Spotify is a popular music streaming service that lets users listen to their favorite songs on their phones and computers. So, you can listen to music on any of these devices using the Spotify mobile or desktop client.
But it's possible that some Spotify users don't know about the web-based player. Songs can be streamed via a web browser on a mobile or desktop device. This means you no longer need to download the Spotify app to listen to music. And you still have space on your device for other stuff! As a result, this article will teach you all you need to know about using Spotify's web player.
What is the Spotify Web Player?
With the Spotify online player, you can listen to Spotify anywhere without having to download the app. Once you've logged in, the website lets you use all the features of the Spotify app right from your browser.
You can sign up for Spotify on Spotify Web, see all of your saved songs and playlists, listen to music and podcasts, and read about Help, Privacy, Terms of Service, and so on.
You probably use your web browser more than any other program on your computer, so this is not a guess. Because it was made with the progressive web application (PWA) principle, you can also use this version of Spotify as if it were a native program.
How to Access Spotify Web Player
The Spotify web player doesn't come up with a new way to play music. The user interface and the way the functions look remind me a lot of the app from the provider. You can easily use the many features and icons because they look and work like the program.
You can get to your account and, by extension, the whole Spotify library through the web player. All of the main features of the official app are in the browser version as well. I swear, Spotify doesn't want you to miss anything.
Among these qualities are the following:
- Find information about artists, albums, songs, and playlists.
- Choose "Recommended," "New Releases," or "Genres and Moods" to narrow your search.
- access and change the library made by the user
- Use all of the songs, albums, playlists, and artists that are saved in the user account.
- Go to the page for the artist.
You can use a desktop or mobile web browser to get to Spotify by going to open.spotify.com. The music streamer on the web works with the following browsers:
Chrome\Firefox\Edge\Opera\safari
Once you log in with your account information, you can do anything you want with your Spotify account.
Also, if you have problems after logging in to the Spotify web player, updating your browser might help. You might also need to make sure that the browser is set up to play back protected content.
Spotify Web Player
When you sign into your Spotify account on the online player, the first thing you see is a simple user interface with a side menu that lets you play your favorite music with just a few clicks.
You should know that the mobile web app is just as limited as the native app, and that if you don't pay for a subscription, you'll only be able to play music at random.
Also, even if you pay for a subscription, you won't be able to save music to listen to later. This is how no one should be treated, but alright, Spotify.
Search for Music on the Spotify Web Player
Tap "Search" in the top-left corner of the screen to find a great playlist, find your favorite artist, or look through the categories. Here, under "Browse All," you can see a wide range of styles, with the most important ones at the top. By clicking on any of them, you can find out about a huge number of featured playlists, new releases, podcasts, and other things.
If you'd rather, you can look up anything in the Spotify database by using the search bar. You'll see songs, artists, CDs, playlists, and more as you write. Tap on any of them to go to the page.
As you stream music, your "Home" page will fill up with useful online links that are based on what you like. You can look through your favorite artists, recommended CDs, CDs that have been played a lot, personalized Spotify playlist mixes, and more.
How to Go from Page to Page on the Spotify Site for Artists and Albums
If you click on an artist's name anywhere on the Spotify web player, you'll go to their website. The most well-known songs by the singer are at the top of the list. This will help a user who doesn't know much about the singer.
On this page, you can find all of the artist's CDs, albums, single tracks, and first albums. If you choose "Discography," you can find out more about the artist's songs and albums, like how many songs are on each album and when it came out.
Add to your Music Library
Under "Your Library," you can see all of the songs you like together. Using the tab's different categories, you can put your favorite music in order. Some of these groups are artists, albums, podcasts, and playlists.
You can add multiple copies of an album or playlist to your library by clicking on the heart icon that appears above it. To save a song, move your mouse cursor over the track length and click the heart next to it.
You can also keep up with an artist when you follow them. When new songs or albums come out on Spotify, you'll get a message or see them right away on your home page. Also, the service suggests more songs by artists you already like.
The Spotify Web Player Download
The progressive web application model was used to make the Spotify web player, so you can download the web app on your computer or mobile device. So, you can download the web app or just use the web player in your browser.
When you visit a website made with this method, you'll get a message on your phone asking you to add the website as an application. On the computer, however, you won't get this message, so you'll have to add the website yourself.
Here is a quick guide to doing this with your desktop browser. In this case, we'll use Google Chrome as an example, but you can do the same thing in Microsoft Edge, Opera, Brave, or any other Chromium-based web browser.
Look at the address bar of your browser when you're on the Spotify player website. Before clicking "install," you must first click the icon that looks like a monitor.
The web browser's address bar will suddenly go away, making way for a simpler, app-like design. By making an icon on the desktop and one in the start menu, you can go to Spotify without having to close the web browser.
If there isn't an option to install, do the following:
- Open the options window for Chrome.
