Spotify

2026-03-13T15:48:55Z

D1pl: Spotify API restrictions

{{CompanyCargo
|Description=Swedish streaming service with a large catalog of music and podcasts.
|Founded=2006
|Industry=Music streaming, Podcasting
|Logo=Spotify.png
|ParentCompany=
|Type=Public
|Website=https://spotify.com/
}}
'''{{Wplink|Spotify}}''' is a global music-streaming service founded in 2006 in Sweden by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It allows users to stream music, podcasts, and other audio content via a freemium model, offering both free, ad-supported access and premium subscription services.

==Consumer-impact summary==
====Freedom====
Users can request to obtain a copy of and delete their user data through the app and website.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://support.spotify.com/us/article/data-rights-and-privacy-settings/ |title=Data rights and privacy choices |work=Spotify Support |access-date=17 Sep 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250916033527/https://support.spotify.com/us/article/data-rights-and-privacy-settings/ |archive-date=16 Sep 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> According to the user guidelines, users cannot share their accounts with others (section 13) or reverse-engineer the Spotify client (section 1).<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/user-guidelines/ |title=Spotify User Guidelines |website=Spotify |access-date=17 Sep 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250907171037/https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/user-guidelines/|archive-date=2025-09-07 |url-status=live}}</ref> Users do not own music with Spotify and thus cannot access any of the music without the Spotify client.

====Privacy====
According to the privacy policy, user data collected includes name, estimated age, address, gender, phone number, and date of birth, with optional data such as voice and usage data being used to "personalize your account".<ref name="SpotifyPP">{{Cite web |url=https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/privacy-policy/ |title=Privacy Policy |date=27 Aug 2025 |website=Spotify |access-date=17 Sep 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250916051241/https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/privacy-policy/ |archive-date=16 Sep 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> This data, including listening history, is retained by Spotify for "as long as necessary" until the user makes a deletion request (with the exception of search queries after 90 days). Spotify also states they share your data with third parties, including [[Google Maps]] to verify addresses when purchasing a premium subscription.<ref name="SpotifyPP" />

====Business model====
For free users, Spotify plays advertisements in-between songs, with those same free users getting 6 song skips per hour and being restricted to shuffle-only play until September 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/news/778176/spotify-free-user-upgrade-play-specific-songs |title=Spotify’s free users can finally play the songs they want |first=Jess |last=Weatherbed |date=15 Sep 2025 |website=TheVerge |access-date=17 Sep 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250917210559/https://www.theverge.com/news/778176/spotify-free-user-upgrade-play-specific-songs |archive-date=17 Sep 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> For premium users, the subscriptions cost between USD $11.99 per month for an individual, USD $16.99/m for a duo plan, and USD $19.99/m for a family plan.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.spotify.com/us/premium/ |title=Spotify Premium (US) |website=Spotify |access-date=17 Sep 2025 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260128012808/https://www.spotify.com/us/premium/ |archive-date=28 Jan 2026}}</ref>

====Market control====
According to Statistica, Spotify is currently the most used music streaming service with a 31.7% user share, with others such as Tencent Music and Apple Music falling behind.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://evoca.tv/streaming-service-market-share/ |title=Streaming Service Market Share (2025): Global Revenue Data |date=25 Aug 2025 |first=Brooke |last=Gaines |work=EvocaTV |access-date=17 Sep 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250814072314/https://evoca.tv/streaming-service-market-share/ |archive-date=14 Aug 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Incidents==

===Privacy violations and data misuse ''(2015)''===
In 2015, Spotify changed their Terms and Conditions (T&C) and privacy policy to allow access to users' contacts, photos, and location via mobile apps, triggering backlash over disproportionate data harvesting.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Roettgers |first=Janko |title=Spotify Apologizes After Privacy Backlash, May Add Voice Control |url=https://variety.com/2015/digital/news/spotify-apologizes-after-privacy-backlash-may-add-voice-control-1201575558/ |website=Variety |date=21 Aug 2015 |access-date=30 Oct 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150822153347/https://variety.com/2015/digital/news/spotify-apologizes-after-privacy-backlash-may-add-voice-control-1201575558/ |archive-date=22 Aug 2015}}</ref> In a Spotify blog post, CEO Daniel Ek apologized, characterizing the changes as misunderstood and stated that "if you don't want to share this kind of information, you don't have to."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ek |first=Daniel |title=SORRY. |url=https://news.spotify.com/us/2015/08/21/sorry-2/ |website=Spotify |date=21 Aug 2015 |access-date= |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150821155658/https://news.spotify.com/us/2015/08/21/sorry-2/ |archive-date=21 Aug 2015}}</ref>

