Spotify for Windows
Version 1.2.68.552 · Spotify AB · Windows 10 / 11 (64-bit) · ranked #219 in the library
The desktop music client with the advertising layer removed, playing the full catalogue at the top streaming quality with offline caching and no interruptions between tracks.
Read the installation section below before you start. The order of the steps matters on this release.
About this release
Overview
This is the desktop client for the streaming service, modified so the audio and visual advertising is never requested and the premium quality tier is selected by default. Everything else about the application is untouched: the same library view, the same playlist and queue handling, the same search, the same connect targets for pushing playback to another device on the network.
The desktop client is a genuinely better place to manage a large library than the mobile one. Playlist editing with proper drag and drop and multi-selection, folders to organise hundreds of playlists, a local files section that plays music already on the machine alongside the streamed catalogue, and keyboard shortcuts including global media keys that work while the window is behind everything else.
Streaming quality is set to the highest tier available rather than the automatic setting, with a configurable cache size for offline playback of downloaded content. The crossfade, gapless playback, normalisation and equaliser controls are all in the audio preferences, and the equaliser applies to the local files section as well as streamed audio. Playback state syncs with the account so a session picks up where another device stopped.
What it does
Feature breakdown
No advertising in the stream
Audio and banner advertising is never fetched, so playback runs continuously between tracks including on shuffled playlists.
Highest quality tier enabled
Streaming bitrate is set to the top option rather than adapting downward, with the setting exposed in preferences if you want to lower it on a metered line.
Offline caching
Downloaded content is held locally with a configurable cache size, so a playlist keeps playing when the connection drops.
Full playlist management
Folders, drag and drop reordering, multi-select operations and collaborative playlist editing, all far quicker on a desktop than on a phone.
Local files alongside streaming
Point it at folders of your own music and those tracks appear in the library and can be mixed into playlists with streamed content.
Connect and media key control
Push playback to speakers, consoles or phones on the same network, and control play, pause and skip from keyboard media keys with the window hidden.
Changed in this build
Version 1.2.68.552
- Client rebuilt against the current release with the modification reapplied.
- Faster library loading on accounts with several thousand saved items.
- Reduced memory use during long playback sessions.
- Lyrics panel now stays in sync after seeking within a track.
- Fixed a case where the cache folder grew past its configured limit.
Installation
Follow these in order
- Uninstall any existing copy of the client and remove its leftover data folder.
- Extract the archive and pause real time protection.
- Run the installer and let it complete without launching the application.
- Apply the included modification files over the install folder, replacing when prompted.
- Launch the client, sign in with your usual account, and check that playback runs without interruption.
- Turn off the automatic update option in settings, then restore protection.
Release notes
From whoever packed it
- The automatic updater must stay disabled. An update replaces the modified files and the advertising returns.
- Podcasts and audiobook content behave normally. Only the advertising layer is affected.
- If the client updates itself anyway, reapply the modification files rather than reinstalling from scratch.
System requirements
Minimum and recommended
| Operating system | Windows 10 version 21H2 or Windows 11, 64-bit |
|---|---|
| Processor | Any dual core processor |
| Memory | 4 GB |
| Graphics | No requirement |
| Storage | 500 MB for the program plus whatever cache size you allow |
Questions about this release
Answered before you ask
- Do I still need an account?
- Yes. The client authenticates normally, the modification only affects the advertising and quality behaviour.
- Does offline playback work?
- Yes, downloaded content plays from the local cache without a connection.
- Will it keep working after the service updates its backend?
- Usually. Occasional backend changes require a newer client, at which point a fresh build with the modification applied is needed.
Download
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