fixed?

For clarification to the confused mod, this is an issue that occurs if you are trying to watch a video podcast that only has the audio downloaded with premium while you are ONLINE

My "fix" is to delete download, start a different podcast and then go back and it works... 

Why is this still not fixed? And why are empleyes ignoring obvious question and answering like bots with broad predefined answers? Are they bots?

Spotify employees more concerned with trying to cancel content creators tahn fixing their horrible app. 

I finally found a workaround that actually works if you are an iOS user that doesn't involve losing all of the songs you have downloaded on your Spotify.  What i did on my iPhone was first remove the downloaded episode from my library/downloads and then open Settings > General > iPhone Storage > Select Spotify > and select "Offload App" (this retains all the songs that you have installed etc.) then immediately "re-install" the app from the same section.  I then went back into Spotify and played the episode and it worked with no issues.  Hope this helps you all!

I think I figured it out. It worked for me anyway. I'm on an iPhone 13 running whatever the newest OS is as of Oct. 2022 and I'm using the app. I had a JRE episode playing that went from Video to black screen. After skimming through this thread (while driving so couldn't follow that closely)and not finding an answer I went back to the app. 

Episode was playing while minimized (still no video just blackness) and I went to settings and then Playback. After perusing the options the "Offline" wasn't toggled to on (toggle was to the left and not green like the rest). I'm driving down the road so I'm using 5G data . I toggle "offline" into the on position and nothing changed. I toggled it back off and instantly the video came up. 

(I never noticed how much I like the verb, to toggle)

 

In short, at least with iOS, have the podcast playing and minimize, go to "settings" then "playback" and toggle Offline on and off. Video should star immediately 

.

 

 

 

 

Untrue about the internet connection, I have the same issue

Come on Spotify, over a year and a half with this issue! Its why after spending ~$300, I've finally had my first non-Premium month in years.

 

Here's my fix after reading through the comments (on Android at least)-

•Make sure you're back in reception area/Wifi

•Delete the downloaded podcast episode. 

•Search up another podcast episode that has video, click on it, and watch it for just a moment. (Arrested Development & The Misfits are just two examples).

•Go back and find the original podcast episode you were watching. It should be playing with video again. 

 

(Sadly, I tried the earlier solution without first deleting my "downloaded/saved" podcast episode, but it didn't work. Deleting it first, and then watching something else with video, and going back, was what finally worked for me. 

 

Come on Spotify! I go on two 30+min walks with my dog a day! I use these podcasts to get out of my head and enjoy my walks. It sucks I've been a Premium subscriber for over twice the length of this problem and still no apparent real solution. 

 

same here - if i watch JRE on my windows 10 computer through the downloaded software, i can watch an episode and the video is ok UNTIL I PRESS THE DOWNLOAD BUTTON - once downloaded the screen goes black!?!?!?

my internet connection is perfect and the episode can be watched only if i do not download it - WHY???

this is completely repeatable. if i remove the episode download, then close spotify, reopen spotify and play the episode the video is fine. then again I PRESS THE DOWNLOAD BUTTON and once downloaded the screen goes black. the audio remains perfect but video vanishes to black - WHY???

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