Spotify on Windows Phone 8.1 has become practically unusable

[alexpb22]

Hey Folks,

I've had this problem for a long time (many many months) and have been too lazy to post assuming that this is a issue affecting loads of others and that it would just get sorted but I've come to the point where I really need to find out what is happening.

I absolutely love Spotify and use it reuglarly on my ipad and windows phone however my love affair with Spotify on my phone ispractically over.  The app has become really unreliable and more often than not...unusable.  Often it takes forever to load and I just see the scrolling (loading) green dots for ages before I give up.  Ages being 5-10 minutes before I lose interest.  Assuming I do get in, I then go to my playlists and the whole thing happens again, more and more scrolling which sometimes results in the playlists being revealed or again i just simply give up.

If I do get to a playlist, I will select it....cue more scrolling whilst it tries to load the track lists which invariably never happens.  Art work, none existent and if I do manage to play one track, the rest of the tracks on the album fail to get listed.  If I even dare to go back to look at the playlists again, the whole thing starts over.  It can literally take me twenty minutes to get round to playing one track!

You'd think that this might be the sort of behaviour you'd get in a area of bad signal but this happens when i'm at home using my 50mb wifi and despite being connected to my wifi, which is reliable on all my other systems, I often get the message saying that Spotify is offline or can't connect to the network.

I assume that this isn't a problem with my phone and is affecting others out there but it's become intolerable and since i pay my monthly premium Spotify subscription I expect a product that works.  I understand that things get glitchy but this has been happening for the best part of the year and I really should now cancel my payments.  If the problem gets fixed then I'd gladly sign up again and pay the fee but at the mo I'm not sure what I'm paying for.

I never have this problem with the app on my ipad so clearly this is a windows phone problem.  I have tried deleting the app and resintalling but nothing seems to work.

Could you guys advise anything else I can try or at least let me know that you're aware of the problem and are trying to fix it and let us know when an update will be sent out.

I know this didn't happen when I first used Spotify over a year or two ago.

Thanks 🙂

[muddypuddlez]

I have just joined as was going to post the same issue.  It is totally broken on WP8.1 and I have tried against numerous devices.

Dimmed screens whilst Loading, loading, loading loading.  Is there a fix?

[ixigrek]

Hello,

I'm in this case too. I've send an email to the Prenium support team, mentionned this topic and another one.

They answer me to test with a spotify test account.

In this account you have only 3 playlists with 4 songs inside. All working fine with this account. When i've wanted to switch to my account issues appeared. 

I've around 40 playlists and my Selection playlists has 2933 songs. Maybe the application or the system has not enough performance to load all of those.

I've just reply to the support team mentionned this difference. I'm waiting for another tests now.

I'll let you know.

Best regards,

Ixigrek

[muddypuddlez]

That would be wonderful if you can help.

I think you might be right though, I have recently added a lot of new artists and albums to my Spotify account on my PC and it may be that which is causing the problems.

Kind regards,

muddypuddlez

[ixigrek]

Hello,

The Prenium support team asked me to remove plylists or to create another account to workaround this problem.

I refused. I've took a while to create those. And ask if the second account will be a prenium one.

I've asked when they expect to fix that and mentionned that i currently pay a service which doesn't work.

Finally, i've asked to post a topic in "Ongoing issues" in the Spotify community forum to let us know on the status.

Here the response :

"Unfortunately, we can't promise a date for the resolution of the problem since it's not an exact issue you're dealing with. As you've told me, the app is working perfectly fine if there's not a large amount of music saved in the account. 

However, in order to thank you for being such a loyal customer, we've credited your account 'ixigrek' with 2 months of Premium. The next payment is now due on October 23rd.

Please accept our apologies for all the inconveniences caused!"

So, because it's not an exact issue, which confused me as it has been cleary identified, we can't expect a fix date.

No response for the post in "Ongoing issues" but 2 months free prenium.

To be honest, i'm a prenium member since 2010 so 2 months is nothing compare all the money i've spend in this application. As they are covered by the "Technology limiations and modifications" in their terms of use we just have to wait.

And I feel frustrated compares to other OS (Android and IOS) which received a better developpment and a better evolution (and maybe a better support).

