Solved: How to Fix Spotify Crackling Isssues (Updated)

Part 1. How to Fix Spotify Crackling (Basic Solutions)

1. Restart Your Device

The very first thing you should try is restarting the device where you experience crackling audio on Spotify.

For Windows/Mac:

1. Save your work and close open apps.
2. On Windows, click Start menu > Power > Restart.
3. On Mac, click Apple menu > Restart.
4. Wait for the device to reboot.

For Android/iOS:

1. Press and hold the power button until the power menu appears.
2. On Android, tap Restart (or Reboot, depending on the model).
3. On iOS, slide to power off, then press and hold the button again to turn the device back on.

2. Check Your Internet

A stable internet connection is essential for smooth playback. Unstable connections can cause crackling, buffering, or distorted audio. Test another app, like YouTube, to see if it works without issues. If possible, switch to a wired connection to reduce interference. Finally, restart your router or modem to refresh the network, then try Spotify again.

3. Close Conflicting Apps or Background Processes

Some applications or services running in the background can interfere with Spotify playback. Close unnecessary apps, especially other streaming services, to see if it makes a difference.

For Windows/Mac:

1. On Windows, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
2. On Mac, press Cmd + Option + Esc to open Force Quit Applications.
3. Close other music or streaming apps running in the background.

For Android/iOS:

1. Swipe up from the bottom (or use the multitasking button on Android).
2. Swipe away any unnecessary apps, especially other streaming apps.

4. Check Bluetooth or Wired Audio Devices

Audio devices can sometimes cause crackling if they have poor connectivity, low battery, or hardware conflicts. Disconnect and reconnect your headphones, speakers, or DAC, and try a different audio device to see if the issue persists. If you're using Bluetooth devices, make sure they are fully charged and properly paired.

5. Adjust Spotify's Audio Settings

Lowering the audio quality reduces strain on your device and network bandwidth, which can help prevent crackling or buffering. Choose a lower option for streaming or offline listening to see if playback improves.

For Windows/Mac:

1. Open Spotify and click your Profile icon > Settings.
2. Scroll to Audio quality > Streaming quality.
3. Lower the quality to Normal or Low.
4. Restart playback and check for improvements.

For Android/iOS:

1. Open Spotify and tap the Gear icon for Settings and privacy.
2. Scroll to Media quality.
3. Under Streaming, select Normal or Low.
4. Play a track and test if playback is smoother.

6. Disable Hardware Acceleration

Disabling hardware acceleration prevents conflicts between hardware and software audio processing, which may resolve crackling issues. This option is available on the Spotify desktop app for both Windows and Mac.

For Windows/Mac only:

1. Open Spotify and click your Profile icon > Settings.
2. Scroll to Compatibility.
3. Toggle off Enable hardware acceleration.
4. Restart Spotify and test playback.

7. Clear Spotify Cache

Corrupted cache files may cause playback issues like crackling. Clear the cache using Spotify's in-app or device-specific options so the app can refresh files from scratch.

For Windows/Mac:

1. Open Spotify and click your Profile icon > Settings.
2. Scroll to Storage > Cache.
3. Click Clear cache.
4. Restart Spotify and test playback.

For Android/iOS:

1. Open Spotify and tap the Gear icon for Settings and privacy.
2. Go to Storage > Clear cache.
3. Confirm the action. Your downloads remain safe, but temporary files are removed.

For Spotify Web Player:

• Chrome:

  

  1. Open Chrome and click the three-dot menu > Settings.
  2. Go to Privacy and security > Clear browsing data.
  3. Select Cached images and files.
  4. Click Clear data, then reopen Spotify.

• Safari:

  1. Open Safari and click Safari > Preferences.
  2. Go to Privacy > Manage Website Data.
  3. Search for "Spotify" and select Remove.
  4. Restart Safari and reload Spotify Web Player.

8. Reinstall Spotify

A fresh installation ensures you have the latest version of Spotify and removes any corrupted files that could be causing audio issues. If simply uninstalling and reinstalling doesn't help, try a more thorough uninstall to clear leftover files before reinstalling.

For Windows:

1. Go to Settings > Apps > Spotify > Uninstall.
2. Press Win + R, type %AppData%, and delete the Spotify folder.
3. Do the same with %LocalAppData%.
4. Restart your PC.
5. Download the latest installer from the official Spotify site.
6. Reinstall, log in, and test playback.

For Mac:

1. Drag Spotify from Applications to the Trash.
2. In Finder, click Go > Go to Folder > ~/Library/.
3. Delete client caches and application files.
4. Empty the Trash and restart your Mac.
5. Download Spotify again from the official site.
6. Log in and test playback.

For Android:

1. Go to Settings > Apps > Spotify > Storage & Cache.
2. Tap Clear Data and Clear Cache.
3. Delete leftover folders in Settings > Storage > Android > Data > com.spotify.music.
4. Restart your device.
5. Reinstall Spotify from the Google Play Store.
6. Log in and test playback.

For iOS:

1. Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage > Spotify.
2. Tap Offload App, then Delete App.
3. Restart your iPhone.
4. Reinstall Spotify from the App Store.
5. Log in and test playback.

