Systems, methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to provide root re-selection in a spanning tree protocol are disclosed. An example method includes transmitting, from a current root device on a playback network, a query message to a router on the playback network. The example method includes evaluating a response received from at least one intermediate device between the current root and the router, the at least one intermediate device relaying the query message from the root to the router and transmitting a response back to the current root device indicating a root path cost associated with that intermediate device. The example method includes determining, based on the received root path cost(s), an updated designation of a new root device for the playback network. The example method includes, if the new root device is different from the current root device, exchanging bridge priority between the current root and the new root.