So, I encourage you to write a mail to premium@spotify.com (if you are a prenium member) and speake about this issue. Maybe they will hear us.

Best regards,

Ixigrek

[rm4rml]

Hi,

So glad it's not just me that is having this issue. The app is virtually unusable at the moment. The thought of having to uninstall and then spend hours, maybe days, re-syncing is not something I'll consider.

Just sent the following e-mail - I'll let you know their response. If they offer me 2 months free, I'll ask them to take the offer and place it where the sun don't shine. Premium is pointless if the app doesn't work!!!!!

Hi,

I hope you can help. I have been a Spotify premium customer for a fair while now, and up until recently, would have recommended you to anyone - in fact, I have done just that, many times.

However, seeing as you seem unable to sort out the issues with the app on Windows phone, I feel our relationship is at breaking point, and that makes me sad.

A summary of the issues I have.

1) Speed - It would be quicker for me to go visit the band, ask then to set up their instruments and play a song for me than it is to start the app, and get to a playlist - even when connected to wifi. I have a commute of around 90 minutes, and about a 3rd of that is spent trying to get to a playlist and start it actually playing

2) Reliability - quite frankly, this is a joke. When I eventually get to a playlist, try and open it, it crashes. Admittedly, these playlists are quite large (700+ songs) but it's now started doing it on smaller playlists (one in particular is 270 songs). Considering the amount if time it takes to get to a playlist, and the time I spend curating these playlists, the thought of having to break these down into smaller chunks is not something I am willing to consider at this point.

3) Syncing - 48 attempts (yes, I'm that sad that I counted) to sync a playlist of 700 songs. Sometimes it just stops (seemingly randomly) and says 'pending'. I later found out that this is because songs on the playlist had been removed by the artist (yes, I'm looking at you Prince!!!). Once I'd fired up the desktop app, removed these from the playlist) and then re-opened the app on my phone (after it had crashed) it would start syncing again. And then stop. And then crash. Surely it could simply skip unavailable files rather than just stop.

I'm really rather fed up. I love Windows Phone. It's UI is far better than anything Android or that other lot have come up with, it syncs with my other Windows devices, and the majority of the apps I use (with the exception of iPlayer) are pretty darn perfect. They work. They don't crash, nor take an age to load.

So please, please, please tell me that a) you are working on a fix, and b) that you will treat us Windows Phone users as equals. Some of us are normal.

You'll probably ask for these so here are my details

Phone - Lumia 640 (was the same on my old phone - a Lumia 920)

OS - Windows Phone 8.1 Update 2 (8.10.15148.160)

Spotify Username - rm4rml

I don't want to move to one of the rivals, as I've been a Spotify user for as long as I can remember. I love it like a child. We've been through a lot together. Some good times (Prince adding all his music) and some bad times (him taking it all off again), and the offline access is essential to my experience.

Thanking you in advance.

[alexpb22 · Accepted solution]

Sorry folks for not posting, I went on holiday the day after I posted this thread and have only just returned.

Thanks for making some inroads into this problem and I'm interested to see what their response is to the most recent email.  I will also email myself about this.

Whilst I appreciate what they say about having a lot of playlists on our devices, presumably Spotify would like to us to be long term, lifelong users in which case they need to be prepared for people to build up a lot of playlists over many years.  I have exactly the same playlists on my ipad and don't experience any problems so this is specific to Windows Phones. 

I have deleted the music I don't want to keep but presumably they are saying that I shouldn't add any more music to my list otherwise I will have further problems. This is ludicrous as this is meant to be an ongoing organic facility whereby you can add music to be listened to in the future. 

If I wasn't paying then maybe they'd have a point but I am, like others, a premium customer who have paid over many years so shouldn't have to delete all my playlists and start again.  I'm sure if I did delete my music and start again I will be back to the same place several months down the line.

Spotify please sort this out otherwise I am sure that a lot of people will switch from a paying to a non paying customer which obviously won't do any good in the long term.  Spotify is a fantastic service that has literally transformed my music experience but I can't justify continuing to pay for a service that doesn't work.

N.B I hasten to add that I have exactly the same problem in offline mode so wifi or 3g/4g doesn't actually come into it.

[ixigrek]

Hello all,

I've received a reply on the "Ongoing issues" post question.

