Greyed out songs

[namnatulco]

I've noticed that songs coming up in the search results are occasionally greyed out, and I can't play them.This happens on mobile devices, the web player and the desktop player. I originally figured those were premium-only or something, but having started a trial I noticed they're still greyed out. I also noticed that the amount of greyed out songs seems to be increasing. At first I thought this was a regional block (I'm currently in Germany, and some of the greyed out music works in the Netherlands); in many cases, this applies to entire albums (such as this album). However, I'm increasingly seeing it on individual songs on an album (e.g., the first and eighth song on this album), and even on songs that I used to be able to play in the past.  Also of note- songs aren't greyed out consistently. For example, the album I linked above was added to a playlist by the band, and the songs look normal there.

related questions:

This question is similar, but the reason there was related to playing on a mobile device.

This question is basically the same as mine (I think...), but has gone unanswered for three years, so I figured I'd make a more detailed question about it.

This solved question supports the idea that a regional block is the cause, but I'm really confused as to how that relates to individual songs being blocked (as compared to full albums, which I understand). See also here and probably many similar questions.

Here it is stated that this also applies to unreleased material.

This suggests that album removals are also common.

Is there any way to see why I can't play these songs (unreleased/no artist permission/other reasons)?

Is there some kind of censorship setting in the client that I missed?

I did find a 'show unavailable tracks in playlists', which was turned off until I found it just now.

[Smithyboii]

I'm not sure it's due to country as I live in the U.K. and there is a greyed out song in the UK viral 50

[dandv]

Gah. This sort of answer disgusts me.

That's why when I actually like a song, I buy it and keep it offline, safe from any licensing **bleep**.

[noautoplay]

I understand that some tracks that were previously available may have been deleted. But surely these shouldn't appear on the search results. I have had a recurring problem with one song, "Morning Afterglow" by Electrasy. The same seems to happen with the entire album "In Here We Fall". I played the song once on Spotify and it worked. Nowadays, it's greyed out, but for some reason, it still shows up on searches unlike any other deleted track. I don't have any saved tracks so that can't be the reason. This happens at least in Finland, not sure about other countries.

Edit: The same problem appears in both the desktop client and the web player.

[edcruwys]

You can stop greys appearing in searches. In your Spotify app, go to 'account' and change the setting. I can't remember, it may be in advanced settings http://prntscr.com/f8mf4h

[kcintimidator]

Country/location/licensing problem whatever it is, It makes a paid premium service not so premium. In many cases, I want a specific version of a song...not a crappy live version or re-recorded in later life when the singers' voice has changed from too much drugs, alcohol and smoking. I want the CD quality I grew up on and that is what I am paying for! So why would one version of the same song be playable and the other not? Is it not logical that if version A is licensed or country approved then version B of the same song should be also? And further to that point, why can google/youtube have the rights to play it and spotify not? I can find and play EXACTLY the song/album I want with them, then why not you?

[user-removed]

I just had this happen with the song rake it up by Yo Goti, amount many others. I spend a great deal of time putting together playlists just to have songs disapear. The excuses seem like bs. I used to have Rhapsody, but they seemed to lose support. Looks like pandora premium popped up just in time. And hey they have a customer service number!

[oppaxspotify]

hi. I actually have the same problem but how could it possibly happen that the songs that I can play freely back then are not available anymore and on my own country. why is it like that?

[JumpingJack]

Do you realised this answer is the most common one just to avoid a real explanation. I also have many greyed songs even the ones I personally owned. Also what is grey in Spotify, it is not in Google Play and Apple Music or even in Deezer. The GEO issue will be the same for everyone like for the movies. Many issues too many issues with Spotify and a huge lack of reactivity. Finally I will stop my subscription and keep the others where I am facing less concern. Especially that Spotify is the ONLY streaming service which does not offer the possibility to upload our own music.

[kcintimidator]

The only reason i even keep premium anymore is... I Uber drive and I need
to download my personal song list... If i just use the free version, it
uses too much data.

