Spotify is changing the way its APIs work in developer mode, its tier that lets developers test their third-party apps using the audio platform’s APIs. Changes include a mandatory premium account, fewer test users, and a limited number of API endpoints.
The company debuted Developer Mode in 2021 to allow developers to test their apps with up to 25 users. Spotify now limits each app to only five users and requires developers to have a Premium subscription. If developers need to make their app available to a wider user base, they will need to apply expanded quota.
Spotify says these changes are aimed at limiting risky use with the help of artificial intelligence or automated use. “Over time, advances in automation and artificial intelligence have fundamentally changed usage patterns and the risk profile of developer access, and at Spotify’s current scale, these risks now require more structured controls,” the company said in a blog post.
The company notes that the development mode is intended for people to learn and experiment.
“For individual and hobbyist developers, this update means that Spotify will continue to support experimentation and personal projects, but within clearer boundaries. The development mode provides a sandbox environment for learning and experimentation. It is intentionally limited and should not be relied upon as a basis for building or scaling a Spotify business,” the company said.
The company is also rolling out several API endpoints, including the ability to pull information such as new album releases, an artist’s top tracks, and markets where a track might be available. Developers will no longer be able to perform actions such as bulk request metadata of a track or obtain user profile information of others, nor pull an album’s label information, artist follower information, and artist popularity.
This decision is the latest in a series of steps Spotify has taken over the past two years to limit how much developers can do with its APIs. In November 2024, the company disabled access to certain API endpoints that could reveal users’ listening patterns, including frequently repeated songs from different groups. The move also banned developers from accessing the structure, tempo and features of tracks.
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In March 2025, the company changed its baseline for extended quotas, requiring developers to have a legally registered business, 250,000 monthly active users, be available in key Spotify markets, and operate an active and launched service. Both moves caused outrage from programmerswho accused the platform of stifling innovation and only supporting larger companies rather than individual developers.
