On Sunday, close to 40,000 Spotify accounts were not able to stream music and podcasts thanks to an unexpected outage. This was reported by affected accounts on Downdetector. Users voiced their frustration as their playlists failed to load, and songs stopped randomly. Many had to just play what was on their recently played list.
Both the app and the desktop versions of Spotify were hit by the disruption. With the chaos and all, Spotify hasn’t given an exact explanation for the cause of the issue, so users are wondering what went wrong.
What Time Did The Outage Occur, And How Long Did It Last?
The outage kicked off around 10:30 ET (15:30 UK), with reports of problems flooding in on Downdetector. Within just an hour, the amount of affected users had gone past 15,000. Some users reported error messages like “Something went wrong” when trying to play music or podcasts. Others found the app on their phones entirely unresponsive, and desktop users were locked out.
At 12:15 (17:15 UK), Spotify took to X to let users know that they were investigating the issue. For the next hour, users were still unable to access much of their saved music. And then at 13:30 (18:30), Spotify announced that it had sorted out the problem, finally confirming the end of the outage. Some users continued to face issues into the afternoon.
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How Did Spotify Communicate With Users During The Outage?
Just after 12:00, the streaming platform took to X to acknowledge that something was wrong. Their message confirmed that they were aware of the issue and actively looking into it. This reassured users that the company was working on a solution.
An hour later, Spotify shared another update, this time saying that things were “looking much better.” This quick follow-up let users know that service was slowly being restored. The tweet read, “Everything’s looking much better now! Give a shout if you still need help.”
What Was The Impact Of The Outage On Spotify Users?
The outage disrupted everyday activities, from workout sessions to parties. On social media, users vented their frustrations, with one person sharing that the outage had messed up their morning run, while another lamented missing the chance to stream a playlist for their child’s birthday party.
Users on the desktop version also reported issues. Error messages like “Page not available” popped up for those trying to listen through the web. This downtime hit users who rely on Spotify for background noise, workouts, or just enjoying a relaxing Sunday.
By the time Spotify had resolved most of the issues, the damage had already been done to some people’s plans for the day. For a service integrated into so many daily routines, even a short interruption proved to be a big inconvenience.
The outage affected both free and paid users, cutting across different types of accounts. Even some companies like FOX Television Stations reported issues during the outage. With its massive user base, the ripple effects of a brief outage could be felt far and wide, showing how integral Spotify has become in everyday life.