===Car Thing ''(2019-2024)''===
{{Main|Spotify Car Thing}}
[[File:Spotify Car Thing Email.jpg|thumb|400x375px|Screenshot of email from Spotify, sent to Car Thing users.]]
In 2019, Spotify announced the Car Thing, a device marketed as a voice-controlled interface for selecting music and podcasts while driving.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://newsroom.spotify.com/2021-04-13/spotify-launches-our-newest-exploration-a-limited-release-of-car-thing-a-smart-player-for-your-car/ |title=Spotify Launches Our Newest Exploration: A Limited Release of Car Thing, a Smart Player for Your Car |date=13 Apr 2021 |website=Spotify |access-date=17 Sep 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250801132943/https://newsroom.spotify.com/2021-04-13/spotify-launches-our-newest-exploration-a-limited-release-of-car-thing-a-smart-player-for-your-car/ |archive-date=1 Aug 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> The device was officially launched in the United States on 22 February 2022, costing $89.99 and requiring a Spotify Premium subscription plan along with a phone with a mobile data connection to be used.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://newsroom.spotify.com/2022-02-22/car-thing-from-spotify-is-now-officially-available-in-the-u-s/ |title=Car Thing From Spotify Is Now Officially Available in the U.S. |date=2 Feb 2022 |website=Spotify |access-date=17 Sep 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250416142739/https://newsroom.spotify.com/2022-02-22/car-thing-from-spotify-is-now-officially-available-in-the-u-s/ |archive-date=16 Apr 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> On 30 June 2022, the device went on sale for $50.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://community.spotify.com/t5/Car-Thing/Summer-Sale-Special-89-99/td-p/5412050 |title=Solved: Summer Sale Special $89.99 - The Spotify Community |website=Spotify |author=greyorlyte |date=1 Aug 2022 |access-date=17 Sep 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250126174331/https://community.spotify.com/t5/Car-Thing/Summer-Sale-Special-89-99/td-p/5412050 |archive-date=26 Jan 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> The company discontinued production of the device on 27 July 2022, citing low demand. A spokesperson told TechCrunch that "based on several factors, including product demand and supply chain issues, we have decided to stop further production of Car Thing units. Existing devices will perform as intended."<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://techcrunch.com/2022/07/27/spotify-exits-short-lived-car-thing-hardware-play-as-reports-q2-maus-of-433m-offsetting-russia-exit-and-service-outage/ |title=Spotify exits short-lived Car Thing hardware play, reports Q2 MAUs of 433M, offsetting Russia exit and service outage |first=Ingrid |last=Lunden |date=27 Jul 2022 |website=TechCrunch |access-date=17 Sep 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250708172544/https://techcrunch.com/2022/07/27/spotify-exits-short-lived-car-thing-hardware-play-as-reports-q2-maus-of-433m-offsetting-russia-exit-and-service-outage/ |archive-date=8 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> In August 2022, Spotify further reduced the price to $30 in order to sell off all existing stock.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.androidpolice.com/spotify-car-thing-lowest-price-ever-get-one-still-can/ |title=Spotify Car Thing is at its lowest price ever, get one while you still can |first=Rajesh |last=Pandey |website=Android Police|date=25 Aug 2022 |access-date=17 Sep 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250405054611/https://www.androidpolice.com/spotify-car-thing-lowest-price-ever-get-one-still-can/ |archive-date=5 Apr 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref>

On 20 October 2022, security researchers released a report on how they achieved root on the Car Thing, uncovering how the device could potentially be hacked. Spotify responded on 21 October 2022, saying that the product was unsupported, end-of-life, and therefore no bugs would be accepted pertaining to the product.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://oddsolutions.github.io/Spotify-Car-Thing-Root/ |title=Spotify Car Thing - Root and Custom OS toolkit |website=GitHub |access-date=17 Sep 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250801132952/https://oddsolutions.github.io/Spotify-Car-Thing-Root/ |archive-date=1 Aug 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> The product had gone from its launch to "end-of-life" in the span of 8 months.

