Error Fixed: Spotify Can’t Play This Right Now On Windows

Even though Spotify is a very popular music streaming service, issues can happen when using it. Many users from the Spotify Community reported that no songs can be played from their Spotify desktop app on Windows 10/11. There would be a notice that says "Spotify can't play this right now. If you have the file on your computer you can import it." Have you faced this problem?

Why does Spotify keep saying it can't play this right now? Don’t worry, here, we will go over all the possible causes behind this error and walk you through different ways to fix it that get you back to listening to your favorite songs on Spotify!

Contents Guide Part 1. Why Does Spotify Say It Can't Play This Right Now?Part 2. 8 Solutions to Fix "Spotify Can't Play This Right Now" ErrorPart 3. Best Solution to Keep Spotify Playing SongsConclusion

Part 1. Why Does Spotify Say It Can't Play This Right Now?

Spotify provides millions of digital music, audiobooks, and podcasts from different artists all around the world. However, some Spotify users encounter issues when they try to play songs on Windows 11 and 10. One of the most widely reported playback issues for that app has an error message that says, “Spotify can't play this right now. If you have the file on your computer you can import it.” There are several possible reasons why Spotify is unable to play songs at times. We have listed some possible below.

• Outdated Software: An old version of the Spotify app can not work properly. A computer with an older operating system may also have incompatibility issues that can result in errors while trying to play music on Spotify.
• Spotify App Glitches: Though Spotify is powered by a strong operating system, sometimes the Spotify app can act erratically and not function as it should. It may be software glitches, corrupted files, or cache errors causing Spotify to not play songs or tracks properly.
• Copyright Restrictions: Songs in your region are prohibited by Spotify. Alternatively, if the licensing agreements expire and are not renewed, those songs will no longer be available on Spotify.
• Improper Device and App Settings: Some of the settings on Spotify (audio quality or hardware settings) can interfere with streaming and lead to Spotify can’t play song errors.

Part 2. 8 Solutions to Fix "Spotify Can't Play This Right Now" Error

Why can't Spotify play this right now? Now that you've known the possible causes, the solutions below can also work to help you fix the error. Let’s look at different ways to fix it!

Solution 1: Update Spotify on Your Windows

The “Spotify can’t play this right now” error will more likely arise in outdated versions of Spotify. Therefore, it’s recommended Spotify users check for app updates on your Windows 11/10. Make sure that you have a stable internet connection before starting the upgrade.

1. To update your Spotify to the latest version, open the Spotify desktop app.
2. Click on the three dots located in the top left corner of the app interface.
3. Then, select Help > About Spotify. You will see a dialog box showing your current version using.
4. If your app requires an update, a button with a download link will appear just below the app version number. Click on the link to download the update.

Solution 2: Restart Your Windows Device

After updating the Spotify desktop app, you should try to turn off your computer first and then open it again. A lot of issues can be fixed by a simple restart including that of the Spotify app’s problems. Once you restart a device, all background apps will be stopped, your device should feel more responsive. On Windows 11/10, open the Start menu, and click on the Power button. Then tap on Restart in the Power menu. If this doesn’t work, then you should try other solutions we listed below.

Solution 3: Clear Spotify Cache

If you experience the error showing “Spotify can’t play this right now” on Windows, it might be due to cache errors, or corrupted files. Spotify, like other apps out there, will store temp files within your local drive for best performance. However, too many files on your computer will overload and get corrupted or even cause issues with streaming music. If the simple restart method doesn’t work, then you should try to clear out the cache.

1. Launch the latest Spotify app on your desktop.
2. Click on your avatar in the top right, and select Settings from the drop-down menu.
3. On the Setting menu, scroll down until you see the Storage option.
4. Here you will see the cache data.
5. Click the Clear cache button and confirm it again.
6. The temporary files that Spotify stores will be cleared.

Tips: For more details, check our explainer on What Is Cache On Spotify.

Solution 4: Disable Hardware Acceleration

There are users who say that the error “Spotify app can’t play this right now” can be fixed by turning its hardware acceleration off. Hardware acceleration is enabled by default in Spotify to improve Spotify’s performance. However, this may not work on older machines, especially those with lower-end video cards and hardware that cannot support this feature. You may end up with stuttering, or lag with playing songs. Here are the steps on how to disable Hardware acceleration on Spotify:

• To find Hardware Acceleration, open the Spotify desktop app.
• Click on the three dots located in the top left corner of the app interface.
• Select View, then uncheck the label Hardware Acceleration.
• Click OK on the window that prompts you to restart Spotify.

