{"id":27097,"date":"2021-11-15T16:16:27","date_gmt":"2021-11-15T16:16:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.auslogics.com\/en\/articles\/?p=27097"},"modified":"2025-03-18T13:15:38","modified_gmt":"2025-03-18T13:15:38","slug":"fix-spotify-cant-play-this-right-now-error-on-windows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.auslogics.com\/en\/articles\/fix-spotify-cant-play-this-right-now-error-on-windows\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Fix ‘Spotify Can\u2019t Play This Right Now’ Error on Windows?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Recently, some Spotify users have been complaining about problems when using the app. They found themselves unable to play songs using the Spotify music player. In some cases, users couldn\u2019t play a specific song \u2014 or a number of songs \u2014 from an album. In others, when trying to play a song, users received an error message that didn\u2019t offer any actual insight into how the issue could be resolved. The error message simply stated that Spotify couldn\u2019t play the song at the moment and prompted to instead import an audio file from a computer.<\/p>\n

Why Is Spotify Not Working in 2021?<\/h2>\n

This may indeed have something to do with the timing \u2014 perhaps your version of Spotify is corrupt or there are issues with the Spotify server that may be resolved soon. In some cases, a few tweaks in Spotify\u2019s or your device\u2019s settings may be enough to quickly fix the problem.<\/p>\n

In other instances, however, the problem you are experiencing with the app may have deeper roots. It may be related to an issue with your audio drivers, in which case you may need to reinstall your drivers.<\/p>\n

How to Fix \u201cSpotify Not Playing on My Computer\u201d<\/h2>\n

As we\u2019ve mentioned above, there may be quite a few reasons why you are running into Spotify issues on your device. Depending on what\u2019s causing the problem, you may also need to try out different solutions \u2014 or even a combination of a few solutions \u2014 to get rid of the problem.<\/p>\n

Below, we will go over a few popular fixes for Spotify playback issues. We will start with the easiest options first \u2014 and we suggest you do the same. If the simple solutions don\u2019t work, you can move on to more complicated fixes.<\/p>\n

How to Fix the “Can’t Play the Current Track” Issue on Windows 10<\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s start fixing your Spotify issues. Here is how we suggest you start:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. First, try restarting your computer. This is the simplest and most obvious solution to a lot of PC and app issues, and it is highly effective in a lot of cases.<\/li>\n
  2. If this doesn\u2019t work, try disabling Spotify\u2019s hardware acceleration feature.<\/li>\n
  3. If you are still facing the issue, clear out Spotify\u2019s local cache \u2014 this is another fix that is often successful in many cases.<\/li>\n
  4. You can also change the streaming quality on Spotify. On most devices, you will have the choice of the following playback tiers: 24 kbps (Low), 96 kbps (Normal), 160 kbps (High), and 320 kbps (Very High). Switching to lower streaming quality may also help you get rid of the \u201cCan\u2019t play this track\u201d error.<\/li>\n
  5. Finally, if none of the solutions above have worked, you may have to reinstall your audio drivers.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Now, let\u2019s look at each of the above solutions in a bit more detail.<\/p>\n

    Fix 1: Restart your computer<\/h3>\n

    The first thing we suggest you try is simply restarting your computer. To do this,<\/p>\n

    right-click the Start menu button and hover the cursor over the Shut Down or Sign Out options. Here, select Restart.<\/p>\n

    Once your computer restarts, open Spotify again and check if the issue has been resolved. If you are still having problems, try disabling Spotify\u2019s hardware acceleration feature.<\/p>\n

    Fix 2: Disable Spotify\u2019s hardware acceleration feature<\/h3>\n

    Hardware acceleration is a great feature to have on board as it can take a lot of pressure off the<\/p>\n

    software algorithms. By default, Spotify\u2019s hardware acceleration feature is turned on. However, if you are wondering how to fix the “Can’t play the current track” error message, disabling this feature may be one of the ways to go.<\/p>\n

    Here\u2019s how to disable Spotify\u2019s acceleration feature:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Open Spotify.<\/li>\n
    2. Click the Ellipsis button on the top left side of the page.<\/li>\n
    3. Here, select View.<\/li>\n
    4. Next, deselect the Hardware Acceleration option.<\/li>\n
    5. Restart the app and check if you can now play tracks without issues.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Fix 3: Clear Spotify\u2019s local cache<\/h3>\n

      If the above solutions haven\u2019t worked and you are running into the same problem, try clearing out Spotify\u2019s cache. To delete the data stored in Spotify\u2019s cache, do the following:<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. First, close Spotify if you have the app open.<\/li>\n
      2. Next, launch the Run dialog box: use the Win + R key combo.<\/li>\n
      3. When you see a text area, type the following text and press the Enter key:<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        %appdata%<\/strong><\/p>\n

          \n
        1. The AppData folder will open.<\/li>\n
        2. Once it does, go to Spotify > Users.<\/li>\n
        3. Click your username.<\/li>\n
        4. In the folder, delete the file titled \u201clocal-files.bnk\u201d.<\/li>\n
        5. When this is done, launch Spotify. Check if you are still getting the error. If you are, try adjusting the streaming quality on Spotify.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Fix 4: Change the streaming quality on Spotify<\/h3>\n

          As we\u2019ve mentioned above, Spotify lets you choose between several streaming qualities. You can choose to stream in<\/p>\n