- Click and hold the button that says "More Tools."
- select Create Shortcut.
- After you check the "Open as Window" box, click the blue "Create" button.
Now, you can go straight to the Spotify.com online player without opening a browser by using your desktop or task menu. Is there anything that can make life easier?
Spotify Web Player: Music for Everyone
With the web player, Spotify is joining a growing trend in the digital world. People who use mobile devices are learning about the benefits of apps that run in the browser and don't need to be downloaded and installed.
In streaming and gaming, the trend is away from software that comes pre-installed and toward more and more apps. This will let you work with only a small number of songs on your mobile devices, saving you time and space.
Also, browser-based players give you more freedom to compare service providers and switch between them. Since most modern users use browser-based apps, service providers have had to put more time and thought into making services that don't involve apps.
Spotify made a smart move by making a web player so that its users can have as much freedom and convenience as possible over time.
Spotify Web Player's Positive and Cons (VS Desktop App)
Like any new feature of an existing service, the Spotify web player has pros and cons for the user when compared to the desktop or mobile apps.
PROS:
- Users can take their music with them no matter what device they use. No one is stuck with the app that came with the device. With a simple login to the webplayer, any device can get access to Spotify's whole catalog and user-made libraries.
- The browser-based version of Spotify gives you the most freedom because it takes up less space on the end device.
- With a free account, users of the web player can also hide the ad by using the browser's ad blocker. This is true even though the free version of the Spotify app includes banners, videos, and audio files with ads.
CONS:
- The web player streams music files at a lower bit rate than the app version.
- On the online player, free subscribers can only stream at 128 kbps, but on the app, they can stream at 160 kbps. Premium members, on the other hand, can stream at up to 256 kbps through the online player and up to 320 kbps through the app.
- There are no controls or shortcuts on the online player for playing media through headphones or an end device. It must be done directly through the web player.
- The web player can't be used when you're not online. This means that users with premium accounts can't use albums or songs they downloaded when they can't get online. For now, you can only get this feature on the Spotify app.
Spotify Web Player Not Working: Suggested Fixes
You might have trouble getting to Spotify Web because it doesn't always work right. But Spotify, don't worry!
There are a few reasons why the Spotify webplayer might not work for you, depending on your operating system and browser. Here are some of the most common problems and how to solve them.
Inappropriate Internet Connection or None at All
When the Spotify web player isn't working, the first thing to check is the internet connection. On Spotify's web platform, you can't listen to music without being connected to a Wi-Fi or cellular network. So, make sure that your device is linked. Make sure that the Airplane mode hasn't been set by accident.
You could also try to fix this by opening the Spotify web player in a private or anonymous window. Remember that on some shared or public networks, you may not be able to get to some services (work, business, school).
Because of this, you might not be able to use the Spotify webplayer. Talk to the people in charge of the network for more information.
A Slow Browser
The fact that your browser doesn't work with the Spotify web player could also be to blame. The device needs to be running Android 6.0 or later, and it needs to be connected from one of the following places:
- 69 or higher to use Chrome.
- After Firefox 95, Samsung's web browser must be at least 9.2
The Spotify web player on iOS works with the following browsers:
- 69 or higher for Chrome or Safari 11
If you want to use Spotify web player on your computer but don't want to download the app, you should know that the following search engines are supported:
- Chrome 66 at least
- Firefox 60 or higher, Edge 18 or higher, Opera 49 or later, and at least Safari 12.1.
So, if the Spotify web player doesn't work, check to see if your browser is up to date. On Chrome, go to Settings > Help > About Chrome.
The Protected Content Can't be Played Back
If the Spotify web player tells you "Playback of protected content is not enabled," you must allow playback of protected content. You can do this on many browsers by following the steps listed below:
- To turn it on in Chrome, type "chrome:/settings/content" into the address bar, tap "Additional content settings," and then choose "Protected content IDs." By doing this, any website you visit in your browser will be able to play protected content.
- Enter "about:preferences#content" in the URL bar to get to the content preferences page in Firefox. Then click DRM content and choose Play DRM from the drop-down menu.
- For the Spotify web player to work on Windows 10, you might need a Media Feature Pack. Visit the Microsoft download page, pick your language, click Download, then Next, Platform.
Also, if you use Safari on an iPhone to get to Spotify web, you might see the message "Something went wrong" and be asked to download or update the app. You can try to get around the problem by using Chrome or another browser to access the web-based Spotify player, but this may only be a temporary fix.
You don't have to download an app to listen to your favorite songs on Spotify's online player. There are a number of reasons why Spotify's web player might not work, but the most common one is that your web browser is broken.
If you have an ad blocker turned on in your browser, Spotify might not be able to play your music. Your browser's cache files could be the cause. Or your browser might be set up to play on the wrong device. If the Spotify web player isn't working, here is a list of things to check.
