How to Fix Spotify (Super) High CPU Usage

Step 1: Monitor Spotify CPU Usage

Before touching anything, it's good to know just how much CPU Spotify is using. On Windows, open Task Manager; on a Mac, use Activity Monitor. This gives you a baseline so you can see if your tweaks are actually helping. Knowing the numbers first makes it easier to judge whether your efforts are working.

For Windows:

Step 1 Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.

Step 2 Click the Processes tab and find Spotify.

Step 3 Look at the CPU column and note how much it's using. High CPU is usually over 20–30%.

For Mac:

Step 1 Open Activity Monitor from Applications > Utilities.

Step 2 Click the CPU tab and find Spotify.

Step 3 Note the % CPU value as a baseline.

Step 2: Restart Your PC or Mac

A reboot might feel too simple to matter, but it often does. Restarting closes leftover processes from Spotify or other apps running quietly in the background. Think of it as giving your system a little nap, which can immediately reduce CPU usage.

For Windows:

Step 1 Close all apps, including Spotify.

Step 2 Click Start > Power > Restart.

Step 3 After your PC restarts, open Spotify and check CPU usage again.

For Mac:

Step 1 Quit all apps, including Spotify.

Step 2 Click Apple menu > Restart.

Step 3 Open Spotify after restart and see if CPU improves.

Step 3: Close Duplicate Spotify Processes (if Any)

Even after a restart, Spotify can leave extra processes running. Each one competes for CPU power, slowing your computer. Check Task Manager or Activity Monitor and close any duplicates. Only one instance should be running, freeing up processing power.

For Windows:

Step 1 Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open Task Manager. Alternatively, you can right-click on the taskbar and select Task Manager.

Step 2 In the Task Manager window, go to the Processes tab.

Step 3 Look for any processes named Spotify.

Step 4 If you see more than one Spotify process, select the additional instances.

Step 5 Click on End Task to close these extra processes.

Step 6 Confirm any prompts that appear to end the selected processes.

For Mac:

Step 1 Open Finder and go to Applications > Utilities > Activity Monitor.

Step 2 In the Activity Monitor window, find and select Spotify from the list of processes.

Step 3 If there are multiple Spotify processes, select the additional ones.

Step 4 Click on the "X" button in the top-left corner of the Activity Monitor window.

Step 5 Choose "Quit" or "Force Quit" if prompted.

Step 6 Confirm any prompts to quit the selected processes.

Step 4: Disable Hardware Acceleration

Hardware acceleration is meant to make animations and graphics smoother. On some computers, it can increase CPU usage if not optimized. Check if hardware acceleration is enabled and disable it. Doing this can bring your CPU usage back to normal levels.

For Windows & Mac:

Step 1 Open Spotify and click your profile picture > Settings.

Step 2 Scroll to Compatibility and find Hardware Acceleration.

Step 3 Toggle it off.

Step 4 Restart Spotify and check CPU. Hardware acceleration can sometimes cause spikes on certain graphics setups.

Step 5: Clear Spotify Cache

Spotify caches temporary files to help things load faster. Over time, this cache can grow large or get corrupted, forcing your CPU to work harder. Clearing it removes unnecessary files and often improves performance.

For Windows:

Step 1 Close Spotify.

Step 2 Open File Explorer and type %appdata%\Spotify\Users in the address bar.

Step 3 Open your user folder and delete the Cache folder.

Step 4 Restart Spotify.

For Mac:

Step 1 Quit Spotify.

Step 2 In Finder, click Go > Go to Folder… and type ~/Library/Application Support/Spotify/PersistentCache/Storage.

Step 3 Delete all files inside.

Step 4 Open Spotify again.

Step 6: Disable Local Files in Spotify

Spotify scans your computer for local music. If your library is large, that scanning can use a lot of CPU. Turning off local file scanning stops these background tasks and eases the load on your processor.

For Windows & Mac:

Step 1 Open Spotify and go to Settings.

Step 2 Scroll down to Local Files.

Step 3 Toggle off any sources you don't want scanned.

Step 4 Close and reopen Spotify.

Step 7: Disconnect Spotify from Facebook

If you've linked Spotify to Facebook, syncing and sharing happen in the background. Facebook can read your activities and post some of them to your account. If you don't need this integration, disconnecting Facebook can reduce these hidden processes and help lower CPU usage without affecting your playlists.

For Windows & Mac:

Step 1 Launch the Spotify application on your computer.

Step 2 Click on the downward arrow next to your profile name in the top-right corner of the Spotify window.

Step 3 Select Settings from the drop-down menu.

Step 4 In the Settings menu, scroll down to find the Social section. This section controls your connected accounts.

Step 5 Look for an option called "Connect with Facebook to see what your friends are playing".

Step 6 Click on Disconnect with Facebook next to the Facebook option.

Step 7 Confirm that you want to disconnect your Facebook account from Spotify.

Step 8 Close Spotify and reopen it to ensure that the disconnection has taken effect.

Step 8: Review Ads and UI Elements

Video ads, pop-ups, and animated interface features all use CPU resources. On the free tier, spikes during ads or while scrolling may be noticeable. Even the Now Playing view, with artist info, album details, Canvas animations, and more, contributes to CPU usage. Adjusting the view or using ad-free options can streamline performance.

For Ads:

Step 1 Launch the Spotify application on your computer.

