Discord music bot not playing: fixes

A music bot that joins the voice channel but stays silent has one of a few problems.

1. Voice permissions

The bot needs Connect and Speak in that voice channel. A channel's own permission settings can block it even when the server role allows it. Check the channel's Permissions and the bot's role.

2. The source is blocked or changed

Music comes from sites such as YouTube. They change often and can block bots, so a link that worked last week can fail. Signs: errors mentioning a video being unavailable, sign-in required, or the track skipping straight away. Try a different source first. If everything fails, check the project's page (JMusicBot, Muse or Red) for news. We cannot change what a source allows. Our rules are in Discord bot hosting rules and fair use.

3. A missing key or setting

Muse needs a YouTube API Key (and Spotify keys for Spotify links). JMusicBot needs the Bot Owner ID. Check Settings, Game Settings.

4. Not enough memory or CPU

Open the Usage graphs on Overview. A bot at its limit stutters or stops. Music bots work best with 1 GB or more: How much RAM does a Discord bot need.

5. It plays, but it sounds bad

Lower the bot's volume setting and the Discord user volume for the bot, and check the voice channel's bitrate in the channel settings. Raise the bitrate if the server's boost level allows it.

6. Read the console

Open Console and play a track. The error line names the cause more precisely than the symptom does. Start with the first error after the play command, not the last one.

More: How to host JMusicBot, How to host Muse, How to host Red.