Spotify doesn’t stutter for no reason. If your music stutters or glitches only on specific devices while playing smoothly on others, it’s not a problem with Spotify itself—it’s with your device’s settings. For instance, the stuttering starts happening the moment you connect Bluetooth headphones, or the audio breaks up as soon as you start a game. Worse, the audio starts cutting in and out as soon as you connect it to car stereo.

This isn’t random, which happens because Spotify requires specific system settings to function properly. When those settings don’t align, the audio output stutters: whether on Windows 11, Bluetooth setups, gaming PCs, or car stereos. The fix? Adjust the right settings! We’ll help you identify the exact cause for each scenario, explain why it happens, and walk you through step-by-step fixes in Spotify stuttering to restore smooth, uninterrupted playback.

Fixed: Spotify Stuttering on Windows 11

Spotify stuttering on Windows can either be due to the app’s stored files or system settings not playing along. Here’s how you can pinpoint what’s going wrong and correct it.

Fix 1: Remove All Downloads

If the downloaded songs are sitting on your computer for a while, there's a chance they’ve become corrupted. It sounds unusual, but Spotify downloads aren’t standard files, they’re encrypted and tied to the app itself. When these files become faulty, they can lead to playback issues and stuttering across the entire app. The fix is simple: remove them and refresh the downloaded files. Here’s how:

Step 1. Head to Your Library inside the Spotify app. Tap on the Downloaded filter.

Step 2. Inside any playlist or album, hit the green download icon. This will instantly remove stored files from your device. Repeat for all downloaded content.

Once every download is wiped, reopen the Spotify app and play any song online. If Spotify runs smoothly, you’ve found the issue—damaged downloads. At this point, you can re-download your favorites or stick to streaming.

Fix 2: Update Windows OS

Pending Windows updates can create compatibility conflicts with Spotify's latest versions, disrupting how the app communicates with system resources. A quick system update ensures everything runs in sync. To make sure your OS is updated:

Step 1. Open Settings and head to Windows Update in the left-side panel.

Step 2. Click Check for Updates. If any updates are available, install them.

Once updated, Spotify should function smoothly without any playback-related issues.

Fix 3: Turn off Hardware Acceleration

When hardware acceleration is enabled, it pushes your GPU to handle certain processes, like audio and video rendering, at high speeds. While suitable for playing games, the higher audio decoding can cause Spotify audio to stutter. So, you can simply turn this off and force your Windows system to rely on standard decoding instead. Now, let's go through the steps:

Step 1. Press Win+I keys to open the Settings menu. From the left-hand panel, choose Systems. Scroll to Related Settings from the right pane and choose Graphics.

Step 2. Under the Default Settings section, you will see a clickable Change default graphics settings option. Click on it.

Step 3. In the new tab, make sure that the toggle associated with Optimizations for windowed games is turned off.

That’s it. Restart the computer when prompted. Then, open Spotify and you won’t find any lagging or stuttering sound issues.

Fix 4: Disable Audio Enhancements

Spotify’s audio output is already tuned for its specific bitrate and format. Adding extra processing via third-party or built-in audio drivers (Windows includes one by default) can interfere with sound and lead to stuttering and other sound inconsistencies.

If you're using third-party audio software, turn it off first. For disabling Windows' built-in enhancements, follow these steps:

Step 1. Open Settings and go to System > Sound.

Step 2. Under the Output section, click the arrow icon next to your active output device.

Step 3. Scroll to Audio Enhancements, click it and choose Device Default Effects.

Now, play the music on the Spotify app and you won’t find any stuttering or broken sound.

Fixed: Spotify Stuttering When Playing Games

While playing games, stuttering and glitchy audio in Spotify often happens due to device’s settings that are configured to limit background processes. So, here are a few tweaks that can restore smooth music playback without affecting your gameplay.

Fix 1: Turn off Game Mode

Windows Game Mode makes sure that only the gaming processes receive top priority, but in doing so, it will even restrict CPU and GPU resources for other running applications, including Spotify. To stop this from interfering with Spotify playback:

Step 1. Open Settings. Choose Gaming from the left pane and select Game Mode.

Step 2. Turn off the toggle to disable Game Mode.

Once off, Window will allocate enough system resources for Spotify music to play uninterruptedly.

Fix 2: Disable Game Optimizer Applications

Game optimizer applications tend to assign a single CPU core to background apps when turned on, heavily restricting apps like Spotify when you play resource-intensive games. To prevent this:

Step 1. Open your game booster program, such as Norton 360 for Gamers.

Step 2. Look for options like Restrict background processes or Prioritize active gaming performance and disable them.

Once these restrictions are lifted, Spotify audio will not lag during gameplay.

Fixed: Spotify Stuttering on Bluetooth Headphones

Choppy playback and frequent dropouts when streaming Spotify over Bluetooth devices usually come down to two key factors: the data rate required for smooth audio transmission and wireless interference disrupting the signal. Let’s go over some simple fixes to improve sound stability.

Fix 1: Change Bluetooth Codec from AAC to SBC

Most devices’ Bluetooth default is AAC (Advanced Audio Codec), which requires more bandwidth for audio transmission in order to deliver high-quality sound. A simple fix here is to switch to a lower-bandwidth alternative like SBC (Sub-band Codec).

