Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Tom’s Guide
Tom’s Guide
Technology
Dave LeClair

Spotify was down — what happened during the short outage

Spotify logo displayed on phone.

Spotify experienced an issue, as we saw a massive spike in Downdetector reports — it peaked at close to 5,000 reports.

The streaming service did acknowledge the outage at around 11:05 a.m. ET on its Spotify Status X account.

Spotify outage — what happened

The 'Spotify is down' reports roll in

(Image credit: Downdetector )

We're seeing around 2,700 reports on Downdetector as of this post, which is generally a strong sign that something is wrong (really, anything over 1,000 is a strong sign that something is broken).

We'll keep you posted as the number of reports goes up or down, but for the time being, if you're having an issue with Spotify, just know that you're not alone.

Waiting for Spotify status

(Image credit: Sony WH-1000XM5)

Spotify usually posts on its Spotify Cares X account when an outage occurs, but so far, a few people have reached out and received generic messages asking them to DM the account for solutions.

As always, we'll continue to monitor that account and any other Spotify channels for any official word from the company about what's happening with its streaming service.

Downdetector reports still going up

(Image credit: Downdetector )

A clear indication that this outage is legitimate is that the Downdetector reports are still going up.

A lot quick outages end up seeing a spike in report and then a sharp decline, but Spotify's outage keeps trending up, now sitting at just under 3,900 as of this post.

Spotify Status

(Image credit: Future)

The Spotify Status X account hasn't posted anything new since May 12, so we're still left in the cold for anything official regarding the ongoing Spotify outage.

Rapidly approaching 5,000 reports

(Image credit: Downdetector )

Spotify is rapidly approaching 5,000 reports on Downdetector, currently sitting at more than 4,900. In fact, by the time you see this, it will probably have crossed the 5,000 report threshold.

We're looking into what exactly is happening and will provide updates as we learn more, including any official work from Spotify.

Users are stressing

(Image credit: Downdetector )

For those dealing with the Spotify issues, things aren't ideal. As seen in the Downdetector comments section screenshot above, users are having issues with music not playing on Spotify and it's causing lots of emotion. People rely on music and podcasts for all kinds of things, so not having access is definitely upsetting.

Of course, you can always refer to our best music streaming services guide to help you find something else to listen to until Spotify comes back.

Where is the outage?

(Image credit: Downdetector )

The Downdetector outage map doesn't tell us much, as there doesn't seem to be a clear hotspot in the reports.

Major cities like New York, Chicago and Los Angeles seem to have more reports than rural areas, but that's likely just because more users are in those cities.

Is it coming to an end?

(Image credit: Downdetector )

We're seeing our first steep decline in Downdetector reports for Spotify, which could mean it's coming to a close. We'll keep watching, as thing can change quickly with outages like these.

Spotify finally acknowledges the outage

I reached out to Spotify for comment, and the company emailed me back referencing its Spotify Status X account, which has finally posted about the outage.

Unfortunately, it didn't say much, just posting, "We’re aware of some issues right now with the app and are checking them out!"

While it doesn't give a clear indication of when things will return to normal, at least music lovers can rest easy knowing Spotify is working on the problem!

A massive drop

(Image credit: Downdetector )

We just saw a massive drop in the number of Spotify reports. It's sitting at around 400 reports right now, which is a far cry from the 4,800 at which it peaked.

Does that mean the outage is over? Not necessarily, but it's a good sign that most people are able to use Spotify again, which is, of course, good news!

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.