Spotify changes developer mode API to require premium accounts, limits test users | TechCrunch

Spotify is changing how its APIs work in Developer Mode, its layer that lets developers test their third-party applications using the audio platform’s APIs. The 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 applications with up to 25 users. Spotify is now limiting each app to only five users, and requires devs to have a Premium subscription. If developers need to make their app available to a wider user base, they will have to apply for extended quota.

Spotify says these changes are aimed to curb risky AI-aided or automated usage. “Over time, advances in automation and AI have fundamentally altered the usage patterns and 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 development mode is meant for individuals to learn and experiment.

“For individual and hobbyist developers, this update means Spotify will continue to support experimentation and personal projects, but within more clearly defined limits. Development Mode provides a sandboxed environment for learning and experimentation. It is intentionally limited and should not be relied on as a foundation for building or scaling a business on Spotify,” the company said.

The company is also deprecating several API endpoints, including the ability to pull information like new album releases, an artist’s top tracks, and markets where a track might be available. Devs will no longer be able to perform actions like request track metadata in bulk or get user profile details of others nor will they be able to pull an album’s record label information, artist follower details, and artist popularity.

This decision is the latest in a slew of measures Spotify has taken over the past couple of years to curb how much developers can do with its APIs. In November 2024, the company cut access to certain API endpoints that could reveal users’ listening patterns, including frequently repeated songs by different groups. The move also barred developers from accessing tracks’ structure, rhythm, and characteristics.

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 drew ire from developers, who accused the platform of stifling innovation and supporting only larger companies rather than individual developers.