Your Privacy is important. As of today (1 September 2021), we've updated the language in our Privacy Policy to improve readability so it's easier to understand.
Spotify Privacy Policy
Effective as of 1 September 2021
- About this Policy
- Your personal data rights and controls
- Personal data we collect about you
- Our purpose for using your personal data
- Sharing your personal data
- Data retention and deletion
- Transfer to other countries
- Keeping your personal data safe
- Children
- Changes to this Policy
- How to contact us
1. About this Policy
This Policy describes how we process your personal data at Spotify USA Inc.
It applies to your use of:
- all Spotify streaming services as a user. This includes use of these services under our free or paid options (each a "Service Option"); and
- other Spotify services which include a link to this Privacy Policy (e.g. Spotify websites, Customer Support and the Community Site).
From now on, we'll collectively call these the "Spotify Service".
From time to time, we may develop new or offer additional services. They'll also be subject to this Policy, unless stated otherwise when we introduce them.
This Policy is not...
- the Spotify Terms of Use. That's a separate document, outlining the legal contract between you and Spotify for using the Spotify Service. It also describes the rules of Spotify and your user rights.
- about your use of other Spotify services which have their own dedicated privacy policy, such as Anchor, Soundtrap, Megaphone and Greenroom.
We have included further information about rights and disclosures as required under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) in our California Privacy Disclosures supplement.
2. Your personal data rights and controls
Privacy laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation ("GDPR"), give rights to individuals over their personal data.
See your rights and their descriptions in this table.
It’s your right to... | |
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Access | Be informed of the personal data we process about you and to request access to it |
Rectification | Request that we amend or update your personal data where it’s inaccurate or incomplete |
Erasure | Request that we delete certain of your personal data |
Restriction | Request that we temporarily or permanently stop processing all or some of your personal data |
Object | Object to us processing your personal data at any time, on grounds relating to your particular situation Object to your personal data being processed for direct marketing purposes |
Data portability | Request a copy of your personal data in electronic format and the right to transmit that personal data for use in another party’s service |
Not be subject to automated decision-making | Not be subject to a decision based solely on automated decision making (decisions without human involvement), including profiling, where the decision would have a legal effect on you or produce a similarly significant effect |
How to exercise your rights with Spotify
Access: To request a copy of your personal data from Spotify, visit your account Privacy Settings. There you can automatically download much of your personal data and find out how to request more information.
Rectification: You can edit your User Data under "Edit profile" in your account.
Erasure:
- You can remove audio content from your profile by selecting the relevant content and choosing to remove it. For example, you can remove playlists from your profile, or remove a track from your playlist.
- To request erasure of your other personal data from Spotify (e.g. your User Data, Usage Data and other data listed in Section 3 'Personal data we collect about you' below), see our support page.
Your other rights: You can contact Spotify directly to exercise your rights at any time (see Section 11 'How to contact us').
In addition, here are more privacy resources and controls:
- Privacy Center - more information about how Spotify uses your personal data, your rights, and how to use those rights.
- Privacy Settings - control the processing of certain personal data, including Tailored Ads.
- Notification Settings - learn how to set which marketing communications you get from Spotify.
- Settings (Desktop and Mobile) - control certain aspects of the Spotify Service such as "Social" and "Explicit Content".
- Cookies Policy - information on how we use cookies and how to manage your cookie preferences. Cookies are files saved on your phone, tablet or computer when you visit a website.
You also have the right to contact the Swedish Authority for Privacy Protection or your local data protection authority about any questions or concerns.
3. Personal data we collect about you
These tables set out the categories of personal data we collect and use.