Part 2. How to Fix Spotify Crackling (Advanced Solutions)

1. Update Audio Drivers or Operating System

Outdated audio drivers or operating systems can sometimes cause crackling issues. Install any available updates and restart your device to see if the problem is resolved.

For Windows:

1. Press Win + X and choose Device Manager.
2. Expand Sound, video and game controllers.
3. Right-click your audio device and select Update driver.



4. Choose Search automatically for drivers.
5. If no update is found, check your computer or sound card manufacturer's website for the latest drivers.
6. Restart your PC once the update finishes.

For Mac:

1. Click the Apple menu in the top left corner.
2. Go to System Settings > General > Software Update.
3. If updates are available, select Update Now.
4. Restart your Mac after the update completes.

2. Disable Audio Enhancements or Effects (Windows)

Audio enhancements or effects applied by your system or sound card can interfere with Spotify playback. Disabling them may stop crackling or distortion.

For Windows:

1. Right-click the volume icon in the system tray.
2. Select Sounds.
3. Go to the Playback tab.
4. Choose your default audio device.
5. Click Properties.



6. Open the Enhancements tab.
7. Check Disable all enhancements (or Disable all sound effects).
8. If the Enhancements tab is missing, go to the Advanced tab.
9. Under Exclusive Mode, uncheck both:

   

   • Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device.
   • Give exclusive mode applications priority.
10. Click Apply, then OK.
11. Restart your PC to save the changes.

3. Adjust Sound Properties Settings (Windows)

Adjusting your Windows sound properties can sometimes fix crackling. Changing the default format to a lower setting often improves playback.

For Windows:

1. Right-click the volume icon in the system tray.
2. Select Sounds.
3. Go to the Playback tab.
4. Highlight your default audio device and click Properties.
5. Under the Advanced tab, find Default Format.
6. Change the sample rate to 16 bit, 44100 Hz (CD Quality).



7. Click Apply, then OK.

4. Adjust Audio MIDI Settings (Mac)

Mac users can adjust their Audio MIDI settings to improve playback. Ensuring the sample rate and bit depth match standard output values can reduce crackling or distortion.

1. Open Finder > Applications > Utilities > Audio MIDI Setup.
2. Select your audio device from the left sidebar.
3. On the right panel, check the Format settings.
4. Set the sample rate to 44,100 Hz and bit depth to 16-bit.
5. Close the window; changes save automatically.

5. Restart Audio System (Mac)

Restarting the Mac audio system can sometimes fix playback issues. Alternatively, a full Mac restart will refresh the audio system as well.

1. Open Finder > Applications > Utilities > Activity Monitor.
2. In the search bar, type coreaudiod.
3. Select the coreaudiod process.
4. Click the X button in the top left and confirm Quit.
5. The process will restart automatically, refreshing the audio system.

6. Temporarily Disable Antivirus or Firewall

Some antivirus programs or firewall settings may interfere with Spotify streaming. Temporarily disable them and test Spotify. If playback improves, add Spotify to the allowed list instead of keeping protection disabled.

For Windows:

1. Press Win + R, type control, and press Enter to open Control Panel.
2. Change View by to Small icons or Large icons.
3. Click Windows Defender Firewall.



4. In the left sidebar, click Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off.



5. Select Turn off Windows Defender Firewall for both Private and Public networks.
6. Click OK to save changes.
7. To allow Spotify through the firewall, go back to Control Panel > Windows Defender Firewall.
8. Click Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall.



9. Find Spotify in the list and check the boxes for both Private and Public.

For Mac:

1. Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner.
2. Select System Preferences.



3. Open Security & Privacy.



4. Go to the Firewall tab.
5. If the Firewall is on, click the lock icon and enter your password.



6. Click Turn Off Firewall.



7. Click the lock icon again to prevent further changes.

7. Try Another Audio Output

Switching to a different audio output can help determine if the problem is device-specific. If you usually use headphones, try your speakers or another pair of headphones. If you use Bluetooth, try a wired connection to see if the crackling persists.

8. Test with Local Audio Files

To check whether the crackling is specific to Spotify, play local audio files stored on your device using another media player such as VLC, iTunes, or Windows Media Player. If local files play perfectly, the issue is likely with the app itself. If the crackling occurs with local files too, the problem may be hardware or system-related, and further troubleshooting may be needed.

Part 3. Alternatives to Play Spotify without Crackling Issues

If you're experiencing persistent crackling audio issues with Spotify, and you've tried various troubleshooting steps without success, there is the best alterative options you can explore to play Spotify without crackles, anytime, anywhere. That's to use a Spotify downloader to download Spotify songs as playable files. ViWizard Spotify Music Converter, as a professional and powerful music downloader and converter, can enable you to download songs, albums, playlists, and podcasts from Spotify. And it can save Spotify downloads to several formats.

With ViWizard Spotify Music Converter, you can directly download whatever content from Spotify and then play with any media player on your computer or mobile phone. All the songs can be accessed without the Spotify app, so that you won't come across the Spotify crackling issue anymore. Follow the below steps to download and convert Spotify music to MP3 via ViWizard Spotify Music Converter.

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Conclusion

Hopefully you'll be able to solve the problem of Spotify crackling with one of the fixes introduced in this post. If you want to play Spotify songs without using the Spotify app, then you can try ViWizard Spotify Music Converter.