Description of the issue: I wasn’t able to play Spotify Music when I use Brave in my Windows PC
How can this issue be reproduced?
-
Download Brave
-
Ensure “Widevine” is toggled on in brave://settings/extensions
-
Ensure “Widevine Content Decryption Module” is downloaded and updated in brave://components/
-
Play any music in Spotify
Expected result: Able to playback any music
Brave Version( check About Brave): Brave 1.89.145 (Official Build) (64-bit)
Additional Information:
OS: Windows 11 Enterprise
I was able to play music when using Edge or Google Chrome, but I can’t through Brave. It will popup the following error when I inspect the Network Traffic
Request URL: https://gae2-spclient.spotify.com/widevine-license/v1/audio/license
Request Method: POST
Status Code: 403 Forbidden
Full log of brave://media-internals/
{
"properties": {
"render_id": 6,
"player_id": 23,
"created": "2026-05-05 07:02:43.323320 UTC",
"origin_url": "https://open.spotify.com/",
"kFrameUrl": "https://open.spotify.com/?flow_ctx=214789f9-59b0-4912-a790-a1a50e140db5%3A1775687012",
"kFrameTitle": "Empty Room • Jamie Miller",
"kSetCdm": {
"allow_distinctive_identifier": false,
"allow_persistent_state": false,
"key_system": "com.widevine.alpha",
"use_hw_secure_codecs": false
},
"url": "blob:https://open.spotify.com/4955009e-0c18-4ecc-b552-3854be45ba3c",
"info": "DecryptingDemuxerStream: no key for key ID 2318D76C18D9965959C40826F8D1257C; will resume decrypting after new usable key is available",
"kRendererName": "RendererImpl",
"pipeline_state": "kPlaying",
"kIsCdmAttached": true,
"kAudioTracks": [
{
"bytes per channel": 2,
"bytes per frame": 4,
"channel layout": "STEREO",
"channels": 2,
"codec": "aac",
"codec delay": 0,
"discard decoder delay": false,
"encryption scheme": "Unencrypted",
"has extra data": true,
"profile": "unknown",
"sample format": "Signed 16-bit",
"samples per second": 44100,
"seek preroll": "0us"
}
],
"kVideoTracks": [
{
"alpha mode": "is_opaque",
"codec": "unknown",
"coded size": "0x0",
"color space": {
"matrix": "INVALID",
"primaries": "INVALID",
"range": "INVALID",
"transfer": "INVALID"
},
"encryption scheme": "Unencrypted",
"has extra data": false,
"hdr metadata": {},
"natural size": "0x0",
"orientation": "0°",
"profile": "unknown",
"visible rect": "0,0 0x0"
}
],
"kIsAudioDecryptingDemuxerStream": true,
"kAudioDecoderName": "FFmpegAudioDecoder",
"kIsPlatformAudioDecoder": false,
"auto_picture_in_picture_info": {
"blocked_due_to_content_setting": true,
"has_audio_focus": true,
"has_safe_url": true,
"is_playing": true,
"meets_media_engagement_conditions": true,
"reason": "Unknown",
"was_recently_audible": true
},
"duration": 208.153106,
"audio_buffering_state": {
"reason": "DEMUXER_UNDERFLOW",
"state": "BUFFERING_HAVE_NOTHING"
},
"pipeline_buffering_state": {
"for_suspended_start": false,
"reason": "DEMUXER_UNDERFLOW",
"state": "BUFFERING_HAVE_NOTHING"
},
"event": "kPlay"
},
"events": [
{
"time": 0,
"key": "created",
"value": "2026-05-05 07:02:43.323320 UTC"
},
{
"time": 0.22100001573562622,
"key": "origin_url",
"value": "https://open.spotify.com/"
},
{
"time": 0.2279999852180481,
"key": "kFrameUrl",
"value": "https://open.spotify.com/?flow_ctx=214789f9-59b0-4912-a790-a1a50e140db5%3A1775687012"
},
{
"time": 0.23399996757507324,
"key": "kFrameTitle",
"value": "Empty Room • Jamie Miller"
},
{
"time": 0.25,
"key": "kSetCdm",
"value": {
"allow_distinctive_identifier": false,
"allow_persistent_state": false,
"key_system": "com.widevine.alpha",
"use_hw_secure_codecs": false
}
},
{
"time": 0.3959999680519104,
"key": "url",
"value": "blob:https://open.spotify.com/4955009e-0c18-4ecc-b552-3854be45ba3c"
},
{
"time": 0.43400001525878906,
"key": "info",
"value": "ChunkDemuxer"
},
{
"time": 0.4919999837875366,
"key": "kRendererName",
"value": "RendererImpl"
},
{
"time": 0.5189999938011169,
"key": "pipeline_state",
"value": "kStarting"
},
{
"time": 0.918999969959259,
"key": "kIsCdmAttached",
"value": true
},
{
"time": 339.3759999871254,
"key": "kAudioTracks",
"value": [
{
"bytes per channel": 2,
"bytes per frame": 4,
"channel layout": "STEREO",
"channels": 2,
"codec": "aac",
"codec delay": 0,
"discard decoder delay": false,
"encryption scheme": "CENC",
"has extra data": true,
"profile": "unknown",
"sample format": "Signed 16-bit",
"samples per second": 44100,
"seek preroll": "0us"
}
]
},
{
"time": 339.8930000066757,
"key": "info",
"value": "Dropping audio frame (DTS 0us PTS -46439us,-23220us) that is outside append window [0us,9223372036854775807us)."