Collected when you sign up for the Spotify Service or when you update your account | |
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Category | Description |
User Data | Personal data that we need to create your Spotify account and enables you to use the Spotify Service. The type of data collected depends on the type of Service Option you have, how you create your account, the country you are in, and if you use third party services to sign in. This may include your:
We receive some of this data from you e.g. from the sign up form or account page. We also collect some of this data from your device e.g. country. For more information about how we collect country, see “Your general (non-precise) location”. |
Street Address Data | We may ask for your street address for the following reasons:
In some cases, we may use a third party mapping application (such as Google Maps) to help you verify your address. |
Collected through your use of the Spotify Service | |
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Categories | Description |
Usage Data |
Personal data collected about you when you’re accessing and/or using the Spotify Service. There are a few types of information this includes, detailed in the following sections. Information about how you use Spotify Examples include:
Your general (non-precise) location This may be understood from technical data (e.g. your IP address, language setting of your device, or payment currency). We need this to meet geographic requirements in our agreements with the owners of content on the Spotify Service, and to deliver content and advertising that’s relevant to you. Your device sensor data Motion-generated or orientation-generated mobile sensor data (e.g. accelerometer or gyroscope) if needed to provide features of the Spotify Service that require this data. |
Additional data you may choose to give us |
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Categories | Description |
Voice Data |
If voice features are available in your market and only where you’ve given permission, we collect voice data (audio clips of your voice). This makes it possible for us to provide and improve Spotify’s voice features. For more information see our Voice Control Policy. |
Payment and Purchase Data | If you make any purchases from Spotify (including a paid Service Option) or sign up for a trial, we will need to process your payment data. The exact personal data collected will vary depending on the payment method, but will include information such as:
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Contests, Surveys, and Sweepstakes Data | When you complete any forms, respond to a survey or questionnaire, or take part in a contest or sweepstake, we collect the personal data you provide. |
Collected from other (‘third party’) sources | |
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Categories of third parties | Description |
Authentication partners | If you register for or log into our services using another service, we’ll receive your information from them to help create your account with us. |
Third party applications, services and devices you connect to your Spotify account | If you connect your Spotify account to a third party application, service and/or devices, we may collect certain information from them to make the integration possible. These third party apps, services or devices may include:
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Technical service partners | We work with technical service partners that give us certain data, such as mapping IP addresses to non-precise location data (e.g., city, state). This makes it possible for Spotify to provide the Spotify Service, content, and features. |
Payment partners | If you choose to pay Spotify by invoice, we may get data from our payment partners. This allows us to:
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Advertising and marketing partners | We may get data about you from certain advertising or marketing partners. This may include:
This allows us to deliver more relevant ads and marketing. |
4. Our purpose for using your personal data
The table below sets out:
- our purpose for processing your personal data
- our legal justifications (each called a "legal basis") under data protection law, for each purpose
- categories of personal data which we use for each purpose (see more about these categories in Section 3 'Personal data we collect about you')
Here is a general explanation of each "legal basis" to help you understand the table:
- Performance of a Contract: When it's necessary for Spotify (or a third party) to process your personal data to:
- comply with obligations under a contract with you, e.g. Spotify's obligations under the Terms of Use to provide the Spotify Service to you
- or verify information before a new contract with you begins.
- Legitimate Interest: When Spotify (or a third party) has an interest in using your personal data in a certain way, which is necessary and justified considering any possible risks to you and other Spotify users. For example, using your Usage Data to improve the Spotify Service for all users. Contact us if you want to understand a specific justification.
- Consent: When Spotify asks you to actively indicate your agreement to Spotify's use of your personal data for a certain purpose(s).
- Compliance with Legal Obligations: When Spotify must process your personal data to comply with a law.
Purpose for processing your data | Legal basis that permits the purpose | Categories of personal data used for the purpose |
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To provide the personalized Spotify Service. |
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To understand, diagnose, troubleshoot, and fix issues with the Spotify Service. |
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To evaluate and develop new features, technologies, and improvements to the Spotify Service. |
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For marketing, promotion, and advertising purposes. |
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To comply with legal obligations and law enforcement requests. |
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To:
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To establish, exercise, or defend legal claims. |
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To conduct business planning, reporting, and forecasting. |
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To process your payment. |
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To detect and prevent fraud, including fraudulent payments and fraudulent use of the Spotify Service. |
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To conduct research, contests, surveys, and sweepstakes. |
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5. Sharing your personal data
This section sets out the categories of recipients of the personal data collected or generated through your use of the Spotify Service.
Publicly available information
The following personal data will always be publicly available on the Spotify Service:
- Your profile name
- Your profile photo
- Your public playlists
- Who you follow on the Spotify Service
- Who follows you on the Spotify Service (you can remove followers)
Personal data you may choose to share
We will only share the following personal data with those outlined in the table below:
- where sharing of particular personal data is needed for the use of a Spotify Service feature, or a third party application, service or device, which you have chosen to use; or
- if you otherwise grant us your permission to share the personal data, e.g. by selecting the appropriate setting in the Spotify Service or by giving your consent
Categories of recipient | Reason for sharing |
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Third party applications, services and devices you connect to your Spotify Account | To connect your Spotify account, and/or allow you to use the Spotify Service in connection with third party applications, services or devices. Examples of such third party applications, services and devices include: social media applications, speaker devices, televisions, automotive platforms, or voice assistants, which interact with the Spotify Service. You can see and remove many third party connections under “Apps” in your account. |
Support community | To enable you to use the Spotify Support Community service. When you register for an account on the Spotify Support Community, we’ll ask you to create a specific profile name. This will be publicly displayed to anyone who uses the Spotify Support Community. We’ll also display any questions or comments you post. |
Other Spotify users | To share information about your use of the Spotify Service with other Spotify users, including your ‘Spotify Followers’. For example, under “Social” settings you can choose whether to share your recently played artists and your playlists on your profile. |
Artists and record labels | To receive news or promotional offers directly from artists, record labels or other partners. You may choose to share personal data (for example, your email address) for this purpose. You’ll always have the option to change your mind and withdraw your consent at any time. |
Information we may share
See this table for details of who we share to and why.
