On April 16, 2025, Spotify experienced a significant service disruption that prevented users across the globe from accessing the music streaming platform for several hours. The issues began early in the morning Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) and affected core functionalities, including app loading and music playback, before being resolved later the same morning [1][3].
Outage Timeline and Detection
Reports of problems with Spotify began to surface around 6:20 am EDT on April 16th [1]. Users encountered difficulties accessing the service on various devices, including mobile applications, desktop applications, and the web player [3][4].
The disruption gained widespread attention as users reported their experiences on social media and outage tracking websites. Downdetector, a platform that monitors service interruptions based on user reports, recorded a substantial spike in complaints related to Spotify [2]. The number of reports on Downdetector peaked significantly around 10:00 am EDT, reaching approximately 48,000 submissions globally [4]. Other sources noted peaks of over 45,000 reports in the United States and around 21,000 in the United Kingdom during the height of the outage [1][2]. Downdetector aggregates status reports from various sources, including user-submitted errors, providing real-time information about service disruptions.
Nature of the Service Disruption
Users affected by the outage described a range of problems. Many reported that the Spotify application failed to load entirely, sometimes presenting a black screen [3][4]. Others who could open the app found they were unable to play music or podcasts, search for content, or access newly released tracks [3][4]. The issues appeared widespread, affecting both free and premium tier subscribers across different geographic locations [3][4]. The problems persisted across Spotify's main platforms, impacting user experience on mobile devices (iOS and Android), desktop computers (Windows and macOS), and through web browsers [3].
Spotify's Response and Resolution
Spotify officially acknowledged the ongoing issues via its customer care account on X (formerly Twitter), @SpotifyStatus, at approximately 8:45 am EDT [3][4]. The company stated they were aware of the problems some users were experiencing and were actively investigating the cause [3][4].
Engineers worked to address the underlying server problems cited in the initial communications [3]. By 11:45 am EDT, Spotify announced that the issues had been resolved [1]. The company confirmed the restoration of service through its @SpotifyStatus channel, indicating that functionality should be returning to normal for all users [1][3]. Users were advised to follow the @SpotifyStatus account for continuous updates regarding service availability [1][2].
While service was restored within approximately five and a half hours from the initial reports, Spotify did not provide specific details regarding the root cause of the global outage [1][3]. The company's communications focused on acknowledging the problem, providing updates on the investigation, and confirming the eventual resolution [3][4]. Service disruptions of this nature can occur with large online platforms due to various technical reasons, including server failures, software update complications, or network issues, although the specific trigger for this event remains undisclosed by the company.