Spotify has grown to become one of the largest music streaming platforms with over 365 million monthly active users including 165 million paying subscribers. As a popular music streaming service with over 70 million tracks accessible on phones, tablets, and computers, Spotify has undeniably become the favorite platform for music lovers around the world.

For Mac users, there are two options to enjoy their favorite tracks on Spotify. They can either download the Spotify Mac App or Spotify web player. Back in 2017, Spotify removed web player support for Apple’s Safari browser without any clear explanation. It was believed that the withdrawal of support was due to Widevine media optimizer plugin that Spotify used for web streaming that Apple opposed due to security issues. Hence, when users tried to use the web player on the Safari browser, they received the message, "This browser doesn't support Spotify Web Player. Switch browsers or download Spotify for your desktop."

For two and a half years, there has been no support for the Spotify web player on the Safari browser. However, with the launch of the Safari 15 browser, Spotify has updated its list of supported web browsers to include the Safari browser alongside other browsers including Chrome and Firefox.

As Spotify has silently restored support for the web player on the new Safari browser, music lovers are excited to try it out and resume enjoying their playlists directly from the web player. We have personally tried out the Spotify web player and find it working without problems on the Safari 15 browser.

How to use Spotify Web Player on Mac

For users who are concerned about the number of apps they install on their Mac, the Spotify web player is an excellent choice. You do not have to worry about an extra app taking some space while still continuing to listen to music tracks you love wherever you go. There are only very few differences between the web player and the desktop app. Even if you have a free Spotify account, you can stream good quality music and podcasts with the web player on Mac.

How to Access the Spotify Web Player on macOS Monterey

You can access the Spotify web player on the latest Safari 15 browser by following the steps below:

Spotify web player on Safari 15 on Mac

Step 1: Go to the Spotify Web Player on Safari 15.
Step 2: Choose log in, If you don’t have an account, you can sign up for free using your email ID.
Step 3: Enter username and password to log in.

How to Fix the Spotify Web Player When It Stops Working on Mac

1. Clear Safari Browser Cache

If the Spotify web player is not working properly, you can clear the cache on Safari web browser. You have to go to History > Clear History.

Clear Safari Cache and History for Spotify Web Player

2. Change DNS and Reset Your Internet Router

You can change the DNS settings to Google DNS and check again to see if the web player is working again on your Mac. Another recommendation to fix the problem is to simply reset your internet router.

Change DNS in macOS 12 Monterey

Web Spotify Player vs Spotify Mac App

There are a few distinct differences between the web Spotify player and the Spotify on Mac that can influence your decision to choose one over another. We have extensively used both the Spotify web player and the desktop client on M1 Mac and believe that you can enjoy your favorite music with the web player and don’t need a desktop app for a great streaming experience.

While there are many benefits offered by the web Spotify player, there are also some drawbacks when compared to the desktop application. We have listed all the pros and cons of the Spotify web player to allow you to decide if you want to listen to your music on Mac by streaming online using the web player or use the desktop app for music streaming.

Pros of Web Spotify Player

1. Shortcut App to Play and Schedule Music
You can use the new Shortcuts app on macOS 12 to put together shell scripts that allow you to play music and schedule to play music on Spotify.

Apple has introduced the Shortcuts app with macOS Monterey that lets you automate repetitive tasks. You can save time spent constantly switching between different apps by creating automation rules to complete tasks. You can cut it down to either one or two clicks to accomplish regular tasks.

Though already available on iPhone or iPad, the Shortcuts app was missing for a long time on Mac. If you’ve not used the Shortcuts app in the past, you’ll enjoy the convenience that it offers allowing you to create macros for tasks and share shortcuts with others. You never have to be dragged down by manual tasks and instead with the power of automation can focus your efforts on creative work.

With the Shortcuts app, you can play specific songs and playlists with a couple of clicks. This is hugely beneficial when you listen to music in the background while working. By setting up a shortcut to your favorite playlist, you can list to it while you continue your work.

2. Share Playlist Music
The web Spotify player allows you to share your playlist music link with your friends so that they can enjoy the music you’re listening to. Listening to music is more exciting when you can share music that you think your friends will enjoy and get the chance to find new music recommendations from your friends.

