Spotify Desktop App TOO Slow? 7 Common Issues (Solved)

When you find yourself unable to navigate Spotify because of painfully slow loading times, you may become more than a little frustrated.

In this article, we will dive into the most common causes of why your Spotify desktop app is running so slow and equip you with the knowledge to solve these issues in a flash.

1. The Spotify Desktop App is Running Slowly Because You Need to Clear the Cache

Probably the most common cause for slow-loading Spotify listening is that the cache on your desktop is overloaded.

Having a full cache can cause many other issues, not just slow running times.

Spotify stores your streamed songs as temporary files, called cache, in order to help with the buffering times for future play. It’s supposed to increase the user experience through efficient loading times.

However, if you cannot seem to listen to any of your favorite playlists, your tracks keep skipping, or clicking to the next song is painfully slow, then it may be time to clear your Spotify desktop app’s cache.

Just have a read through the guides below to see how to do so on both PC and Mac systems.

How to Clear your Spotify Cache on Windows Desktop:

If you have downloaded Spotify from the official website, take these steps:

1. Begin by clicking on the Windows icon in the lower left of your taskbar.
2. Navigate to your local disk (usually Windows C:)
3. Click on ‘Users’ and then the folder with your username.
4. Next, click on ‘AppData’ and then ‘Local’.
5. In this folder, click on ‘Spotify’ and delete the ‘Storage’.

If you have downloaded Spotify from the Windows Store, then follow these steps instead:

1. Begin by opening your Windows search bar.
2. Type in ‘%appdata%’ and hit enter.
3. Navigate to ‘AppData’ then click ‘Local’.
4. Next, select ‘Packages’.
5. Choose the folder named ‘SpotifyAB.SpotifyMusic_zpdnekdrzrea0’.
6. Double click on ‘LocalCache’ and then open the folder named ‘Spotify’.
7. Finally, click on ‘Data’ and delete the entirety of its contents.

Hopefully, once you have completed these steps, you will notice Spotify’s desktop app running much more smoothly.

How to Clear your Spotify Cache on Mac:

1. Begin by opening ‘Finder’.
2. On the taskbar select ‘Go’.
3. Choose ‘Computer’.
   • Alternatively, hit ‘command+shift+c’ to go straight to the computer Menu.
4. Click on your Mac’s name.
5. Next, select ‘Users’ and choose the correct user.
6. Open the ‘Library’ folder.
7. Navigate to the ‘Cache’ folder.
8. Finally, drag ‘com.spotify.client’ into the trash.

Now you have cleared Spotify’s cache you should notice your Spotify desktop app runs as it should.

Please also read our article about why Spotify takes up so much space! 

2. Spotify Requires a Restart to Prevent it From Running so Slowly

The next thing to try if clearing your cache doesn’t help is to force quit and then restart the Spotify app completely.

Sometimes with applications, simply restarting them can solve most minor glitches and running problems.

In order to be sure there are no background processes still occurring even when you think you’ve exited Spotify, it’s best to force close the app before restarting.

To do this on both Windows and Mac, just take a look at the steps below:

Force Close Spotify on Windows Desktop:

1. On the keyboard hit ‘control+alt+delete’ simultaneously.
2. Click on ‘Task Manager’.
3. From this screen navigate to the ‘Processes’ tab.
4. Next, highlight ‘Spotify’.
5. Finally, click on ‘End Task’.

This is the only real way to ensure you’ve ended all background processes. Once this is complete, simply restart the app and see if it’s working more swiftly.

Force Quit Spotify on Mac Desktop:

1. Hit ‘option+command+escape’ on your keyboard simultaneously.
   • This will bring up the ‘Force Quit Applications’ window.
   • Alternatively, click the Apple icon and select ‘Force Quit’.
2. From here, highlight ‘Spotify’ and then choose ‘Force Quit’.

Once you have done this, simply open the Spotify desktop app back up again to see if it has solved the slow-running problem. If not, try out some of the fixes found below.

3. You Need to Reinstall the Spotify Desktop App (A Fresh Copy of Spotify shouldn’t Run Slow)

If you tend to navigate the Spotify app and its features quic, and slow-loading screens are starting to grate on you, then it may be time to delete and reinstall the Spotify app altogether.

Sometimes, an issue can occur when downloading an app that results in the app running poorly; this can be due to things such as an intermittent or weak internet connection.

Deleting and reinstalling Spotify is a quick and painless procedure, all you have to do is follow the steps below.

