diff --git a/librespot/audio/__init__.py b/librespot/audio/__init__.py
index 7704e4a..dcc6d33 100644
--- a/librespot/audio/__init__.py
+++ b/librespot/audio/__init__.py
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ spoticlub_client_serial: typing.Optional[str] = None
 spoticlub_loaded_logged: bool = False
 _spoticlub_audio_key_loader_enabled: bool = False
 _spoticlub_audio_key_loader_lock = threading.Lock()
-########################################
+######################################################
 
 def _spoticlub_notify_session_done() -> None:
     global spoticlub_user, spoticlub_password, spoticlub_client_serial
@@ -289,6 +289,7 @@ class AbsChunkedInputStream(io.BytesIO, HaltListener):
 
 class AudioKeyManager(PacketsReceiver, Closeable):
     audio_key_request_timeout = 20
+    max_spotify_audio_key_retries = 2
     logger = logging.getLogger("Librespot:AudioKeyManager")
     __callbacks: typing.Dict[int, Callback] = {}
     __seq_holder = 0
@@ -347,43 +348,88 @@ class AudioKeyManager(PacketsReceiver, Closeable):
         except Exception:
             return False
 
-    def _get_spotify_audio_key(self, gid: bytes, file_id: bytes, retry: bool = True) -> bytes:
-        """Request the audio key directly from Spotify (Premium accounts)."""
-        tries = 0
+    def _get_spotify_audio_key(
+        self,
+        gid: bytes,
+        file_id: bytes,
+        retry: bool = True,
+        _attempt: int = 1,
+    ) -> bytes:
+        """Request the audio key directly from Spotify (Premium accounts).
+
+        This mirrors the working logic from the standalone AudioKeyManager
+        helper in temp.py: it sends a request_key packet with the payload
+        [file_id][gid][seq][zero_short], waits for a response, and retries
+        a limited number of times with simple backoff.
+        """
+
+        # Allocate a new sequence number for this request and register
+        # the callback that will receive the response.
+        with self.__seq_holder_lock:
+            seq = AudioKeyManager.__seq_holder
+            AudioKeyManager.__seq_holder += 1
+
+        callback = AudioKeyManager.SyncCallback(self)
+        AudioKeyManager.__callbacks[seq] = callback
+
         last_err: typing.Optional[Exception] = None
 
-        while True:
-            tries += 1
-            callback = AudioKeyManager.SyncCallback(self)
+        try:
+            out = io.BytesIO()
+            out.write(file_id)
+            out.write(gid)
+            out.write(struct.pack(">i", seq))
+            out.write(self.__zero_short)
+            out.seek(0)
 
-            with self.__seq_holder_lock:
-                AudioKeyManager.__seq_holder += 1
-                seq = AudioKeyManager.__seq_holder
-                AudioKeyManager.__callbacks[seq] = callback
+            # Send the key request to Spotify.
+            self.__session.send(Packet.Type.request_key, out.read())
 
-            try:
-                payload = struct.pack(">i", seq) + gid + file_id
-                self.__session.send(Packet.Type.request_key, payload)
-
-                key = callback.wait_response()
-                if key is None:
-                    raise RuntimeError("Audio key request failed")
+            key = callback.wait_response()
+            if key is not None:
                 return key
-            except Exception as exc:  # noqa: BLE001
-                last_err = exc
-                self.logger.warning("Spotify audio key request failed (try %d): %s", tries, exc)
-                if not retry or tries >= 3:
-                    break
-                time.sleep(1)
-            finally:
-                try:
-                    AudioKeyManager.__callbacks.pop(seq, None)
-                except Exception:
-                    pass
 
+            # No key returned; treat this like a transient failure.
+            last_err = RuntimeError("Audio key request returned no key")
+        except Exception as exc:  # noqa: BLE001
+            last_err = exc
+        finally:
+            # Ensure we don't leak callbacks if anything goes wrong.
+            try:
+                AudioKeyManager.__callbacks.pop(seq, None)
+            except Exception:
+                pass
+
+        # Decide whether to retry or give up.
+        if retry and _attempt < self.max_spotify_audio_key_retries:
+            self.logger.warning(
+                "Spotify audio key request failed (attempt %d/%d): %s",
+                _attempt,
+                self.max_spotify_audio_key_retries,
+                last_err,
+            )
+            # Simple linear backoff to avoid hammering the server.
+            time.sleep(5 * _attempt)
+            return self._get_spotify_audio_key(
+                gid,
+                file_id,
+                retry=True,
+                _attempt=_attempt + 1,
+            )
+
+        # Give up after the configured number of attempts.
+        self.logger.error(
+            "Giving up fetching audio key from Spotify after %d attempts; gid=%s fileId=%s (last error: %s)",
+            _attempt,
+            util.bytes_to_hex(gid),
+            util.bytes_to_hex(file_id),
+            last_err,
+        )
         raise RuntimeError(
             "Failed fetching Audio Key from Spotify for gid: {}, fileId: {} (last error: {})".format(
-                util.bytes_to_hex(gid), util.bytes_to_hex(file_id), last_err
+                util.bytes_to_hex(gid),
+                util.bytes_to_hex(file_id),
+                last_err,
             )
         )