Categories of recipients | Reason for sharing |
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Service providers | So they can provide their services to Spotify. These service providers may include those we hire to:
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Payment processors | So they can process your payments, and for anti-fraud purposes. |
Advertising partners | So our ad partners can help us deliver more relevant advertising to you on the Spotify Service. For example, our ad partners help us facilitate tailored advertising:
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Marketing Partners | To promote Spotify with our partners. We share some personal data with these partners where necessary to:
Examples of partners include:
Our partners may also combine the personal data we share with them with other data they collect about you (e.g. your use of their services). We and our partners may use this information to present you with offers, promotions, or other marketing activities that we believe will be relevant to you. |
Other partner sharing | We may share personal data with partners to help us understand and improve the performance of our products and partnerships. You can see and remove many partner connections under “Apps” in your account. |
Academic researchers | For activities such as statistical analysis and academic study, but only in a pseudonymised format. Pseudonymised data is where your data is identified by a code rather than your name or other information that directly identifies you. |
Other Spotify group companies | Where we have offices, to carry out our daily business operations and so we can maintain and provide the Spotify Service to you. |
Law enforcement and other authorities | When we believe in good faith it’s necessary for us to do so, for example:
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Purchasers of our business | Where we sell or negotiate to sell our business to a buyer or possible buyer. In this situation, Spotify will continue to ensure your personal data is kept confidential. We’ll give you notice before your personal data is transferred to the buyer or a different privacy policy starts to apply. |
6. Data retention and deletion
Retention
We keep your personal data only as long as necessary to provide you with the Spotify Service and for Spotify's legitimate and essential business purposes, such as:
- maintaining the performance of the Spotify Service
- making data-driven business decisions about new features and offerings
- complying with our legal obligations
- resolving disputes
Deletion
If you close or request that we close your account, we'll delete or anonymise your personal data so it no longer identifies you, unless we're required to keep something or we still need to use it for a legally justifiable reason.
Here are some examples of situations where we're legally allowed or required to keep some of your personal data:
- if there's an unresolved issue relating to your account, such as an outstanding credit or unresolved claim or dispute
- for our legal, tax, audit and accounting obligations
- for our legitimate business interests such as fraud prevention or to maintain security.
7. Transfer to other countries
When carrying out the activities described in this Policy, Spotify shares your personal data internationally with Spotify group companies, subcontractors and partners. They may process your data in countries whose data protection laws are not considered to be as strong as EU laws or the laws which apply where you live. For example, they may not give you the same rights over your data.
Whenever we transfer personal data internationally, we use tools to:
- make sure the data transfer complies with applicable law
- help to give your data the same level of protection as it has in the EU
We do this using a variety of protections, as appropriate for each data transfer. For example, we use:
- Standard Contractual Clauses (or an alternative legal tool) to require the third party to protect your data and to provide you with EU-level rights and protections
- technical protections, such as encryption and pseudonymisation
- policies and processes to challenge disproportionate or unlawful government authority requests
You can exercise your rights under the Standard Contractual Clauses by contacting us or the third party who processes your personal data.
8. Keeping your personal data safe
We're committed to protecting our users' personal data. We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to help protect the security of your personal data. However, be aware that no system is ever completely secure.
We have implemented various safeguards including pseudonymisation, encryption, access, and retention policies to guard against unauthorised access and unnecessary retention of personal data in our systems.
To protect your user account, we encourage you to:
- use a strong password that is unique to your Spotify account
- never share your password with anyone
- limit access to your computer and browser
- log out once you have finished using the Spotify Service on a shared device
- read more detail on protecting your account
You can log out of Spotify in multiple places at once by using the "Sign out everywhere" function on your account page.
If other individuals have access to your Spotify account (for example if you've given them permission to use your account on a shared device), then they can access personal data, controls and the Spotify Service available in your account.
It's your responsibility to only provide individuals with permission to use your account where you're comfortable sharing this personal data with them. Anyone else's use of your Spotify account may impact your personalised recommendations and be included in your data download.
9. Children
Note: This Policy doesn't apply to Spotify Kids, unless the Spotify Kids Privacy Policy says so. Spotify Kids is a separate Spotify application.
The Spotify Service has a minimum "Age Limit" in each country. The Spotify Service is not directed to children whose age:
- is under the age of 13 years
- or, makes it illegal to process their personal data
- or, requires parental consent to process their personal data
We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under the applicable Age Limit. If you're under the Age Limit, please do not use the Spotify Service, and do not provide any personal data to us. Instead, we recommend using a Spotify Kids account.
If you're a parent of a child under the Age Limit and become aware that your child has provided personal data to Spotify, please contact us.
If we learn that we've collected the personal data of a child under the applicable Age Limit, we'll take reasonable steps to delete the personal data. This may require us to delete the Spotify account for that child.
When using a shared device on the main Spotify Service, you should be cautious about playing or recommending any content to individuals under 18 years old which could be inappropriate for them.
10. Changes to this Policy
We may occasionally make changes to this Policy.
When we make material changes to this Policy, we'll provide you with prominent notice as appropriate under the circumstances. For example, we may display a prominent notice within the Spotify Service or send you an email or device notification.
11. How to contact us
For any questions or concerns about this Policy, contact our Data Protection Officer any one of these ways:
- Use our privacy contact form
- Email privacy@spotify.com
- Write to us at: Spotify USA Inc., 150 Greenwich Street, Floor 62, New York, NY 10007, USA
You can also visit our Privacy Center for more clarification of this Policy.
© Spotify USA Inc.