Answer:
There are two main scenarios when you can get that error message. They are when:
1. Playback fails to start on all tracks on desktop
Possible solutions:
We recommend starting with logging out > restarting your computer > logging back in. Often this solves the issue if your playback fails to start on all tracks.
On Windows another solution for this can be updating your sound drivers. Read more about how to do that here.
Lastly, we'd recommend performing a clean reinstall of the app to try and fix this.
2. Playback fails on local files
Possible solutions:
In this case it's also a good idea to begin with a restart of your computer.
If that doesn't do the trick, we'd suggest checking out the steps here to re-sync your local files.
Note: The Spotify developer team are aware of this error but they're are not able to reproduce it, as there can be different reasons for it depending on the specific devices involved and how they are configured. If the suggestions above don't resolve this for you, just keep the app updated as we're always trying to implement performance and stability improvements which could solve this for your particular setup.
What if playback fails, and all tracks skip through to the end of a playlist with no audio (PC only)?
Try disabling hardware acceleration by clicking Edit in the menu bar > Select Preferences > scroll down and uncheck Hardware acceleration > Restart Spotify.
I get this error message after I hit pause with Bluetooth headphones or another connected device. What can I do?
We'd recommend making sure that your devices' firmware is up to date. For Bluetooth devices it's a good idea to follow the troubleshooting steps here to re-pair them.
Lastly, if the issue persists, you can keep an eye on this page for updates.