Issues with playing tunes outside of Liked Songs or playlists on the desktop app

[Dian]

Hey there,

We're aware of issues with playing songs outside of the Liked Songs collection or playlists.

This is being investigated.

[SCB33]

Plan Premium

Free/Premium

Country

UK

Device

Operating System

Windows

Update has caused desktop app to only play songs on playlists  and nothing else. Re installed, no help.

[jasvicious]

I am having similar issues where I can play songs from a playlist - but if I go directly to an artists page I can not play anything there- including albums and their popular tracks. When selecting a song to play the bottom song status bar remains grayed out. I noticed this as an issue 12/2/22

Account Tier: Premium

Country: US

Windows Version: Version 10.0.22621 Build 2262

OS: Windows 11

I am running a VPN [NordVPN] and Malwarebytes Pro but have been running them for years now with no issues. I also have not had a recent update to either systems.

Steps taken -

1. Cleared Cache on desktop along with all downloaded items
2. Signed out and signed back in
3. Attempted to play on Web player - also does not work
4. Uninstalled and reinstalled a new downloaded version of Spotify

This functionality does work fine on my iPhone so it seems to be localized to just desktop features.

[pathtracer]

Spotify had better not try to blame this issue on VPNs and just say "oh we don't support VPNs, sorry." In 2022 if you don't support VPNs with your service, YOUR SERVICE is the problem, not the VPN. Asking users to disable their privacy protection tools is unacceptable.

[Duma3421]

I had the issue for months until my labtop was reformatted with a fresh image.  Reformatted laptop on the same networks both with and without VPN no longer has the issue.

Now I'm just fearful of the next update setting me back to the stone age.

[Diiseli]

I have also this same issue.
Desktop app won't play searched songs, but I can play old lists and previous songs and recently played list on the app...

I can search and listen for songs normally on the web/internet player where everything works normally, but on the desktop app it won't play songs I search for. They just turn grey, and won't play at all.

But on the app I am able to play songlists, mixes made for me in "Made for you" "Rock" "Pop" but for example "New releases" won't start to play at all, and just shows 0:00 and 0:00 and everything turns grey.

I would like to be able to use the Windows app normally, and not need to use webplayer for searches.

I already have done a full clean reinstall, changed password, and tried to change settings to others, but nothing yet have worked out. I am a premium user.

Thanks in advance!

[Dian]

Hey @iqna,

Thanks for posting in the Community and the troubleshooting tried so far.

Would it be possible to also try using a different account on the desktop app or switch the download source of the app itself, i.e. download it from the Microsoft store, if you've downloaded it from the Spotify site and vice versa.

Also try using a different internet connection and a test the app on a different desktop device, if possible.

Let us know how that went,

Cheers!

[GeirGrusom]

Spotify caches songs on your computer. Songs you have on a playlist are more likely to be cached, so they might work with the VPN is on even if you can't play new ones. They have already stated in this thread that Spotify doesn't support VPNs. However this issue is different: I can play album songs, or searched songs regardless of VPN. I just have to add them to a playlist first.

So please make sure that you're seeing the same issue: i.e. you can play any song you want, you just have to add them to a playlist first, because that's what I'm seeing, and have been struggling with for 3 months now. It's important to note that Spotify will gladly take the opportunity to pin this on VPN and close it as "Won't do" if enough people claim that disabling VPN solves the problem.

Currently I'm on a Tidal trial because with Spotify I've been paying for non-functioning software at this point since September.

[pathtracer]

@GeirGrusom Oh just to be clear, I've had this problem regardless of VPN. Enabling/disabling it or changing servers has no effect. The few times an update has temporarily fixed the problem, it works perfectly fine through my VPN (as it did for years before the problem started.) And when the problem inevitably comes back, again, disabling the VPN or changing servers has no effect whatsoever. The VPN is CLEARLY not an issue.

I just worry that Spotify will try to blame it anyway.

[SCB33]

Hi, I cannot see a link to insert a file. so here is the file.

I cannot play anything at all now.

https://1drv.ms/u/s!Ag0RG1TGx7JPjTpPXw4pMqOyD9E2?e=3noeQs

[Razzemans]

Ok I FINALLY fixed this issue! The problem was with my Windows Management Instrumentation. It was corrupt at my computer and "all I had to do" was reset it. I followed this article: WMI: Rebuilding the WMI Repository - Microsoft Community Hub

Note that commands like 

winmgmt /salvagerepository

which you see in some tutorials didn't work for me, I had to manually delete it and rebuild it. Verifying the repo didn't give any errors btw, but when I would go to System Information I would get WMI related errors, so I knew something was wrong with my WMI.

Worth a try for everyone in the same situation!