How to Fix Spotify Stuttering/Choppy Issues

Part 1. Why Spotify Keeps Stuttering

If your Spotify appears to be working but the music keeps stuttering, you're not the only one. Many users notice this from time to time, and sometimes the issue resolves itself after app updates that include bug fixes. But why does it happen?

Sometimes it's caused by corrupted cached files stored in the background, which can interfere with playback. Other times, it could be a weak internet connection or your device running in a mode that saves battery and slows performance. Any of these can make the music skip or cut out, even when everything else seems normal.

Part 2. Easy Ways to Fix Spotify Stuttering

1. Check Your Internet Connection

Spotify needs a steady internet connection to play music smoothly. If your Wi-Fi or mobile data is weak, songs can skip or pause. Try switching networks, reconnecting to Wi-Fi instead of using cellular, or restarting your router. This often fixes the problem.

2. Free Up Device Resources

Running too many apps at once can slow your device. Closing unnecessary apps or background processes can help, but if that doesn't work, try restarting your device entirely. This gives Spotify more memory and processing power, stops unexpected stuttering or slowdowns, clears caches, and refreshes the system for better overall performance.

On mobile:

1. For iOS and Android, double-click on the Home button or swipe up from the home screen to open the app switcher.
2. Swipe left or right to find the app you want to close.
3. Swipe the app's preview window up and off the screen to close it.

On desktop:

• Windows:
  
  1. Right-click on the taskbar and select "Task Manager."
  2. In the Task Manager window, go to the "Processes" tab.
  3. Find the processes you want to close, select them, and click "End Task" one by one.
  
  

  

• Mac:
  
  1. Open the Finder app.
  2. Go to Applications > Utilities > Activity Monitor.
  3. In the Activity Monitor window, go to the "CPU" or "Memory" tab.
  4. Find the processes you want to close, select them, and click the "X" button in the upper-left corner.

3. Check Bluetooth Conflicts

Sometimes, Spotify tries to connect to multiple Bluetooth devices at the same time, which can cause stuttering. Disconnect devices you're not using and reconnect only the one you want to play music through.

On mobile:

1. Go to Settings > Bluetooth.
2. Turn Bluetooth off and then back on.
3. Reconnect your headphones or speaker.
4. Test playback in Spotify.

On desktop:

1. Open your Bluetooth settings:
   • Windows: Go to Settings > Devices > Bluetooth.
   • Mac: Go to System Settings > Bluetooth.
2. Disconnect any unused devices.
3. Reconnect only the device you want to use for Spotify.

4. Restart Spotify and Your Device

Apps and devices can get "stuck" over time. Restarting Spotify or your device clears temporary glitches, closes background processes, and refreshes the system. This can fix many playback issues quickly.

On mobile:

• iOS:
  
  1. Press and hold the power button until the "slide to power off" slider appears.
  2. Slide the slider to turn off the device.
  3. Wait a few seconds, then press and hold the power button again until the Apple logo appears.
• Android:
  
  1. Press and hold the power button until the power menu appears.
  2. Tap Restart.

On desktop:

• Windows:
  
  1. Click on the "Start button" in the bottom-left corner of the screen.
  2. Click on the power icon.
  3. Select "Restart."
• Mac:
  
  1. Click on the Apple logo in the Apple menu bar.
  2. Select "Restart."

5. Turn Off Battery Saver Mode

Battery saver can slow down your device or limit background activity. Turning it off lets your device run at full power, helping Spotify play music without stuttering.

On mobile:

• iOS: Go to Settings > Battery and toggle off Low Power Mode.
• Android: Go to Settings > Battery and turn off Battery Saver.

On desktop:

• Windows: Click the battery icon on the taskbar, then select Battery settings and turn off Battery Saver.
• Mac: Go to System Settings > Battery, then turn off Low Power Mode if enabled.

6. Lower Audio Quality

High-quality music needs more internet and processing power. On slower connections or older devices, lowering audio quality can make playback smoother without affecting how the music sounds.

On mobile:

1. For iOS and Android, open the Spotify app.
2. Go to Settings.
3. Tap Audio Quality.
4. Select a lower setting like Normal or Low.

On desktop:

1. For Windows or macOS, open the Spotify app.
2. Go to Settings.
3. Scroll to "Audio quality."
4. Look next to "Streaming quality" to check your current setting, and click the chevron down icon to select a lower setting, such as Low.

7. Clear Spotify Cache

Cache files can get corrupted over time. Clearing the cache removes old data and lets Spotify rebuild fresh files, which can fix stuttering and improve stability.

