To play a specific song on Spotify mobile, open the Search tab, type the song title or at least three words from the lyrics, and tap the song in the results. Premium subscribers can tap any song and play it on demand, while free users may face shuffle-only playback or other restrictions depending on the screen and content shown.
Can you play a specific song on Spotify mobile?
The key difference is your subscription type. Spotify Premium lets you play songs in any order you like, just tap the song you want to hear. Free listening may be subject to shuffle and other restrictions depending on the screen and content shown. This distinction is the first thing to understand when you want to play a specific song on Spotify mobile.
How to search for the song you want
- Open Spotify and tap the Search tab.
- Type the song title, or if you do not know the title, type at least 3 words from the lyrics. Songs that match your lyric search are labeled Lyrics match.
- Spotify search supports autocomplete suggestions after a few typed letters.
- Select the song from the search results.
Spotify’s search also finds albums, artists, playlists, podcast shows and episodes, genres and moods, other Spotify users, and lyrics-based matches. This makes it easy to locate a specific song even when you only remember a few words from the chorus.
How to play the song once you find it
- Tap the song you want to hear in the search results.
- On Premium, this starts playing the exact song on demand. Free users may experience shuffle or other playback restrictions depending on the screen.
- In the mobile app’s Now Playing view, Spotify says to tap the More options icon for more controls.
- Spotify’s help for the mobile app also says you can open the Now Playing view and tap More options there for additional actions.
Does this work the same on iPhone and Android?
Yes. Spotify’s search and play flow is identical on both iPhone and Android. Spotify’s Now Playing page specifically labels the More options control by platform as (iPhone) and (Android).
Tips for playing music your way
Use Spotify Connect to pick a different playback device from the Devices menu, simply choose the device you want to play on. Spotify Connect lets you choose another playback device from the Devices menu. In the Now Playing view, tap the More options icon to access extra controls such as adding the song to your queue, viewing the artist, or saving the track to your library. These Spotify mobile features give you flexibility beyond basic playback, letting you control where and how your music plays.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need Spotify Premium to play a specific song?
Can you find a song if you only know the lyrics?
Yes. Search with at least 3 words from the lyrics. Songs that match your lyric search will be labeled “Lyrics match” in the results.
Can I play a specific song on Spotify mobile for free?
The free tier may restrict on-demand playback to shuffle mode on certain screens. The ability to tap and play any specific song without shuffle is a Premium feature.
Does the search work the same on iPhone and Android?
Yes. The basic flow of searching and tapping a song is identical on both platforms.
Can I use voice search to find a song?
Spotify’s mobile app includes a microphone icon in the Search tab. Spotify’s voice feature help pages in search results describe tapping the Search tab and using the microphone, but those pages were not official support pages in the retrieved results.
For the wider topic, see Spotify mobile features.