On 23 May 2024, Spotify announced via email to users that support for the Car Thing would end in December of that year, [[Planned obsolescence|rendering the device inoperable]] after that point.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |url=https://x.com/mypussyfarts/status/1793679258105348378?mx=2 |title=corndog nipple ring on X |author=@mypussyfarts |date=23 May 2024 |website=X |access-date=30 Oct 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250708172545/https://x.com/mypussyfarts/status/1793679258105348378?mx=2 |archive-date=8 Jul 2025|quote=what the fuck do you mean stop operating some people actually use the car thing DAILY @Spotify}}</ref>

The Car Thing support page advised Car Thing owners to "contact your state or local waste disposal department to determine how to dispose of or recycle Car Thing in accordance with applicable laws and regulations".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://support.spotify.com/us/article/car-thing-discontinued/ |title=Car Thing discontinued |work=Spotify Support |access-date=17 Sep 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250828003549/https://support.spotify.com/us/article/car-thing-discontinued/ |archive-date=28 Aug 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> On 28 May 2024, a class action lawsuit was filed against Spotify due to a lack of refunds offered for the Car Thing product.

"All of the claims herein arise out of Spotify's decision to unilaterally and without recourse cut off its support of the Car Thing and announce its plan to terminate its functionality on December 9, 2024," the lawsuit reads. "Many owners of the Car Thing have complained in public forums and to Spotify about the discontinuance of the product and have requested that Spotify address and remedy the problem by providing a refund, equivalent replacement, or allow the Car Thing to be open sourced for use outside of Spotify's control. Spotify has stated that it will not refund, or replace, the Car Thing, instead recommending that Consumers 'reset your Car Thing to factory settings and safely dispose of your device following local electronic waste guidelines.'" <ref>[[:File:Spotify-car-thing-lawsuit-class-action-mazumder-may-2024.pdf]]</ref>

On 31 May 2024, Spotify began offering refunds for the Car Thing. In December 2024, the Spotify website for Car Thing read, "Contact customer service by no later than January 14, 2025 to discuss your refund options."<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://carthing.spotify.com/ |title=Car Thing |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241225024757/https://carthing.spotify.com/ |archive-date=25 Dec 2024 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The Spotify support web page for Car Thing states that they are discontinuing the hardware product as part of ongoing efforts to streamline their product offerings.<ref name=":0" />
{{Clear}}

===Voice and environment surveillance patent ''(2021)''===
<blockquote>The audio signals may be recorded in real-time, or may correspond to previously-recorded audio signals...

For example, such metadata might include an emotional state...... in one example aspect, the content metadata indicates an emotional state of a speaker providing the voice.</blockquote>

In 2021, Spotify was granted [https://consumerrights.wiki/images/e/e3/US10891948.pdf US patent 10891948 B2] for ''"identification of Taste Attributes from an audio signal".'' This describes tech that:

#Analyzes what users say
#Analyzes background noise to determine where you are(bus stop, coffee shop, home, etc)
#Scores incoming data to guess a user's mood or emotional state.

The patent describes listening to birds chirping, printers printing, cars on a street. This technology enables Spotify to create detailed profiles of their users' activities, how they feel, and social interactions without users understanding that their data is being collected in this way.

This is marketed as a music recommendation system. The patent demonstrates that Spotify's capabilities go far further than music taste evaluation, with the ability for personal surveillance.

According to a statement Spotify gave at news media they are not currently using this in their service, however they have not committed to never using this technology on their service.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Heater |first=Alex |title=Spotify is patenting a surveillance system disguised as a music recommendation engine |url=https://www.soundguys.com/spotify-surveillence-patent-51768/ |website=SoundGuys |date=14 Apr 2021 |access-date=16 Jun 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210529113552/https://www.soundguys.com/spotify-surveillence-patent-51768/ |archive-date=29 May 2021}}</ref>

===Fake artists and playlist manipulation ''(2024-)''===
In recent years, Spotify has experimented with inserting extra AI and long-form content into user playlists, in order to lower the average royalty cost paid out per user.