SBC delivers audio in lower quality, but you can opt to listen to Spotify at higher bitrates like 320 kbps, so that the difference of audio quality is negligible. And you can significantly improve Bluetooth stability and fix Spotify stuttering and dropouts.

Note: Different devices have different methods to change Bluetooth codec. For instance, Windows does not provide built-in options to change Bluetooth codecs. Instead, you’ll need third-party tools. It is best to check with your devices’ manufacturer for specific instructions.

That said, here’s how to change Bluetooth codec on Android devices as an example:

Step 1. Open Settings and go to About Phone.

Step 2. Open the Software Information menu and tap on the Build number card multiple times. This will enable Developer Mode.

Step 3. Go back to the Settings menu and scroll down to Developer Options (found at the bottom). Then, type codec in the search bar.

Step 4. Select Bluetooth Audio Codec and switch from AAC to SBC in the pop-up list.

Fix 2: Reduce Wireless Interference

Bluetooth signals are easily affected by metallic and reflective barriers. So, if such objects block the path between your device and Bluetooth headphones or speakers, Spotify audio can lag and stutter. Here are some tips to ensure a clean and uninterrupted Spotify streaming over Bluetooth:

• Keep your device on which you’re using the Spotify app in direct sight of your Bluetooth speaker or headphones to avoid obstructions or signal distortion.
• Bring the device closer to the Bluetooth device.
• Rebuild the Bluetooth connection.

Fixed: Spotify Stuttering on Car's Stereo

Playing Spotify through AUX or direct Bluetooth in your car will work without issues unless there’s a hardware fault. However, when you use smart infotainment systems, there’s a good chance of compatibility conflicts between Spotify and your car’s infotainment unit, which can cause stuttering, lag, or unstable playback. Here are some quick tweaks.

Fix 1: Refresh Spotify Integration on CarPlay and Android Auto

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto rely on seamless app integration, but Spotify may not always sync properly. So, first try these:

• Update the Spotify app.
• Clear Spotify’s cache.
• Reinstall the Spotify app on your phone.

If the issue persists, try removing and re-adding the Spotify app on CarPlay or Android Auto. Here’s an example on how to do this on CarPlay:

Step 1. Open Settings > General > CarPlay on your iPhone.

Step 2. Tap your car’s name under My Car.

Step 3. Select Customize.

Step 4. Tap the Delete (-) button next to Spotify icon to remove it from CarPlay.

Reinstall the Spotify app. Then re-add Spotify by tapping the Add (+) button next to Spotify icon under More Apps from the same Customize screen.

Then, test the Spotify playback on your car’s infotainment system. This should fix the stuttering issue.

Fix 2: Reboot Car System

Your car’s infotainment system can also hold onto software glitches that can disrupt audio from apps like Spotify. A reboot of the car’s infotainment system can help here as it will refresh the system and clean temporary glitches.

Now, the specific procedure to reboot your car’s infotainment system will depend on the vehicle model. You can refer to the owner's manual to learn the instructions.

Generally, to do a reset:

• Hold the power button on the infotainment unit for a few seconds until it restarts.
• Some cars will require you to press a combination of buttons simultaneously to achieve this.

Ultimate Fix to Any Case of Spotify Stuttering

Spotify locks its music playback within its app and requires your devices’ settings configured according to its needs. This simple restriction creates compatibility conflicts with your device, leading to stuttering of the output audio. The simplest way to avoid any Spotify sound issues is to bring Spotify music outside of its app. You can do this by exporting Spotify tracks to MP3, AAC, or FLAC onto your device and play them on any media player, Bluetooth device, or even a car stereo via USB.

This is where StreamFox for Music, the Eassiy All-in-one Music Converter, comes in. With StreamFox’s built-in Spotify browser, you can access your library and download songs in their original quality. You don’t even need a Spotify Premium account to save an unlimited number of songs on your device.

Steps to Download Spotify Music in MP3, AAC, or FLAC

Step 1. Get StreamFox for Music on your Windows or Mac. From the list of supported platforms, select Spotify as your source.

Step 2. Log In to your free or premium Spotify account when taken to the built-in browser.

Step 3. Select and drag the songs, albums, or playlists you want to download locally for unrestricted playback to the Add (+) button.

Step 4. In the converting tab, set the output format. Then, click Convert All to start downloading the selected tracks in 320 kbps audio quality.

Step 5. Once the process is complete, go to the Finished tab and hit View Output File to access your downloaded Spotify tracks on your device.

Now, you can play them using any media player without stuttering issues. You can also copy them to other devices like your phone, USB drive, or external storage.

Conclusion

With that, we wrap things up. You’ve done everything possible to solve Spotify stuttering through normal means: adjusted settings, tweaked Bluetooth codecs, and even fixed your car stereo.

However, if the problem persists, StreamFox for Music is your ultimate fix. You can download Spotify music in MP3 and bypass using the Spotify app entirely. Since StreamFox retains 320 kbps original quality and works without Spotify Premium, it is the best way to enjoy Spotify music on any device.