Downloading on Apple Watch stuck at first song

[Mihail]

Hey folks,

We're receiving reports that some users are unable to download music for offline listening on their Apple Watches. The download is stuck on the first song and doesn't progress.

If you’re experiencing this issue, make sure to add your +VOTE and follow the instructions in the Status Update below.

We'll be keeping everyone up to speed here, so make sure to Subscribe to this thread. 

Thanks! 

[agostonbarna]

Its ridiculous that Spotify still haven't fixed this critical bug. This is just one of the many... Good luck keeping your premium users with such ignorance Spotify.

[Mburnham]

So can't remember where I found it but have managed to get it to work by; 

Reinstall on watch and phone 

Close app open app on phone you get a queue saying you can download onto your watch (ns) 

Start downloading the playlist (wait around 30mins keep phone close to watch) 

Go to your watch and play the playlist (it may still say downloading) but make sure you select the play from watch option and not phone

Playlist magically is now in the downloaded section

Absolute pain but it now works offline from the phone now....

Good luck all! 😁😎

[Neekopet]

@Mburnham 

This worked for me. 

after months of fickle attempts and giving up. 

I tried your method and it worked and also increased the download speed.

iPhone 7 Plus 
IOS 15.2.1

spotify 8.7.6.1559

Apple Watch series 3 cellular( cellular not activated)

OS 8.3 (19S55)

Most recent version Spotify 

internet 5G. Over 250 mbps

download took 5 minutes for 43 minute playlist. 

both device plugged in and followed exact. Steps listed above except I only waited (2mins instead of 30)

Thanks so much! 

[WVoge]

Couldn’t find a more dedicated thread so I’ll post here: I have the Spotify app on my Apple Watch but I can’t even see a Downloads section on it. Tried factory reset of watch and a clean install on my phone. Tried all permutations of redownloading and restarting both devices, and no luck. 

IPhone 12 Pro Max 

iOS 15.2.1

Apple Watch

Model MG1A3LL/A

Version 8.4.2

Spotify app 8.7.6.1559

[s77tas]

This feature is still buggy as **bleep**. My issue is slightly different than most in here. My playlist shows as successfully downloaded on my watch however whenever I tap on it to play, sometimes it just goes back to the main Spotify screen where it shows what song is playing (but empty) and sometimes it just shows “there was a problem”. Reinstalled Spotify app on iPhone and watch many times as well as deleting and re-downloading playlists to no avail. Interestingly it shows on my Apple Watch as Spotify only taking up 9mb storage despite (according to the app) me having 2 x ~30 song playlists downloaded

iPhone XS running 15.3.1

Apple Watch 4 running 8.4.2

Spotify App version (iPhone) 8.7.10.1611

[omegå]

The thread on the general forum about this issue was closed by a moderator, so I am quoting my previous post:

I have already done the hassle of trying all the solutions, sent a ticket months ago to seek help about this issue and yet, after a year, can't use offline music on Apple Watch. I swear if somebody else comes up with some "magical" concoction of random steps I'll go crazy. It should take two taps or clicks from the Apple Watch app to download a playlist: it shouldn't take a reinstall or initialization of the smartwatch or smartphone to work. That's just an obtuse way of thinking: this isn't an alpha release of an extremely niche app developed by a one-man developer, where you can accept quirky ways of workarounds; this is Spotify that fails over and over. 

I feel pity for the moderators and community managers, but you better forward our complaints to the software engineering team: we are sick and tired of having to resort to Apple Music for our basic needs.

tl;dr - can't download any song or podcast to my apple watch. Yes, I do have Spotify premium. Yes, I have tried everything, including initializing the smartwatch and smartphone multiple times. Yes, I have also tried all the "concoctions" of supposed "fixes" present in this and many, many, many other threads.

Apple Watch 6 40mm Aluminum Cellular+WiFi - doesn't matter O.S. version as the problem has been there since watchOS 7 aka when the Spotify Offline function was released
iPhone 12 Mini - again, doesn't matter the O.S. version of iOS as the problem has been there since iOS 14, when Spotify Offline function was released

I'm forced to use Apple Music right now just so I can go out and run without taking with me my smartphone. 

[agostonbarna]

@omegå : well said, I couldn't agree more.

I'm shocked to see how can a company with that many premium subscribers ignore their product. Where does all that money go?

- There are a lot of long running bugs without a fix, and the usual suggestion is to reinstall the app or if that doesn't work reset the whole OS. I've yet to see another company with a premium product that recommends to reinstall the whole OS in case there is bug in their product.

For a premium subscription I would expect a far  better quality control, more testing on Spotifys side, and more care about us, the premium users.

- I haven't even see any new features in a while.

So it looks like the Spotify development is stalling. This is not fair as customers are giving Spotify a ton of money each month.

[Davebass5]

Couldn’t agree more. We have been through numerous  iOS/Watch OS updates so that cant be blamed. I found even if i did get the songs downloaded to the watch they just refused to play. Time and time agin this happened. 

Ended up giving up and going back to Apple Music. It might not be perfect, but at least it does what its supposed to, and offers better quality. 

[michał_glinicki]

Yeah, it's high time they did something with it.... 

[s77tas]

Good gym session this morning, apart from the bit where my offline playlist on my Apple Watch didn't play so I had to go back to my locker to get my iPhone out, that bit sucked...