I would think their advertisers would prefer me to hear the ads... So if
they can't get around the greyed out issue then at least let me download to
my device with free version and I will deal with the ads.

Somehow I think your advertisers pay you more than a premium user
does...you could make it sync daily on wifi if updated ads are needed...
So it should be a Win/Win?

[JumpingJack]

All my problems are now history since I switch to Google Play.
I could upload all my music, import my iTunes playlists and finally I found their music recommandations closer to my taste.
Last but not least I love their music stream "I'm feeling lucky" which is like the "Flow" from Deezer.

[dreamcell]

I simply don't believe the licensing response to this issue. I don't think even music biz lawyers have got time to chase around after the esoteric nonsense I find is greyed out! I always try to buy music I really value in hard media format. That way a I can listen to the music that's right for me when I want to. Spotify and iTunes are pretty annoying, quirky and inconsistent, and if their corridors are being stalked by lawyers to the granular extent the original response hypothesizes, we're all doomed. Unless we're lawyers... in which case... grunt grunt oink oink oink... happy days.

[HopSpot44]

....my latest experience is that even audio books are affected by this greyed-out issue. But you might think that the whole audio book (the album) gets greyed-out or removed, but - you won't believe it - some chapters got removed while others remain. 

I feel that neither licensing nor device related issues apply here. What kind of licensing issue it should be to play chapter 230 and 234 while skipping the ones in-between?? I am living in Germany and the audio book is read out by a german speaker, so licensing restrictions based on country is questionable. It appears more like a technical issue to me - or, in case it is really about licensing - then Spotify might just apply a general cut-off measure based on contingencies of publishers?

[lennardh]

yeah but I have dutch songs greyed... since I live in the netherlands and most likely only dutch people listen to dutch music, it's strange that they wouldn't be available here... 😞

[bookwormwen]

I've been having a similar problem today! A lot of songs have been appearing as unavailable on my playlists. For example, I have all of Lindsey Stirling's self-titled album saved to a playlist, but only some of the songs are greyed out. When I click on the link to the album from the playlist, the same songs are shown as unavailable. However, when I go to Lindsey Stirling's artist page and click on the album from there, all of the songs are displayed as available. Presumably I have to delete all the songs that are greyed out then go to the albums from the artist pages to re-add them, which...is kind of ridiculous.

I'm from the United States, so I doubt censorship is an issue. Especially of individual songs that are perfectly fine when I simply follow a different link. I hope Spotify can fix this issue.

[MadiraNofo]

I have greyed out songs on my Android and iOS devices, yet they aren't greyed out on my desktop player. All on the same account, all using the same wifi (and therefore external IP address).

So this isn't a licencing issue. Have we had a clear answer on this yet?

[HopSpot44]

...at least in my case the issue got resolved. The audio books of which I was missing some chapters only became abailable after a week+. 

This means evidence to me that it was a technical issue rather than a licensing case.

I had opened a support case at that time and they responded with automatic text templates, but even after the problem was resolved there was no final notification or similar. 

[classicryder]

licensing issue, technical issue.. whatevs man, you guys are **bleep**in professional, then get it fixed! dont blame the musical piracy if this aint working! I had a beautiful life playing songs from ripped cd and now I AM TRYING TO RESPECT the musical agency by switching my good ol behavior from listening to ripped songs to LEGAL spotify premium **bleep** and actually PAYING! And this is what we got?

[Hawaiiandawg]

I honestly too have the same problem, (although I don't have it on mobile). A few songs I want to listen to such as "Natural Born Killaz" by Dr. Dre & Ice Cube, Peter Gabriel's albums, "The Champ Is Here" by Jadakiss, among others are greyed out. I'd like to ask, is it premium exclusive? What gives?

[JumpingJack]

Problem solved. Switched to Apple Music. 

[nitefly5150]

What I don't understand is why it's so random.  There is one track by David Allen Coe that was probably from 1973 that was in a playlist .... then poof!  That song is gone.   I just ran into two others.  Any idea why that would happen?  I could understand if it were the whole album, the whole artist, or a different country.  But these are single songs while I'm sitting at the same desk.