Step 2 Look for any promotion banners or pop-ups at the top of the Spotify window. These often appear as ads or offers for premium features. Free account users see most of these ads; Premium users rarely do.

Step 3 Click on the "X" or "Close" button in the corner of the promotion banner to remove it from view.

Step 4 Observe if there's a reduction in CPU usage after removing the promotion banner.

For Now Playing:

Step 1 Open Spotify and go to Settings.

Step 2 Scroll down to Display.

Step 3 Toggle off any elements you don't want to see, including "Show the now-playing panel on click of play", "Display short, looping visuals on tracks (Canvas)", "Show desktop overlay when using media keys", and "See what your friends are playing".

Step 4 Close and reopen Spotify. If CPU still spikes, consider using the Web Player or a Premium account.

Step 9: Enable Offline Mode (Optional Test)

Streaming music continuously makes your CPU work harder. Offline Mode plays only downloaded songs, reducing the workload by minimizing the app's need to constantly connect to Spotify's servers. This is a useful test to see whether streaming is contributing to high CPU usage.

For Windows:

Step 1 Launch the Spotify application on your computer.

Step 2 Click on the menu icon in the top-left corner.

Step 3 Select File from the drop-down menu.

Step 4 Scroll down to the Offline Mode section.

Step 5 Select Offline Mode.

For Mac:

Step 1 Launch the Spotify application on your Mac.

Step 2 Click on Spotify in the menu bar at the top of the screen.

Step 3 Select Offline Mode from the drop-down menu.

Step 10: Disable Anti-Virus or Security Software

Some antivirus programs monitor apps like Spotify in real time. While this is helpful for security, it can increase CPU usage. Try disabling your security software or add an exception for Spotify. Remember to turn your protection back on afterward.

For Windows:

Step 1 Click on the Start button in the bottom-left corner of the screen.

Step 2 Click on Settings (the gear icon) to open the Windows Settings menu.

Step 3 In the Settings window, click on Privacy & Security on the left sidebar.

Step 4 Under Privacy & Security, click on Windows Security.

Step 5 In the Windows Security window, click on Firewall & network protection.

Step 6 Select the network profile you are currently using (e.g., Private network, Public network, or Domain network).

Step 7 Under the selected network profile, toggle the Windows Defender Firewall switch to Off.

Step 8 Confirm any prompts that appear to disable the firewall.

Step 9 Open Spotify and check if there's a reduction in CPU usage.

Step 10 After testing, return to Firewall & network protection and toggle the Windows Defender Firewall switch back to On to ensure your computer remains protected.

For Mac:

Step 1 Click on the Apple menu in the top-left corner of the screen.

Step 2 Select System Preferences from the drop-down menu.

Step 3 Click on Security & Privacy.

Step 4 Click the Firewall tab.

Step 5 Click the lock icon in the bottom-left corner of the window.

Step 6 Enter your administrator password to make changes.

Step 7 Click Turn Off Firewall. Confirm any prompts to disable the firewall.

Step 8 Launch Spotify and check if the CPU usage decreases.

Step 9 After testing, return to the Firewall tab and click Turn On Firewall to re-enable your security settings.

Step 11: Update System Drivers

Outdated audio, graphics, or network drivers can make Spotify inefficient and force your CPU to overwork. Updating your drivers improves compatibility and can reduce unnecessary strain.

For Windows:

Step 1 Press Windows + X and select Device Manager.

Step 2 Update drivers for Audio, Display, and Network adapters.

Step 3 Restart the PC.

For Mac:

Step 1 Go to System Settings > Software Update.

Step 2 Install available updates and restart the Mac. Outdated drivers can cause Spotify to use more CPU.

Step 12: Perform a Clean Reinstall of Spotify

If other fixes don't work, a clean reinstall often solves the problem. Uninstall Spotify, remove leftover folders, and install the latest version. This clears out corrupted files or misconfigurations that may be causing high CPU usage.

For Windows:

Step 1 Click the Start button and then select the Settings gear icon.

Step 2 Go to Apps or Apps & Features from the Settings menu.

Step 3 Find Spotify in the list of installed applications.

Step 4 Click on it and select Uninstall. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the uninstallation.

Step 5 Press Win + R to open the Run dialog box.

Step 6 Type %AppData% and press Enter.

Step 7 Find and delete the Spotify folder in this directory.

Step 8 Restart your computer to ensure that all changes are applied and all residual files are removed.

For Mac:

Step 1 Open Finder and go to the Applications folder.

Step 2 Drag Spotify from the Applications list to the Trash.

Step 3 Click on Go in the top menu bar and select Go to Folder.

Step 4 Type ~/Library/ and press Go.

Step 5 In the Library folder, delete the following directories:

• Caches/com.spotify.client
• Caches/com.spotify.client.helper
• Application Support/Spotify

Step 6 Empty the Trash to permanently remove all Spotify-related files.

Step 7 Restart your Mac to complete the clean uninstall process and ensure all remnants are removed.

Step 13: Extra Tips if Spotify CPU Usage Remains High

Even after these steps, you can make Spotify lighter on your computer. Lower streaming quality, keep playlists smaller, or try the Spotify Web Player instead of the desktop app. Each adjustment reduces processing load and helps your system run smoothly while you enjoy your music.

If you come across Spotify using a lot of CPU issue from time to time and couldn't find a complete way to fix it, here's the final tip.

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