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Spotify’s group session feature allows multiple premium users to listen to music together in real-time. By creating or joining a group session, you and your friends can queue up tracks, listen simultaneously, and control playback – no matter where you are.
However, sometimes Spotify group sessions don’t work as expected. You may encounter issues joining or starting a session, playback problems, or general technical glitches.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the most common Spotify group session problems and provide fixes and troubleshooting tips to get your group listening experience back on track.
Overview of Spotify Group Sessions
Before diving into solutions, let’s briefly explain how Spotify group sessions are supposed to work:
- Group sessions allow premium Spotify subscribers to listen together in real-time.
- One person creates a session via the Spotify app by tapping the “Connect” icon and selecting “Start a group session.”
- This generates a shareable link that can be sent to friends.
- Friends join the session simply by clicking the link. No invitation needed.
- Once joined, all members can pause, play, skip songs, add tracks to the queue, and control playback.
- The session creator has ultimate control, but all participants have collaborative listening abilities.
- Group sessions work across all devices – mobile, desktop, tablet, gaming consoles, smart speakers, etc.
- Sessions persist even when the creator leaves. Playback continues uninterrupted.
- Up to 5 people can join a session simultaneously.
When functioning properly, Spotify group sessions provide an interactive, socially-connected listening experience. However, technical glitches can derail the group fun.
Common Issues with Spotify Group Session Not Working
Here are some of the most frequent issues users encounter with group sessions:
Can’t Start a Session
As the session creator, you may be unable to start a new session. The “Start a group session” option may be greyed out or unresponsive. This prevents inviting friends.
Can’t Join a Session
As a participant, you may struggle to join a group session via the invitation link. It may fail to load, crash the app, or display error messages.
Playback Issues During Session
Sessions may start successfully, but then encounter playback problems like choppy audio, repeated skipping, unsynced music, etc.
Sudden Connection Loss
Sessions may unexpectedly disconnect some or all members, interrupting the shared listening experience.
Laggy Performance
Group sessions may suffer from lag and delayed reactions to controls like pausing, queuing songs, etc.
General Technical Difficulties
Bugs, glitches, app crashes, and other tech issues can also plaggravate group sessions.
Fix Spotify Group Session with Top Solutions for Common Problems
If you’re encountering any of the above group session issues, don’t panic. We’ll outline some easy troubleshooting tips to get your group back up and running:
Update the Spotify App
An outdated version of the Spotify app is a common source of group session struggles.
Be sure you and your friends are running the latest version of the mobile app or desktop program. Outdated apps can lack key features, create compatibility issues, and contribute to bugs.
Updating is easy:
- Mobile: Check your device’s app store for available Spotify updates and install as needed.
- Desktop: Click your profile photo > Settings > About > Check for updates on the menu. Install any available updates.
Updating provides access to the latest features, performance improvements, and bug fixes for smoother group listening.
Restart Devices
A simple device restart can work wonders for fixing problematic group sessions. Restarting clears out temporary glitches, refreshes system connections, and gets the Spotify app back on track.
Have all group members fully restart their listening devices before attempting to recreate the session.
On mobile, power your device off completely then back on. On desktop, restart your computer.
Be patient during the reboot process to allow full reset. Once all systems are back up, try launching a new session.
Ensure Strong Wi-Fi/Cellular Connections
Group listening relies on robust internet connections for synchronized streaming. Weak or unstable connections contribute to session disruptions.
Before starting a session, have all participants check their internet signal strength.
On mobile, enable Wi-Fi or cellular data with strong signal reception. On desktop, connect to reliable high-speed Wi-Fi.
Also consider asking members to close unnecessary bandwidth-hogging apps that can interfere with connectivity.
Solid connections help ensure smooth, uninterrupted group playback.
Log Out and Log Back In
Sometimes your personal Spotify account can contribute to group session problems. Logging out then back in again can refresh your account’s connection and sync with Spotify’s servers.
To log out:
- Mobile: Tap your profile icon > Settings > Log out
- Desktop: Click your profile icon > Log out
Give it a few minutes then log back into your account. See if group sessions now work properly.
Reinstall the Spotify App
If other troubleshooting tips don’t resolve session issues, reinstalling the Spotify app may do the trick.
Reinstallation provides a clean slate, wiping away potentially corrupted files or buggy app data causing problems.
On mobile, delete Spotify from your device then re-download a fresh copy from your app store. On desktop, uninstall then reinstall Spotify normally.
Log back into your account in the newly installed app. Group sessions should now launch without issues.
Disable VPNs and Firewalls
For group listeners accessing Spotify via a virtual private network (VPN) or behind restrictive firewalls, these security layers can interfere with streaming sessions.
Try disabling VPN services and adjusting firewall settings to see if it allows group sessions to connect. Specific firewall ports may need to be opened.
