Fix Spotify Not Detected in Discord

If you use Discord’s “Listen Along” feature or want to show your Spotify status on your profile, you might run into the frustrating “Spotify not detected” error. This usually happens when Discord can’t see that Spotify is running or when the connection between the two apps has broken. This guide walks you through the most common fixes, from simple reconnections to clearing cached data, so you can get your music status showing again.

What You’ll Need

Your computer with Discord and Spotify installed
Access to your Discord user settings
Your Spotify account login (if you need to reconnect)

Step-by-Step

Check if Spotify is actually running. Open Spotify and play a song. Discord only detects Spotify when it’s actively playing something, so a paused or closed app won’t show up.
Restart both apps. Fully quit Spotify and Discord (right-click the system tray icons and select “Quit” or “Exit”). Then reopen them. This clears temporary glitches in the connection.
Reconnect Discord to Spotify. Go to User Settings (the gear icon next to your avatar), then Connections. Find Spotify in the list and click the X next to it to disconnect. Then click Connect and follow the login prompt to reauthorize.
Check your Discord activity privacy settings. In User Settings, go to Privacy & Safety. Scroll to Rich Presence and ensure the toggle for “Display current activity as a status message” is on. If it’s off, Discord won’t show Spotify.
Run Discord as administrator (Windows only). Right-click the Discord shortcut and select Run as administrator. This can fix permission issues that prevent Discord from reading Spotify’s status.
Clear Discord’s cache. Close Discord completely. Press Win + R (Windows) or open Finder (Mac). Type %appdata%/discord on Windows or ~/Library/Application Support/discord on Mac. Delete the Cache, Code Cache, and GPUCache folders. Restart Discord.
Update both apps. Make sure you’re running the latest versions of Discord and Spotify. Outdated versions can have compatibility issues. Check for updates in each app’s settings or download the latest from their official websites.
Reinstall Discord (last resort). If nothing else works, uninstall Discord completely, then download and install it fresh from the official site. This resets all settings and caches.

Common Mistakes

Not playing a song. Discord won’t show Spotify if you’re just browsing the app. You must have a track playing.
Using Spotify Web Player. Discord only detects the desktop app, not the browser version. Make sure you’re using the installed Spotify app.
Disconnecting the wrong account. If you have multiple Spotify accounts, ensure you’re connected to the one you’re actually using.
Skipping the restart step. A simple restart often fixes the issue, but many users jump straight to more drastic measures.

Tips

Set Spotify as your status manually. If the automatic detection keeps failing, you can manually set your status to show what you’re listening to by typing /listen in a server or DM and pasting the Spotify track link.
Keep both apps open. Discord checks for Spotify periodically. If you switch between apps, give it a few seconds to update.
Use the same network. If you’re on a VPN or a strict firewall, Discord might not be able to reach Spotify’s servers. Try disabling your VPN temporarily.

Troubleshooting

If you’ve followed the steps and still get “Spotify not detected,” try these additional checks:

Check your firewall/antivirus. Some security software blocks Discord’s ability to read other apps. Add Discord to your firewall’s allowed list.
Look at Discord’s status page. Occasionally, Discord’s servers have an outage. Check status.discord.com to see if there’s a known issue.
Try a different Discord client. If you’re using the browser version of Discord, switch to the desktop app. The browser version often has limited integration.
Reset your Discord voice settings. Sometimes a corrupted voice settings file can cause issues. In Discord, go to User Settings > Voice & Video and click Reset Voice Settings at the bottom.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Discord say “Spotify not detected” even when I’m playing music?

This usually means the connection between the two apps is broken. Try disconnecting and reconnecting Spotify in your Discord connections, and make sure you’re using the desktop Spotify app, not the web player.

Can I show my Spotify status on Discord without the desktop app?

No, Discord only detects the Spotify desktop application. The web player and mobile app won’t show up in your Discord status.

Will clearing Discord’s cache delete my messages or settings?

No, clearing the cache only removes temporary files. Your messages, friends, and settings are stored on Discord’s servers and won’t be affected.

Why does my Spotify status disappear after a few minutes?

This can happen if Spotify pauses or if Discord loses the connection. Try restarting both apps, and make sure Spotify is playing continuously. Also, check if your status is set to “Do Not Disturb” â€” that hides activity.

Does this work on mobile?

No, the Spotify integration is only available on the desktop version of Discord. The mobile app doesn’t support showing Spotify as your status.

I connected Spotify, but my friends can’t see it. What’s wrong?

Check your privacy settings in Discord. Go to User Settings > Privacy & Safety and make sure “Display current activity as a status message” is enabled. Also, ensure you haven’t set your status to “Invisible” â€” that hides your activity from everyone.

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

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