The ongoing issue post can be created if Kudos and "Has this problem" button are given.

So, if you see a related post please redirect them to this "parent" post to give Kudos to orignal poster and "Has this problem / Mee too".

Thanks already

Best regards,

[rm4rml]

Sorry for not adding this sooner, but I had a reply, and finally, Spotify is usuable on my Windows Phone.

It seems that there are a few things I wasn't aware of :-

1) There's such a thing as 'Offline devices' in the Account Profile

2) There is a limit of 3,333 songs you can sync to listen to offline.

The Spotify support team noticed my offline devices were a mess, so deleted the lot and started again. I didn't even know such a thing existed!!

Once they'd done this, I re-synced my playlists, and it worked, without crashing once, even one that is 700+ songs long.

Next was the big test, could I actually open that playlist, and listen to it without it crashing. YES!  The only thing I had to do differently was ensure that Spotify as in Offline mode before I opened the playlists. I can browse them, and play them without an issue now.

The app still isn't perfect - far from it - but at least it's actually usable now.

I've got to give props to the support team, in particular Ronnie who helped me sort this.

My commute is once again bearable - I no longer have to listen to the inane ramblings of my fellow commuters, thanks to noise cancelling headphones, and a working Spotify!

[ixigrek]

Hello rm4rml,

Thanks for your feedback.

However, i've tried to do the same as you :

-  removed the windfows phone device in "offline devices" in my account managment

- Reinstalled spotify and resync playlists.

But it doesn't work.

Another point making this stranger. When I use spotify Online mode I get the spotify Prenium account advertise. I already have a prenium account.

At the moment I can only use Spotify by using the offline mode. And when I say use, I mean be interrupted every 3 songs and have to relanch a playlist with random mode each time.

Best regards,

Ixigrek

[erlukillas]

Ok, it's sad. Months ago I cancelled my premium account (since 2011) because of this. The Windows Phone app was unusable and it looks that still has the same problems.

It's a pity but I won't return to Spotify with an app that is frustating.

[silentj101]

Agreed, I am about to do the same

[Spotter66]

Yeah, same here. Removed Spotify from Lumia 735 some time ago, now back with Premium for 3 months (offer). I'm not going to continue with Premium any more, it is that slow. Not with 10eur month, but with 1eur/month maybe. I can not move to another brand, I'm stuck with Lumia. All other apps are ok. Spotify is SLOW when starting & browsing. Friends Spotify on Android is fast.

[RM_Lumia640LTE · Accepted solution]

New Spotify user since about October 2015. Using the app on Windows Lumia 640 LTE. At the start, I had some  problems with Spotify saying it could only play tracks in online mode even when I had wifi. Stopped by itself after a while.

Now, Spotify won't even open for me even though I have tried several times. First did a trial on Spotify premium for 3 months, now have payed for 2 months. Considering  cancelling payments if this is the situation for Windows phone users. 

I have tried offline and online, problem remains. Afraid to reinstall in case lose saved songs and/or playlists. I have tried offline and online, same problem. At least for me, I had not created large playlists so I wouldn't lose so much of my time recreating them. But it raises questions about why it's happening to me too.  I don't have large playlists - all less than 30 songs I would say. 

Recently installed updates for my apps so maybe it's that? I don't know what's going on!! Any help appreciated. I thought I would post so people are aware that it's not just a large playlist issue!! Although, it sounds like my issue is slightly different as I can't even access the app at all 😩

[RM_Lumia640LTE]

Update: Reinstall worked no problem. All playlists and songs still accessible. So I don't know what caused it but no serious repercussions of a simple reinstall to fix 😃

[rckmnr]

It not only won't connect to my Bluetooth speaker (which works with other Bluetooth devices), but it's 50/50 whether or not it says I'm offline. I've done a hard reset and reinstalled twice (one of which put it in permanent offline mode). Quite frankly, I can't imagine that anyone would pay for a subscription that uses an app that is not consistently reliable.

[BlackRider2]

I have even more than 40+ playlists, probably like 85 , so I was thinking the same thing!!! Shouldn't really make a difference because it plays everywhere else EXCEPT my Nokia Lumia 635, WP 8.1 , very disappointing to say the least.