Reenable VPNs and firewalls after testing group sessions. Just be aware these tools can sometimes obstruct streaming capabilities.
Verify Premium Subscriptions
Spotify group listening is limited to paid Premium subscribers. If you or your friends have free Spotify accounts, you won’t have access to full session features.
Double check that everyone attempting to join a session has an active Premium subscription. This is required for unrestricted access.
Consider upgrading non-Premium users to Premium trials or subscriptions to allow participation. Group plans like Spotify Premium Duo and Family also provide group access.
Contact Spotify Support
For recurring group session troubles that other troubleshooting can’t resolve, you may need to reach out to Spotify’s customer support team for additional help.
Describe your specific issue and steps you’ve tried already. Provide relevant details like usernames, devices, operating systems, etc.
Support agents can further investigate technical issues, liaise with engineers if needed, and potentially offer specialized troubleshooting tips.
Phone, email, Twitter, and chat support options are available via Spotify’s official Help page.
With some targeted troubleshooting efforts, you can typically get Spotify group sessions back up and running smoothly again. Don’t let technical troubles ruin your collaborative listening parties!
Key Takeaways on Troubleshooting Group Sessions on Spotify
Fixing problematic Spotify group listening sessions is possible! Here are some key tips:
- Update apps, restart devices, and check connectivity for common fixes
- Reinstall Spotify and log in/out of accounts to address persistent issues
- Disable VPNs, firewalls, and bandwidth-hogging processes obstructing sessions
- Ensure all session participants have active Premium subscriptions
- Don’t exceed 5 simultaneous members in a session
- Contact Spotify support if you can’t resolve group problems alone
With some targeted troubleshooting, you can get your group sessions back on track for seamless social listening. Don’t let technical difficulties ruin the collaborative fun!
FAQs About Troubleshooting Spotify Group Sessions Link
Still experiencing problems with Spotify group sessions? Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about troubleshooting group listening issues:
Why can some participants not join a Spotify group session?
If specific participants can’t join a group session, common reasons include:
- They don’t have a Premium Spotify account
- Their app is outdated and needs updating
- They have connectivity issues like weak Wi-Fi or cellular signal
- Their account has syncing problems and needs relogging
- A VPN or firewall is blocking access
Have affected users double-check their app, connectivity, account, and security settings to fix joining issues.
Why do Spotify group sessions disconnect members?
Unexpected member disconnections from group sessions usually stem from:
- Poor network connections
- One member losing connectivity
- App malfunctions
- Excessive bandwidth strain
Check everyone’s connections, restart devices, update apps, and disable other bandwidth-heavy processes to prevent abrupt disconnects.
How can laggy performance in group sessions be fixed?
Laggy Spotify group sessions with delayed reactions to controls can be improved by:
- Forcing the app to close and restarting
- Ensuring all members have strong Wi-Fi or cellular signals
- Limiting overloaded internet connections from other apps
- Downgrading playback quality settings (if available)
Why does the music keep pausing during my Spotify group session?
Frequent unwanted pausing during group sessions commonly results from:
- Connectivity drops
- Syncing problems
- App glitches
- Excessive bandwidth strain
Address pausing issues by checking connectivity, uninstalling/reinstalling the app, restarting devices, and freeing up bandwidth.
Some members can’t control playback in my Spotify group session. Why?
If specific members lack playback controls in a group session, possible reasons are:
- They aren’t Premium subscribers
- Their app isn’t updated
- Their app has syncing issues
- Connectivity problems are affecting their device
Have affected members update apps, restart devices, check connections, and verify Premium status.
How do I improve choppy/skipping audio in Spotify group sessions?
Choppy audio quality during group listening can be reduced by:
- Having members close other bandwidth-hogging apps
- Disabling bandwidth-intensive settings like high-quality streaming
- Moving all members closer to Wi-Fi routers or cellular towers
- Toggling offline mode on/off to reestablish connectivity
Why does Spotify say I’ve reached the maximum number of users for a group session?
Spotify limits group sessions to 5 concurrent users. If you get a max user error, some options are:
- Double-checking only 5 devices/members are joined
- Having a member leave to free up space for new joins
- Splitting into multiple smaller sessions
- Taking turns listening if in a large group
How can I start a Spotify group session when the option is greyed out?
If the group session start option is unresponsive, try:
- Updating the Spotify app
- Restarting your device
- Ensuring you’re a Premium subscriber
- Reinstalling Spotify to address possible corruption
Does everyone in a Spotify group session need Premium?
Yes, Spotify group sessions are limited to Premium subscribers only. Free users unfortunately can’t join. Consider upgrading non-Premium friends to participate.
How do I reset syncing issues affecting my Spotify group sessions?
To reset syncing problems with group sessions, try:
- Log out then log back into your Spotify account
- Enable and disable offline mode
- Uninstall then reinstall Spotify
- Restart your device