*Perfect Fit Content (PFC) Program:

::An internal initiative to seed playlists with AI-generated or low-cost music (''e.g., ambient and jazz'') from Swedish and English producers. These tracks replaced human artists to reduce royalty payouts.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=The truth about Spotify |url=https://www.honest-broker.com/p/the-ugly-truth-about-spotify-is-finally |date=19 Dec 2024 |first=Ted |last=Gioia |website=The Honest Broker |access-date=17 Sep 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250905090427/https://www.honest-broker.com/p/the-ugly-truth-about-spotify-is-finally |archive-date=5 Sep 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref>

*Fake artist networks:

::Investigators found twenty individuals operating under 500 aliases (''e.g., Trumpet Bumblefig, Vattio Bud, et al'') generating millions of streams. One obscure Swedish jazz artist outperformed Grammy winning albums.<ref name=":1" />
::Spotify managers claimed that listeners "wouldn't know the difference" between authentic and PFC tracks upon concerns brought up by other employees.<ref name=":1" />

===DMCA notice against ReVanced ''(September 2025)''===
[[File:ReVanced DMCA from Spotify.png|thumb|275px|ReVanced's announcement of the DMCA notice filed by Spotify.]]
On 12 September 2025, Spotify filed a [[DMCA]] take-down notice against ReVanced's "Unlock Spotify Premium" patch.<ref>{{Cite web |author= |date=12 Sep 2025 |title=Spotify DMCA notice - Seeking legal help |url=https://revanced.app/announcements/15-spotify-dmca-notice-seeking-legal-help |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/gIx8d |archive-date=18 Sep 2025 |access-date=30 Oct 2025 |website=ReVanced}}</ref> Spotify alleged that the patch enabled circumvention of its digital protection measures by enabling users to remove advertisements and UI restrictions on the free version of Spotify. This is part of a broader crackdown where Spotify has disabled users from utilizing third-party tools to access its content, such as Grayjay.<ref>{{Cite web |author= |date= |title=FMHY-Notes.md • fmhy/FMHY Wiki |url=https://github.com/fmhy/FMHY/wiki/FMHY%E2%80%90Notes.md#android-spotify-note |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251030055834/https://github.com/fmhy/FMHY/wiki/FMHY%E2%80%90Notes.md#android-spotify-note |archive-date=30 Oct 2025 |access-date=30 Oct 2025 |website=GitHub |quote=Android Spotify Note - Keep in mind that Spotify patchers are not currently working for all users in all regions.}}</ref>

Louis Rossmann and ReVanced have proven that the patch only removes client-side restrictions and does not violate 17 U.S. Code § 1201 of the DMCA,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rossmann |first=Louis |date=17 Sep 2025 |title=Spotify wants you in prison for skipping lines of code: the revanced case & where I stand |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgFCC9haqB4 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=kgFCC9haqB4 |archive-date=18 Sep 2025 |access-date=30 Oct 2025 |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref> but ReVanced complied with the request regardless and is still aiming to regain the right to host the patch.
{{Clear}}

===Spotify API restrictions===
On March 9, 2026, Spotify has [https://developer.spotify.com/blog/2026-02-06-update-on-developer-access-and-platform-security implemented significant restrictions on the use of its API] to "enhance platform security and manage developer access more effectively". Main changes:
*'''Development Mode use will require a Spotify Premium account.'''
*Developers will be limited to one Development Mode Client ID.
*Each Client ID will be limited to up to 5 authorized users.
*API access will be limited to a smaller set of [https://developer.spotify.com/documentation/web-api/references/changes/february-2026 supported endpoints].

==See also==
*[[Apple Music]]
*[[Deezer]]
*[[Pandora]]
*[[SoundCloud]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Spotify]]

Consumer Rights Wiki - User contributions [en]

Spotify