Choose the Right Playback Device in Spotify
You can choose the player yourself if you use Spotify. Make sure that Spotify is set up so that you can listen to music through your web browser. If that doesn't work, try another device, and your web player will start to work.
- Start the Spotify web player by opening your web browser.
- Click Connect to a device in the bottom right corner of the screen.
- Choose your web browser from the list of devices that can play the video.
- Spotify will fix the problem with the web player by letting you listen to your music in your web browser.
Your Web Browser's Feature that Blocks Ads Should be Turned Off
Your web browser's add-on for blocking ads could be stopping Spotify's online music player from working. Ad-blockers often cause different problems with the way online media plays.
You can fix it, though, by turning off the ad blocker in your browser. First, temporarily turn off the extension to see if it is the cause of the problem. If that solves the problem, you can turn off or disable Spotify's ad blocker.
Follow the steps in the next sentence to turn off an extension in Chrome. Other web browsers should do things the same way.
- Right-click on your ad-blocker extension in Chrome's top right corner and choose Manage extension.
- To stop your extension from blocking ads, turn off the toggle.
- When you close and reopen Chrome, you'll find that the Spotify web player now works.
Use your Web Browser's Private Mode
If the Spotify web player isn't working, you can use a private window to get around this. When you open a website in this window, your browser keeps your browsing history and other information separate from the website you are looking at at the moment.
That helps fix problems caused by browser data that gets in the way of Spotify's web player. Even if you don't want to use incognito mode every time you want to listen to music, this method can help you figure out if the problem is with your browser or not.
Open the Chrome Incognito Window
- Click on the three dots in the upper right corner of Chrome.
- Choose New Incognito window from the menu.
- Open the window that says "Incognito" and start the Spotify web player.
Open a Separate Window in Firefox
- Click the three lines in the top right corner of Firefox to open the menu.
- Choose New private window from the menu.
- Open Spotify up on the web.
Start a Private Window in Edge
- Click the three dots in the upper right corner of Edge.
- Choose New InPrivate window from the menu.
- Open up the online player for Spotify.
Clear your Web Browser's Cache
Your browser stores images and web pages in a cache so that you can browse faster. Sometimes, this stored information causes problems and stops your online music players from working.
If you clear the cache in your browser, Spotify might work again. Most browsers make it really easy to clear your cache files.
When you delete the cache, you keep all of the passwords, cookies, and other site data that you have saved in the past.
Clear Chrome's Cache
- Open Chrome and type chrome:/settings/clearBrowserData into the address bar.
- Select Clear data at the bottom, turn on Cached pictures and files, deselect all other options, and choose All time from the Time range drop-down menu.
Firefox Cleans Its Cache
- From the hamburger menu in the upper-right corner of Firefox, choose History > Clear Recent History.
- Uncheck everything except Cache, click OK at the bottom, and then choose Everything from the Time range drop-down menu to clear the drop-down selection.
Get rid of the Edge Cache
- Open Edge and type edge:/settings/clearBrowserData into the address bar.
- Click Cached pictures and files from the Time range drop-down menu, deselect all other options, and then click Clear now at the bottom.
Set up your Web Browser to Play Protected Content
When Spotify's web player isn't working, you have to turn on a setting in your browser's settings to allow the playback of restricted content.
Here's how to play protected content in Google Chrome, which is probably the only browser where you'll run into this problem:
- After typing this into Chrome's address bar, type the following: chrome:/settings/content
- Choose Protected content IDs from the list of options under "Additional content."
- Turn on both the settings that let sites play protected content and the settings that let sites use identifiers to play protected content.
Remove the DNS Cache
Your DNS settings are used to figure out domain names when you use your browser to look at websites. If your DNS cache is broken or has become corrupt, you'll need to get rid of this troublesome cache to fix problems with your site.
To clear the DNS cache, you don't have to delete your browser or any files from your computer. Follow these steps on a computer running Windows:
- Find Command Prompt in the search results on the Start menu, then choose it.
- Ipconfig /flushdns and hit Enter in the Command Prompt window.
- Close the Command Prompt window.
Alternate Web Browsers
If the problem is your web browser and your Spotify web player still doesn't work, try updating it. Try the web player in a different web browser to see if that works in this case.
If you use Chrome to get to Spotify, for example, try Firefox and see if your player still works. If the web player only works when you switch browsers, you'll need to reset or reinstall your browser.
Utilize a Different Spotify Client
You can listen to your music on Spotify with a number of different clients. If Spotify's web player isn't working right, use the desktop client to listen to your music.
You can also use the Spotify mobile app if you have a phone or tablet. Through this, you can listen to the same music that is on your web player.
When things go wrong with the Spotify web player, it's often because of your web browser. Once the problem cache files have been deleted, certain settings have been changed, and the problem add-ons have been turned off, your web player will work again.
We hope that the tips above will help you fix any problems you're having with the Spotify web player.