If your Spotify app suddenly stopped working last April 16, don't worry—you're not the only one facing the silence. Tens of thousands of users across the globe have reported issues with the world's leading music streaming platform.
From malfunctioning apps to tracks that just won't play, Spotify is at the moment experiencing widespread technical issues. The downtime started in the morning and impacted almost all versions of the service, including the mobile app, web player, and desktop client.
What could be the Spotify alternatives you can use in case this happens again?
Spotify Outage: What's Going On?
At approximately 9 AM ET on April 16, the upset Spotify customers overran social media sites such as X, complaining that either the app wouldn't load or that it wouldn't stream music. Spotify acknowledged the glitch on their official X account saying that they were aware of some issues at that time.
By 10 AM, the real-time outage-monitoring site DownDetector.com featured a staggering increase. There were early 50,000 issue reports.
Although complaints started to recede by 11 AM, it was not because problems were being fixed. The vast majority of users were merely capitulating to waiting out the problem, particularly given that Spotify's support page itself was also subject to loading malfunctions.
No, It's Not a Hack
Rumors soon broke online that Spotify had potentially been hacked. But the official @SpotifyStatus account explained that this wasn't the case. Although the company has not released the specific reason for the disruption or an estimated time for resolution, it maintains that engineers are in the process of addressing it.
With more than 675 million active users globally, this outage is notable—not only for daily listeners but also for artists and podcasters who depend on Spotify's platform to connect with listeners.
Best Spotify Alternatives You Can Use Right Now
If you're desperate to satisfy your music craving while Spotify is out, here are three best-of-breed Spotify alternatives to use in 2025:
Apple Music
Pros:
- Provides Spatial Audio and Hi-Res Lossless streaming.
- Smoothly integrates your iTunes downloads with streaming material.
- Smart recommendations based on real human curators and AI.
- Optimized to perfection for iOS and Apple devices.
Cons:
- Does not have the same silky smooth experience on Android and PC.
Best for: Apple device users and audiophiles who want immersive sound.
Qobuz
Pros:
- Beautiful, intuitive app interface.
- Streams 24-bit Hi-Res audio without the need for external decoders.
- Built-in download store allows you to purchase and own your favorite tracks.
Cons:
- No spatial audio technologies support.
Best for: Audiophiles and music collectors who desire quality and ownership.
Amazon Music Unlimited
Pros:
- Less expensive for Amazon Prime members.
- Lyrics appear in real time on the Now Playing screen.
- Features hi-res and spatial audio (Dolby Atmos & Sony 360 Reality Audio).
- Works with all Echo devices and Alexa integration.
Cons:
- Lacking artist bios and background information.
- No music locker to upload your own songs anymore.
Best for: Budget-conscious listeners and smart home users.
Originally published on Tech Times