Solution 5: Change Spotify Streaming Quality Setting

Another reason that can cause the error “Spotify can’t play this right now” is that you are streaming music in the highest quality. Only Spotify Premium users are allowed to stream in high quality. However, if you switch to the free plan, and the parameters for streaming are still set to that of high quality, then you may not be able to play your music. In this case, you should lower the streaming quality setting in the Spotify app.

Solution 6: Use a VPN

There are times when you can’t play a particular song because of geographical limitations. There are songs that can be played in one location or country but cannot be played in another. Thus, these songs will be greyed out on your playlist. You can't listen to them on your Windows. To make sure some songs can be played within your location, you can try a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to bypass these country restrictions.

Dig deeper: How To Listen To Greyed Out Songs On Spotify?

Solution 7: Setup Output Device

Sometimes, your audio output device could have been incorrectly or accidentally changed on Windows. Because of this, Spotify’s content may be sent to an invalid or incorrect device instead, which explains why you can’t play certain songs. Some Spotify users have said they’ve fixed the playback error by selecting the sound output device for Spotify.

1. Launch Spotify on your Windows computer.
2. Right-click on the volume icon at the bottom right of the taskbar and select Sound settings.
3. Under Advanced sound options, click Volume Mixer.
4. Scroll down till you see Spotify under the list of applications, then select your desired output device from the drop-down box on the right-hand side.
5. Restart Spotify for the change to take effect.

Solution 8: Wrong Formats of Local Files

Spotify allows users to upload local audio files on the Spotify desktop app (Windows and Mac). If you’re a Premium subscriber, you can listen to them on desktop and mobile. For local files, Spotify only supports MP3, M4P, MP4, M4A, or ALAC formats for syncing. If you use an incompatible format, Spotify doesn’t recognize your music files. As a result, you may be unable to play or stream those songs.

Related Topics:

• >> How To Add Local Songs To Spotify
• >> How to Fix Spotify Local Files Not Showing/Playing/Syncing

Part 3. Best Solution to Keep Spotify Playing Songs

Now the error showing "Spotify can't play this right now" on your Windows should be fixed within several methods from above. If the above methods don’t fix your problem fully, don’t worry. Here, we will share a practical solution! With downloading Spotify songs on your computer, you can play music on a desktop or transfer them to any media device you want. You don't have to use the Spotify app now and Spotify will never break your music playing and show playback error.

But only Spotify Premium users can download music, how about free users? Well, that’s easy. In this section, we’ll recommend that you use AMusicSoft Spotify Music Converter. AMusicSoft program allows you can simply download Spotify tracks for offline playback. Once you do that, you can play the tracks easily on any device at any time. If you think fixing Spotify playback errors takes too much work, you can try this program to play Spotify music offline.

AMusicSoft Spotify Music Converter also allows you to convert to multiple formats such as MP3, MP4, AAC, FLAC, and WAV, among others. With AMusicSoft software, no more Premium subscriptions and error messages! You can enjoy ad-free songs from Spotify easily. It will save Spotify music up to 320kpbs and with ID3 tags retained.

Download Spotify Music for Playing Forever

Step 1: Open your web browser on a Windows/Mac computer, and search for the official website of AMusicSoft to download the Spotify Music Converter application. AMusicSoft now offers a free trial.

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Step 2: Once completely installed, open in and log into your Spotify account on the built-in Spotify web player. Then drag-and-drop the song to download.

Step 3: Among the mentioned supported formats in AMusicSoft, you have to choose one. The output folder must be chosen as well.

Step 4: Click the Convert button to let the process start.

Wait until the conversion is fully finished and download the results from the Converted tab once they are available. Congratulations! You finally have your Spotify MP3 songs downloaded even if you don’t have a premium, you can now start adding the converted tracks to any media player. How easy it is to download a Spotify playlist with AMusicsoft!

Conclusion

We have given you nine different methods to fix the error “Spotify can’t play this right now”. The issue might be due to hardware acceleration, outdated apps, or corrupted cache, among others. However, the best way to fix the issue is to download music as local files. You can opt for AMusicSoft Spotify Music Converter to help you grab a song that you can’t play and listen to it offline for free forever. The tool is a great way to remove DRM protection from audiobooks, music tracks, albums, and playlists. Plus, it enables you to convert to popular formats such as FLAC, MP3, and WAV, etc. Get your AMusicSoft Spotify Music Converter now!

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