3. Song Lyrics
While Spotify web player does not have the option for lyrics, you can add the functionality with extensions. There are extensions available for Chrome and Firefox that It is important to note that both the web player and the desktop application do not have the option for lyrics.

4. Faster Load Times
When you’re using the web Spotify player, you will have faster load times than the desktop application. This is helpful when you want your music instantly without delays.

5. Save Space
Web Spotify player allows you to save space as you don’t have to download and install the desktop client. You can also use the web player on any device by simply visiting open.spotify.com and logging in to your account.

Cons of Web Spotify Player

1. No Offline Mode
You cannot download and listen to songs offline in the web Spotify player. You will have to an active internet connection to listen to songs.

2. Lower Bitrate
Free Spotify users get 128kbps bitrate while premium users get 256kbps bitrate on the web player. The quality is lesser than what is offered by the desktop application which is 160kbps bitrate for free users and 320kbps bitrate for premium users.

Spotify Web Player Home Page

If you’re using macOS Monterey 12, you can use the latest Safari 15 browser to access the web player from Spotify. The user interface layout is simple and you have the options needed to navigate to your desired locations on the left pane. There are Home, Search, Your Library, and Recently Played options to simplify your music streaming experience.

The Home page has many options to quickly find the music of your choice.

  • There are quick links to Featured, Charts, New Releases, Genres, and Podcasts
  • You have suggested music based on your listening history
  • Themed music based on cultural relevance and special holidays are suggested
  • Top music hits give you access to the top music listened to by other music lovers
  • Recommended podcasts are based on your previous interests

The Home page is dynamic and gets customized as you listen to more music and podcasts. It is a good place for you to find new music and podcasts.

Spotify Search

When you know exactly the kind of music you want to listen to, you can use the Spotify search feature to find what you’re looking for. You can search by artist name, song or album name, playlist, and music genre. Search results are automatically delivered as you type in your search query. You can select the song you wish to from the search results or some other song that interests you to start listening to.

Your Spotify Library

Your Library section on Spotify lists all the music and podcasts you’ve listened to and categorizes them for easier navigation. They are organized into playlists, songs, albums, artists, and podcasts to easily find and relisten to your favorites.

There is also the option for you to create your own playlist. You can click on the New Playlist button on the top-right corner to create your list of songs or podcasts. Once you’ve created a playlist, you can add songs and podcasts as you browse and listen to them.

Find New Music

The Spotify algorithm understands your preferences and allows you to find new music related to your interests.

You can find new suggestions for music that are based on various factors such as the genre of music you’re listening to, the artist, the album, and more. If there are currently popular songs in your favorite genre or from your favorite artist, Spotify will list them for you to quickly find new favorites.

More Options on the Spotify Web Player

As a music lover using the latest macOS Monterey 12 and the Safari 15 browser, you will certainly enjoy the added excitement of the Spotify web player. If you’re wondering if the web player can match the desktop client in terms of options and features, you will be surprised to know that you can do almost everything on the web player that you can do on the desktop client.

There are lots of features available on the web player that is placed under the More menu. You can access the More menu by clicking on the three dots next to tracks or playlists.

The following options are available for individual tracks:

  • Start Radio: You can launch the radio to play songs related to the artist, playlist, or song from where you launched it
  • Save to Your Library: Save the songs or podcasts in your library to access later
  • Add to Queue: Add songs or podcasts to the queue of music you’re listening to
  • Add to Playlist: Add songs or podcasts to your favorite playlist
  • Copy Song Link: Copy the link of the song to share it with friends over email, messaging apps, and social media

Play Music Using the Spotify Web Player Mac Hotkeys

You can play music using hotkeys on the Spotify web player. With hotkeys, you will spend less time clicking and more time playing.

Function Mac Hotkeys
Play/pause Space
Repeat Option-R
Shuffle Option-S
Next track Option-Right
Previous track Option-Left
Copy Song Link Command-C

The new web Spotify player support for Safari 15 browser is exciting news for music lovers using Mac. If you are using the latest macOS Monterey, you can listen to music on the go with the Spotify web player on Mac and make use of the Shortcuts app to enable shortcuts for your favorite music and playlists. When you’re considering portability and convenience, it is easy to pick the web Spotify player as the ideal choice for listening to music for Mac users.