Spotify Not Working on Xbox? (Here’s the Solution)

Did you know that you can download the Spotify app on your Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, or Xbox One to listen to your favorite music and podcasts on your console?

With Cortana, you can even voice control the tunes.

Once you log in, you can play Spotify on your Xbox and it will continue playing when you go to your game. If the game allows, you can disable in-game music for the best Spotify experience.

However, many people experience Spotify not working and crashing on their Xbox. Here are some of the things that helped me solve the issue and I suggest you try them too.

Make sure both Spotify and Xbox are not down

First, you’ll want to make sure that Spotify is not down. Use Google, Twitter, and other searches to see if others are experiencing issues or if Spotify has released an official statement.

You can also just check the Spotify Status Twitter account. If Spotify is experiencing issues, you’ll simply have to wait (often a few hours or more than a day) to be able to use the app again.

Second, you’ll want to establish that Xbox is not down. To do this, you’ll need to visit this official Xbox website, which provides details on the status of Xbox features and functionality.

If some services were “limited” it means you’ll need to wait. Once the Xbox status website says everything is fully functional, Spotify should work with Xbox with no problem.

Download and launch Spotify from your Home Xbox

Are you using your Home Xbox? If not, and you have access to your Home Xbox, try downloading and launching the Spotify app on that console and see what happens.

I wouldn’t advise changing your Home Xbox designation just yet if you don’t actually want to, considering you’re limited in how many times you can do that.

Make sure you haven’t reached the device limit

Now would be a good time to look for device limits right here

If you’ve reached 10, try removing devices under “Apps and Games” you no longer need or want, and that should hopefully fix the console error message.

Even if you haven’t reached the 10-device limit, try removing an app then try installing Spotify on your Xbox. Hopefully, they should be able to work well with one another.

Power cycle your Xbox and sign back in

You could also try power cycling your Xbox.

To do this, simply uninstall the app, press the power button for 10 seconds, unplug it from the wall, wait a few minutes, reconnect, power it back up, reinstall the app, and see what happens.

If the power cycle doesn’t work, the next thing to try would be removing your account from the console and then signing back in, reinstalling the app, and seeing if the app will launch/run.

Here’s how:

  1. Press the Xbox button to open the dashboard.
  2. Select System > Settings > System > Console Information.
  3. Select Reset console > Restore and keep my games and apps.
  4. When asked to pull settings from an old Xbox, choose No, thanks.

You’ll have to log in to your accounts again, and when you sign in with your account, make sure you turn it on as your home console also, that’s about it.

If you share accounts with someone, you will have to redo the process of placing the account as the main one again. Microsoft only allows 5 chances to designate a main account.

Check for updates

Make sure that both your Xbox and the Spotify app are up to date. This can often resolve performance issues and bugs. It may sound simple, but often an update is what you need.

Also make sure, you’re running the latest firmware on the Xbox console, as well as the latest version of the Spotify app available (on the Xbox console).

Clear cache

Clear the cache of the Spotify app on your Xbox by going to “My Games & Apps” > “Apps” > “Spotify” > “More options” > “Clear local saved data”.

This can sometimes improve performance.

Check your internet connection

Ensure that your internet connection is stable and fast enough to stream music. You can run a speed test to check your internet speed and latency.

It’s possible that a slow internet connection could cause stuttering in your games played within the Xbox console, as well as playback issues on the Spotify app. 

Try a wired connection

If you are currently using a wireless connection, try switching to a wired connection to see if this improves performance. This can reduce latency and improve stability.

Check for network congestion

If you are experiencing stuttering during peak usage times, it is possible that your network is congested. Try using Spotify during off-peak hours to see if this improves performance.

Use the quick menu version

To be honest, Spotify doesn’t work that well with Xbox.

I’m surprised to see people say it runs fine for them, considering I have to restart the app at least 5 times to listen to a song because the entire app just freezes up and bugs out of control.

It certainly makes certain games borderline unplayable.

I’m not saying it’s absolutely garbage. However, expect that Spotify constantly resizes itself, freezes, and crashes on the Xbox console. Both companies need to fix their products.

The best way to use Spotify on Xbox is by using the quick menu version. One of the best parts was being able to skip songs without opening the app and seeing what songs were playing.

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