Ordered fix list
1) Join voice. 2) Summon/play. 3) Verify Speak. 4) Try another link. 5) Remove competing bots. 6) Re-invite. 7) Ask support with logs.
Discord client gotchas
User volume on the bot member can be dragged to zero. Check the bot user volume slider in the voice participant list.
When only one source fails
Platform-specific outages happen. Keep Spotify and YouTube as mutual fallbacks inside Smooth so the room is never stuck.
Prevent repeats
Document working permissions once in your staff channel. Most “it broke again” tickets are someone editing overrides.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Does the bot need a restart?
Sometimes. Disconnect/reconnect Smooth from voice after permission changes so Discord applies Speak correctly.
Can region fix audio?
Rarely. Permissions and channel overrides fix more incidents than voice region hopping.
Should I remove duplicate music bots from voice?
Yes. Two bots in the same channel often fight for Speak permission or leave members hearing silence. Keep one primary bot like Smooth connected.
What if Smooth still will not play after fixes?
Re-invite Smooth with fresh permissions, try a different public link, then join the Smooth support server from smoothbot.in for live help.
Why is my Discord music bot not playing audio?
Check that you are in the same voice channel as the bot, Smooth has Speak permission, no duplicate music bot is connected, and the source link is public and supported.
Try it on your server
Invite Smooth, join voice, and test the steps from this guide live.