Uninstall Spotify Desktop App on Windows:

1. Begin by opening your Windows Start Menu.
2. Search for and locate the ‘Spotify’ app.
3. Simply right-click, and then choose the option to ‘Uninstall’.
4. Hit the ‘Windows+E’ keys simultaneously to open up ‘File Explorer’.
5. Search for the file named: C:\Users\YOURUSERNAME\AppData\Roaming\
6. Open this folder and then delete all of the associated files. Doing so will completely uninstall the app Spotify from your Windows PC.

Once you have done this, simply visit Spotify’s official website to red-download the desktop app.

Please also check out our article with solutions to Spotify freezing on Windows PCs.

Uninstall Spotify Desktop App on Mac:

1. Start by opening ‘Finder’ and opening up ‘Applications’.
2. All you have to do is highlight Spotify’s icon and then drag it to the trash.
3. Next, click on the search bar at the top of your screen and type ‘~/Library/Preferences’.
4. Hit enter.
5. Select ‘Preferences’.
6. Locate the folder named ‘Spotify’.
7. From here, erase all of the associated .plist files.
8. Once complete, type ‘~/Library/Application Support’ and navigate to the ‘Spotify’ folder.
9. Highlight this folder and drag it to the trash.

When you have finished, visit Spotify’s official website and re-download the desktop app. Hopefully, a clean reinstallation will fix any running problems you were experiencing previously.

4. If Spotify is Running Too Slowly then Your Internet Speed may be to Blame

Having a poor internet connection will directly impact the quality of your streaming and also how quickly you can download any songs or podcasts.

If you feel your internet speed is hindering your Spotify streaming experience, it may be worth having a word with your internet provider to improve the strength of your internet.

It also may be worth checking if you have the required bandwidth that your household needs in order to provide each member of your home the ability to use the internet in the way they want at once.

If your household is streaming shows, playing online games, and more heavy-weight online processes, it will have a knock-on effect on the functionality of apps that need access to the internet.

In other words, the Spotify desktop app may be competing for the limited bandwidth available in your home.

5. Your Computer Needs a Restart so that Spotify Stops Running so Slowly

If you are having issues with Spotify running too slowly, the problem may not actually be with Spotify but with the desktop computer itself.

When we leave our computers running for long periods of time, things naturally start to run slower, especially if we leave them in sleep mode. If you can’t remember the last time you switched off your Mac or Windows device, then it’s probably worth restarting it.

It is worth keeping in mind that some users have reported viruses attacking their computers while using Spotify. 

6. Spotify Desktop App is Running Slowly because it is Experiencing a System Error

When you have already tried the options above but cannot seem to find a solution to fix a slow-running Spotify app, try checking out whether the fault actually lies with Spotify.

Although they are the world’s largest music streaming platform, they are not immune from technological glitches. It may be rare, but it has happened in the past.

By visiting Spotify’s dedicated Twitter account @SpotifyStatus, you can see their system’s current working status.

If you see ‘No problems with Spotify’ then you know that their systems are up and running smoothly. When there is an active system error, the update will be posted on their feed for the world to see.

Unfortunately, there is little you can do if Spotify’s platform is down besides waiting patiently for it to be working again, but at least you can rest easy knowing there’s nothing wrong with your version of the app or your desktop.

Check out our easy solutions to Spotify’s bad sound quality! 

7. The Spotify Desktop is Slow because You are Running an Out-Dated Version of the Spotify Desktop App

When Spotify is running slowly on Mac or Windows, it can be an indication that the app needs to be updated.

Running old versions of the Spotify desktop app can result in more than just slow loading times; you can experience crashes, pauses, and other glitches.

To resolve this issue and update your Spotify app on your Mac or PC, all you have to do is follow the simple steps below:

How to Update Spotify Desktop App on Windows:

1. Open Spotify on your Windows PC.
2. Ensure you are logged in, then click on your Profile icon.
3. If you see ‘Check for updates’ on the drop-down menu, it means you need to update your app.
4. Simply click this, then follow the on-screen instructions.
   • If you do not see the ‘Check for updates’ option, then you are currently running the most up-to-date version of Spotify.
5. Once this is complete, try reopening Spotify, and you should see that the app runs much faster.

How to Update Spotify Desktop App on Mac:

1. Start by launching Spotify on your Mac.
2. Check you are logged in, then click on ‘Spotify’ located in the top left.
3. Next, click on ‘About Spotify’ to identify which version of Spotify your desktop is currently running.
4. If ‘A new version of Spotify is available’ appears on your screen, then you need to update your app.
5. Finally, click this option, and Spotify will automatically begin updating to the newest version.

Once you have updated Spotify, try running the app again to hopefully see that any lagging has been dramatically improved.

Sources:

Why is Spotify so Slow? 5 fixes (2022)

How to Clear the Spotify Cache

3 Ways to Force Quit on Windows

How to Uninstall Spotify on a PC or Mac