Spotify: Difference between revisions

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==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 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====

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====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}}</ref>

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====

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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=https://~~archive~~.is/~~zcD73~~ |archive-date=~~30 Oct~~ 2025 |quote=what the fuck do you mean stop operating some people actually use the car thing DAILY @Spotify}}</ref>

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.

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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.

===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==

@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 ==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 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====
@@ Line 18: / Line 18: @@
 ====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}}</ref>
+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====
@@ Line 35: / Line 35: @@
 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=https://archive.is/zcD73 |archive-date=30 Oct 2025 |quote=what the fuck do you mean stop operating some people actually use the car thing DAILY @Spotify}}</ref>
+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.
@@ Line 79: / Line 79: @@
 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==