How to Listen to Spotify on a Windows PC or Laptop

Streaming music and listening to podcasts is common nowadays. That’s where audio streaming services come in handy, offering playlists, genre selections, top picks, and more. This is also great for podcasts since you don’t have to visit each podcast’s website or Soundcloud page anymore.

Currently, the largest such service is Spotify where almost any songs and podcasts imaginable are available. Of course, listening on the go is the preferred way of consuming this content. But what if you want to play something without using your phone? No problems, you can do that with Spotify as well.

Installing Spotify to Your Computer

Thanks to the standalone app for computers, Spotify allows you to access its entire catalog without using your smartphone. But before you can do that, you’ll have to install the app on your computer.

1. Open Spotify.com using a web browser on your computer and click Download from the top menu. 
2. A new page will open, prompting you to click the install file to finish setting up Spotify.
3. You should see the file SpotifySetup.exe start to download. There should also be a download notification (usually found at the bottom of the browser).
4. At the completion of the download, click the download notification to install Spotify.
5. Wait for the app to finish installing.
6. Once that’s done, Spotify should launch automatically.

Now that you’ve installed Spotify to your computer, it’s time to log in to the app. If you already have a Spotify account, enter your username and password and click the Login button. If not, click Sign Up to create a new account for yourself. To do so, follow the steps below.

1. Click Sign Up on the Spotify app’s login screen.
   
2. Now, enter the e-mail address that you want to use with Spotify.
3. Create a password and enter it in the field below.
4. In the field How should we call you enter a name that you’d like to use with Spotify.
5. Once you’re done entering the login credentials, click the Continue button.
   
6. In the next screen, enter your date of birth and choose your gender from the drop-down menu.
7. Now, click Join Spotify and you’re done.
   
8. If a Windows Security Alert pops up, please check if it’s related to Spotify. If so, click Allow access.

With that done, now you’re finally able to access your favorite music and podcasts directly on your computer. Similar to the mobile app, you can search for content by name, genre, or any other criteria you wish. If you’re interested in finding new music and podcasts, the best place to look is the app’s “Browse” feature. It’s the second option in the menu to the left.

A Couple of Podcast Suggestions

Focusing on music and podcasts, Spotify is a leader in the audio streaming game. As far as music goes, that’s something that changes on a daily basis and depends on your personal preference. But for podcasts, suggestions can go a long way…

Joe Rogan Experience

Probably the most popular podcast at the moment, Joe Rogan’s podcast is mostly one-on-one conversations with his guests. It covers all topics from comedy and friendly banter to political commentary, conspiracy theories, and health. With many super-famous people coming to his show, Joe Rogan uses the opportunity to pick their brains on both casual and serious topics.

Crime Junkie

One of the hot podcast genres today is “True Crime.” Covering actual criminal cases that involve murder, kidnapping, and missing persons, Crime Junkie delves deep into each story. The sources for their content involve official police reports, newspaper articles, and related books. The podcast aims to present all known facts as accurately as possible.

SmartLess

Starting on July 20, 2020, actors Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes gather to talk with prominent people about random topics. Considering that these three worked together in two hilarious comedy TV shows, you can expect this podcast to be lighthearted and funny. Bateman and Arnett were co-stars in Arrested Development, while Sean Hayes starred in Will and Grace. You get the idea.

Spotify has much more to offer in the way of podcasts, you’ll just have to explore their selection for yourself.

Enjoying Spotify at Home

Now that you know how to listen to Spotify on your computer, it’s time to kick back, relax, turn up the volume on your speakers, and enjoy your favorite music and podcast shows. Thanks to the desktop app, you don’t have to rely on your smartphone anymore to stream audio.

Have you managed to install Spotify on your computer or laptop? What do you listen to most of the time? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.