},
{
"time": 339.91799998283386,
"key": "info",
"value": "Dropping audio frame (DTS 23219us PTS -23219us,0us) that is outside append window [0us,9223372036854775807us)."
},
{
"time": 384.4739999771118,
"key": "kAudioTracks",
"value": [
{
"bytes per channel": 2,
"bytes per frame": 4,
"channel layout": "STEREO",
"channels": 2,
"codec": "aac",
"codec delay": 0,
"discard decoder delay": false,
"encryption scheme": "Unencrypted",
"has extra data": true,
"profile": "unknown",
"sample format": "Signed 16-bit",
"samples per second": 44100,
"seek preroll": "0us"
}
]
},
{
"time": 384.5,
"key": "kVideoTracks",
"value": [
{
"alpha mode": "is_opaque",
"codec": "unknown",
"coded size": "0x0",
"color space": {
"matrix": "INVALID",
"primaries": "INVALID",
"range": "INVALID",
"transfer": "INVALID"
},
"encryption scheme": "Unencrypted",
"has extra data": false,
"hdr metadata": {},
"natural size": "0x0",
"orientation": "0°",
"profile": "unknown",
"visible rect": "0,0 0x0"
}
]
},
{
"time": 385.5180000066757,
"key": "kIsAudioDecryptingDemuxerStream",
"value": true
},
{
"time": 385.52300000190735,
"key": "kAudioDecoderName",
"value": "FFmpegAudioDecoder"
},
{
"time": 385.57499998807907,
"key": "kIsPlatformAudioDecoder",
"value": false
},
{
"time": 385.5929999947548,
"key": "info",
"value": "Selected DecryptingDemuxerStream for audio decryption, config: codec: aac, profile: unknown, bytes_per_channel: 2, channel_layout: STEREO, channels: 2, samples_per_second: 44100, sample_format: Signed 16-bit, bytes_per_frame: 4, seek_preroll: 0us, codec_delay: 0, has extra data: true, encryption scheme: CENC, discard decoder delay: false, target_output_channel_layout: STEREO, target_output_sample_format: Unknown sample format"
},
{
"time": 385.60399997234344,
"key": "info",
"value": "Selected FFmpegAudioDecoder for audio decoding, config: codec: aac, profile: unknown, bytes_per_channel: 2, channel_layout: STEREO, channels: 2, samples_per_second: 44100, sample_format: Signed 16-bit, bytes_per_frame: 4, seek_preroll: 0us, codec_delay: 0, has extra data: true, encryption scheme: Unencrypted, discard decoder delay: false, target_output_channel_layout: STEREO, target_output_sample_format: Unknown sample format"
},
{
"time": 385.6710000038147,
"key": "pipeline_state",
"value": "kPlaying"
},
{
"time": 385.68000000715256,
"key": "info",
"value": "audiostream is encrypted with clear lead"
},
{
"time": 421.3959999680519,
"key": "info",
"value": "Effective playback rate changed from 0 to 1"
},
{
"time": 427.7360000014305,
"key": "auto_picture_in_picture_info",
"value": {
"blocked_due_to_content_setting": false,
"has_audio_focus": true,
"has_safe_url": true,
"is_playing": true,
"meets_media_engagement_conditions": true,
"reason": "MediaPlayback",
"was_recently_audible": true
}
},
{
"time": 339.4259999990463,
"key": "duration",
"value": 208.153106
},
{
"time": 388.68299996852875,
"key": "audio_buffering_state",
"value": {
"state": "BUFFERING_HAVE_ENOUGH"
}
},
{
"time": 419.8240000009537,
"key": "pipeline_buffering_state",
"value": {
"for_suspended_start": false,
"state": "BUFFERING_HAVE_ENOUGH"
}
},
{
"time": 421.6409999728203,
"key": "event",
"value": "kPlay"
},
{
"time": 1946.9610000252724,
"key": "auto_picture_in_picture_info",
"value": {
"blocked_due_to_content_setting": true,
"has_audio_focus": true,
"has_safe_url": true,
"is_playing": true,
"meets_media_engagement_conditions": true,
"reason": "Unknown",
"was_recently_audible": true
}
},
{
"time": 9932.222999989986,
"key": "info",
"value": "First switch from clear to encrypted buffers."
},
{
"time": 9932.486999988556,
"key": "info",
"value": "DecryptingDemuxerStream: no key for key ID 2318D76C18D9965959C40826F8D1257C; will resume decrypting after new usable key is available"
},
{
"time": 10472.134999990463,
"key": "audio_buffering_state",
"value": {
"reason": "DEMUXER_UNDERFLOW",
"state": "BUFFERING_HAVE_NOTHING"
}
},
{
"time": 10472.194000005722,
"key": "pipeline_buffering_state",
"value": {
"for_suspended_start": false,
"reason": "DEMUXER_UNDERFLOW",
"state": "BUFFERING_HAVE_NOTHING"
}
}
]
}
I have tried all the methods of re-installation of WideWine, re-install whole Brave, turn off Brave Shield, but none of the method solve my issue