If you wish to reduce the number of applications installed on your PC, using Spotify Web Player in your browser is a practical solution. You will notice very few differences between the web player and the application. And if you want to stream music online for free, the web player will work even if you have a free Spotify account.
The Spotify web player is compatible with Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and Opera.
Access the Spotify Web Player
To access the Spotify web player, start your preferred internet browser and do the following:
- Go to the Spotify navigation page.
- Choose Connect.
- If you don’t have a Spotify account, select Sign In and create a new account using your email address or your Facebook account.
- Enter your personal username and password and select Sign in. Or select Connect to Facebook.
Launch Spotify Web Player Settings
Once you are connected to the Spotify web player, you will find that it is a simple design. The left pane lists your available options, with the first four being the most common. These are Search, Home, Your Library, and Recently Played.
The homepage offers an overview of all main options. Here you will find:
- Quick links above to select, podcasts, graphics, genres, new versions, and discover.
- Music suggested based on your listening story.
- Your music was played recently.
- “More Likes” sections with specific artists related to your taste in music.
- Thematic suggestions based on the day of the week or special holidays.
- The best music lists.
- Recommended podcasts.
The homepage is personalized based on your listening habits, so you may see more or fewer options than the ones listed above.
Spotify Search
If you know what you’re looking for, choose this option. Once you do this, a text box will appear at the top of the screen. Enter your search term to find the music you want. This can be the name of an artist, a song or album title, a playlist, or even a music genre. As soon as you start typing, a list of results is displayed. Select a result from the list to start listening.
The results page is divided into useful sections such as artists, albums, playlists, podcasts, episodes, and more.
Your Spotify Library
In the Your library area of the Spotify web player, an overview of all music that you have heard or recorded is displayed. These are organized into playlists, songs, albums, artists, and podcasts, with quick links above.
If you want to customize your own playlist, select the New Playlist option in the top right corner of the screen. Spotify recommends music based on the title of your playlist. Add music to the “Create Playlist” screen or simply add music while browsing Spotify and listening to music.
Discover New Music
Spotify is also a music recommendation service, and this option offers a great way to discover new music.
The results shown are suggestions that Spotify believes you might like. These are based on several factors, including the type of music you have heard. Songs are also listed if they are currently popular and match the genres of music you are listening to.
Stream Music with the Spotify Web Player Lyrics
Many functions are integrated into the web application. These are almost identical to the desktop application. To find them, just look for the plus menu (the three-dot symbols) next to playlists or individual tracks.
Screenshot of listening to music with Spotify Web Player.
If you open this menu for individual titles, you will find the following options:
- Start radio: Launches a special feature of Spotify Web Player and plays the songs associated with the artist, playlist, or the song from which you started it.
- Save to your library – Saves the song to your library for easy access later.
- Add to Queue – Aligns individual tracks in the order in which you want to listen to them.
- Add to playlist – Quickly save songs to one of your playlists.
- Copy song link – Share the track with your friends on social media or via email.
Listen to music with keyboard shortcuts in the Spotify web player
One thing you may overlook when switching to Spotify web player is that many keyboard shortcuts that worked in the desktop app will not work in the web player. By installing the keyboard shortcuts of Spotify Web Player, you can control the playback of songs on your keyboard with the following commands.
CHROME SPOTIFY WEB PLAYER HOTKEY EXTENSION HOTKEYS:
- Pause or play: Alt + Shift + P.
- Read the following title: Alt + Shift +.
- Read the previous title: Alt + Shift +,
- Save title: Alt + Shift + F.
FIREFOX SPOTIFY HOTKEYS ADDON HOTKEYS:
- Pause or play: Alt + Shift + P.
- Read the following title: Alt + Shift +.
- Read the previous title: Alt + Shift +,
- Random Reading: Alt + Shift + F.
- Repeat: Alt + Shift + R.
- Read the album: Alt + Shift + B.
To access this feature, install the Spotify Web Player Chrome shortcut extension or the Firefox add-on for Spotify hotkeys.
Stream your music to Chromecast Devices
One of the most mentioned advantages of the Spotify desktop client is the ability to stream music to your Chromecast or other compatible devices. The good news is that this functionality is not lost in the Spotify web player.
Select the device icon in the lower right corner of the window.
Select the family of devices you want to send content to (e.g., Google Cast).
Select the output device in your home that you want to send to.
The only limitation is that you need to use the Spotify app on your desktop or mobile computer to add new Cast compatible devices to your Spotify account.
Other advantages of Spotify Web Player
If you’re still not convinced that streaming music with Spotify Web Player won’t interfere with your music listening experience, you should consider any additional benefits it offers.
Spotify on Chromebook:
If you have a Chromebook, the Spotify web player gives you the same Spotify features you’d expect from a full client.
Browser plugins:
If you are looking for browser extensions for Spotify, you will find additional extensions that expand the basic functionality of the web player.
Portable:
The Spotify Web Player is independent of the device. You can access your Spotify account from a friend’s web browser, library, or any mobile device.
Online widgets:
Websites now integrate Spotify playlists directly into their pages. Use the web player to access these playlists instead of opening an additional application.
Save PC resources:
The Spotify desktop client starts at startup and uses system resources. Avoid clutter and CPU usage by uninstalling the desktop client and using the web player.
Listening to good music should be a pleasant experience. With the features offered by Spotify Web Player, there is really no reason to use the desktop client.