Did you know that you can listen to Spotify on a browser without downloading the app?
That’s right, you can use the Spotify Web Player. In this article, I’m going to share with you what the Web Player is, what its features are, including the pros and cons.
Can you listen to Spotify on the browser?
You can listen to Spotify on a browser without downloading the Spotify app on your PC even if you have a free Spotify account by using the Web Player (open.spotify.com).
What is the Spotify Web Player?
According to Spotify’s website, the Spotify Web Player is a digital music service that allows users to access millions of songs through their web browser without downloading the Spotify app.
It was launched in early 2013 and is supported on most web browsers.
The web player provides a similar experience to the desktop app, allowing users to search for and play music, create playlists, and discover new songs and artists.
How to use Spotify without downloading?
Open a web browser and visit the Spotify Web Player (open.spotify.com). If you already have an account, you can log in via the LOG IN button on the top right corner of the web interface.
You don’t need to download the Spotify app to use the Web Player. Spotify’s Web Player works in Google Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Opera. The only notable absence is Safari.
To use the web player, the device needs to be running Android OS 6.0 or higher. Here is the list of supported web browsers on Android that is compatible with the Web Player:
- Chrome 87 or above
- Samsung Internet 16 or above
- Firefox 102 or above
For iOS, here is the list of supported web browsers with the Web Player:
- Chrome 87 or above
- Safari 13.0.3 or above
Here is the list of supported web browsers on Desktop compatible with the Web Player:
- Chrome 80 or above
- Firefox 74 or above
- Edge 80 or above
- Opera 67 or above
- Safari 14 or above
Is Spotify Web Player free?
Spotify Web Player is the best way to listen to music FOR FREE on a browser without downloading the app. You don’t need a Premium account to use the Spotify Web Player.
Is Spotify Web Player lower quality?
Unfortunately, the Spotify Web Player has a lower sound quality compared to the app. Free users can enjoy up to 128 kbit/s while Premium users can only enjoy up to 256 kbit/s.
The Spotify app (desktop, mobile, and tablet) allows Free users to enjoy an audio quality of up to 160 kbit/s while Premium users can enjoy an audio quality of up to 320 kbit/s.
Is Spotify on the browser better than the app?
Both the Spotify Web Player and Desktop app are excellent choices for listening to music on Spotify, it just depends on what you’re after and what your preferences are.
If you value portability and platform independence, then the Spotify Web Player is better. However, If you value sound quality and offline playback, then the Desktop app is better.
Pros and cons of Spotify Web Player
Now that you already know a thing or two about the Spotify Web Player, let’s take a closer look at some of the pros and cons, compared to the Spotify Desktop app.
Pro: Easily accessible and convenient
One of the biggest advantages of the Spotify Web Player is that it’s easy to access. All you need is a browser and an internet connection, and you can start listening to your favorite music.
The desktop app, on the other hand, requires you to install software on your computer. If you want to listen to Spotify on a different computer, you’ll have to install the app there too.
Con: No offline listening
A major disadvantage of the Spotify Web Player is no offline playback. This means that you can’t download your favorite songs and listen to them without an internet connection.
If you want to take advantage of offline music, you’ll need the desktop app which offers offline listening and other exclusive features such as an equalizer and hardware acceleration.
Pro: Platform independence
One benefit of the Web Player is that it’s platform-independent.
This means that you can use it on any device, including your desktop, laptop, mobile phone, or tablet. If you are someone who uses multiple devices, the Web Player is perfect for you.
Con: Lower sound quality
Although accessible to both free and premium users, the Spotify Web Player offers a lower bitrate of 128 kbit/s for free users and 256 kbit/s for premium users.
On the other hand, the desktop app provides a higher sound quality, with free accounts having access to up to 160 kbit/s and paying users enjoying the maximum quality of 320 kbit/s.
Pros: Uses less memory and storage
The Spotify Web Player eats up less memory and storage because it uses caches when you’re streaming Spotify songs, which are easy to clear up in the browser.
The Spotify desktop app, on the other hand, will save your listening history by default in an offline storage location. Often, the music tracks will be saved on the local disk (C:).
This is why you might notice that your device is running slower than ever. You’ll need to regularly and manually delete some auto-loaded cache on your Windows or Mac.
Con: No hotkeys
One thing you may miss when you switch to the Spotify Web Player is that many keyboard hotkeys that worked in the desktop app won’t work in the web player.
However, by installing this Spotify Web Player Hotkeys extension for Firefox, you can still control song play with your keyboard with the following controls.
Firefox Spotify Hotkeys addon hotkeys:
- Pause or Play: Alt+Shift+P
- Play Next Track: Alt+Shift+.
- Play Previous Track: Alt+Shift+,
- Shuffle: Alt+Shift+F
- Repeat: Alt+Shift+R
- Play Album: Alt+Shift+B
Chrome Spotify Web Player Hotkey extension hotkeys:
- Pause or Play: Alt+Shift+P
- Play Next Track: Alt+Shift+.
- Play Previous Track: Alt+Shift+,
- Save Track: Alt+Shift+F
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