On mobile:

1. Open the Spotify app.
2. Go to Settings > Storage.
3. Tap Clear Cache.

On desktop:

1. Open Spotify.
2. Go to Settings > Show Advanced Settings.
3. Scroll to Offline Songs Storage and note the location.
4. Close Spotify.
5. Navigate to the cache folder and delete its contents.
6. Reopen Spotify and test playback.

8. Turn Off Hardware Acceleration

Hardware acceleration lets the desktop app use your computer's graphics or processing power, but on some systems it can cause glitches or stuttering. Turning it off can prevent playback issues and make music run smoother.

On desktop:

1. Open Spotify.
2. Click on Settings > Show Advanced Settings.
3. Scroll to Compatibility.
4. Toggle Hardware Acceleration off.
5. Restart Spotify.

9. Log Out and Back Into Spotify

Logging out and back in resets your session, clears temporary data, and refreshes your library. This can fix account-specific glitches and improve playback.

On mobile:

1. For iOS and Android, open the Spotify app.
2. Tap on the Gear icon in the top-right corner.
3. Scroll to near the bottom and tap "Log out."
4. Log back in to the Spotify app.

On desktop:

1. For Windows and macOS, open the Spotify app.
2. Click on the Profile icon in the top-right corner.
3. Select "Log out."
4. After logging out, you'll be taken to the login screen. Enter your Spotify username and password to log back in.

10. Update Spotify

Using an old version of the app can cause bugs like stuttering. Updating ensures you have the latest fixes and performance improvements.

Part 3. Advanced Solutions for Persistent Spotify Stuttering

1. Play Spotify Offline

Sometimes, stuttering happens because your internet connection is unstable or slow. Try downloading playlists, albums, or podcasts to your device for offline listening, and this removes the reliance on a network. For a more powerful solution, consider ViWizard Spotify Music Converter, which downloads and converts your entire music library to flexible offline formats like MP3 to use anytime, anywhere.

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On mobile:

1. Open the Spotify app.
2. Go to the playlist, album, or podcast you want to listen to offline.
3. Toggle Download to start saving content to your device.
4. Once downloaded, turn off Wi-Fi or mobile data.
5. Play your downloaded content and check if the stuttering persists.

On desktop:

1. Open Spotify.
2. Navigate to the playlist or album you want offline.
3. Toggle Download in the desktop app.
4. Once downloaded, disconnect from the internet or switch off Wi-Fi.
5. Play the downloaded content to see if playback is smooth.

2. Disable Spotify Connect

Spotify Connect lets you control playback on one device from another, like using your phone to control your computer. However, if devices struggle to maintain a stable connection, it can cause stuttering.

On mobile:

1. For iOS and Android, open the Spotify app.
2. Go to Settings.
3. Tap Devices.
4. Tap the Devices menu.
5. Scroll through the list of available devices, and tap the horizontal 3 dots icon next to the device you want to disconnect from.
6. Tap Forget device. You'll be logged out of Spotify on the disconnected device.

On desktop:

1. For Windows and macOS, open the Spotify app.
2. Click on the Spotify Connect icon next to the volume slider.
3. Find the device you want to disconnect in the list of available devices, and click on the horizontal 3 dots icon next to it.
4. Select "Forget device."

3. Clean Reinstall of Spotify

A full reinstall can fix persistent issues by removing corrupted files or settings and giving Spotify a fresh start.

On desktop:

• Windows:
  
  1. Go to Settings > Apps > Spotify > Uninstall.
  2. Press Win + R, type %AppData%, and delete the Spotify folder.
  3. Press Win + R, type %LocalAppData%, and delete the Spotify folder.
  4. Restart your computer.
  5. Download and install the latest version of Spotify from the official website.
  6. Log in and test playback.
• Mac:
  
  1. Drag Spotify from Applications to the Trash.
  2. Open Finder > Go > Go to Folder > ~/Library/.
  3. Delete any related folders.
  4. Empty the Trash and restart your Mac.
  5. Download and install Spotify again from the official website.
  6. Log in and check if the stuttering issue still persists.

On mobile:

• Android:
  
  1. Go to Settings > Apps > Spotify > Storage & Cache > Clear Data.
  2. Clear Cache if necessary.
  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 check if playback is smooth.
• iOS:
  
  1. Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage > Spotify.
  2. Tap Offload App, then Delete App.
  3. Restart your device.
  4. Reinstall Spotify from the App Store.
  5. Log in and test playback.

Conclusion

There are lots of problems happening while using Spotify to play songs. Spotify Stuttering is one of the issue that can affect the playback of Spotify music. With the above methods, you are able to solve the issue on your computer or mobile device. Have a try of ViWizard Spotify Music Converter, and you'll find it out.