Does Spotify track my location?

Spotify collects general (non-precise) location such as country or region inferred from IP address or payment currency.

What personal data does Spotify collect?

Spotify collects account info, profile data, listening history, device identifiers, cookie data, payment details, and optional voice recordings.

How does Spotify use my data for recommendations and ads?

Spotify uses your Usage Data to personalise recommendations and serve tailored ads, and it may use partner inferences to improve targeting.

Who does Spotify share my data with?

Spotify shares data with service providers (hosting, payments, support), advertising and marketing partners, hosting platforms, group companies, and authorities.

How long does Spotify retain my data after account deletion?

Some data (e.g., streaming history) is deleted or de-identified when an account is removed, but certain data may be retained longer for legal, safety, or fraud purposes.

Does Spotify create profiles or use behavioral profiling for ads?

Yes — Spotify builds inferences and profiles from your usage and partner signals to personalise content and deliver interest-based advertising.

What tracking technologies does Spotify use (cookies, pixels, beacons)?

Spotify explicitly uses cookies and cookie data to understand interests and for marketing; the policy references a Cookies Policy for details.

How can I opt out of Spotify targeted ads and personalized data use?

Use the Account Privacy page to switch off Tailored Ads or adjust privacy settings; some ads may still be shown based on basic registration info.

How do I delete my Spotify account and data?

You can delete your account via Spotify support or account settings; after deletion, some data is deleted or de-identified, while limited data may be retained for legal/safety reasons.

Does Spotify transfer my data internationally and how is it protected?

Yes — Spotify transfers data internationally using Standard Contractual Clauses, adequacy decisions, encryption, and pseudonymisation measures to protect data.

What Data Does Spotify Collect? Privacy Policy Breakdown

Quick Summary

What They Collect: Account, profile, listening history, device identifiers, payment data, voice recordings (when used).
How They Use & Share It: Personalisation, ads, payments, security; shared with advertisers, service providers, hosting platforms, and group companies.
Your Rights: Access, rectify, erase, object, portability, withdraw consent; tailored ads control in account settings.

Why You Should Care About Spotify's Privacy Practices

Spotify collects high-risk behavioral data (streaming history, voice recordings, payment details) that can identify habits and preferences.
Third-party ad and marketing partners receive inferences and combine data, enabling targeted ads and profiling across services.
Streaming history is retained for the life of your account and some data is kept after deletion for investigations, increasing long-term exposure.
Mandatory arbitration and class-action waivers in the Terms reduce collective legal options; read terms before disputing.

Why High Exposure?

Spotify collects extensive personal and behavioral data including streaming history, voice recordings, and payment details, increasing privacy exposure.

The service shares data widely with advertisers, marketing partners, hosting platforms, and group companies for ads and measurement.

Retention practices keep streaming history for account lifetime and some data after deletion for safety or legal reasons, creating long-term exposure.

Personal data is used for profiling and to train or improve recommendation algorithms, enabling automated personalization and behavioral targeting.

Learn more about our methodology →

Privacy Highlights

What They Collect

Account information
Profile information (profile name, profile photo)
User content and files (images, audio, text, playlists, posts)
Payment information (payment method type, card digits, billing ZIP)
Demographic information (date of birth, gender, country)

How They Share Data

Business affiliates and subsidiaries / Spotify group companies
Service providers (hosting, payments, customer support, security)
Advertising and marketing partners (ad partners, marketing partners)
Third-party app/integration developers and device partners (social media, speakers, voice assistants, automotive)

Data Retention

Spotify keeps data only as long as necessary: some items expire (search queries ~90 days), streaming history is kept for the life of the account, and limited data may be retained after deletion for legal, safety, or fraud-prevention reasons.

Your Rights

Access data (Download your data tool / data access)
Rectify data (edit profile and user data)
Erase or limit processing (Erasure / Restriction requests)
Object to processing (including for tailored advertising)

Detailed Analysis

Concerning Practices

Behavioral profiling and inferences used for personalization and tailored advertising
Uses personal data to develop and improve personalised recommendation algorithms (ML/AI processing)
Receives third-party inferences from advertising/marketing partners for ad targeting
International transfers to countries with different data protections (SCCs, adequacy noted)
Data retention after account deletion for limited purposes (some data retained for safety, legal obligations)
Mandatory arbitration and class-action waiver provisions in the Terms of Use
Retention of streaming history for the life of the account to support personalised features (not deleted until account removal)
Proactive retention/monitoring to investigate harmful content or platform safety (data kept for safety investigations)

Personal Data Types

Account information Profile information (profile name, profile photo) User content and files (images, audio, text, playlists, posts) Payment information (payment method type, card digits, billing ZIP) Demographic information (date of birth, gender, country) Feedback data / Survey and Research Data Support data (customer support interactions) Linked account data / Authentication partner data (if you sign in with another service) Device and technical identifiers (IP address, device IDs, OS, browser, app version) Usage and service data (search queries, streaming history, playlists, interactions, timestamps) Website usage data and online identifiers (cookie data, URL information, browsing history) Geolocation (general/non-precise location such as country/region inferred from IP or payment currency) Voice data and transcripts (when voice features used) Survey and research responses (user-provided research data) Street / mailing address (billing address for Premium subscriptions and physical products)Device sensor data (accelerometer, gyroscope data from mobile devices when enabled)Inferred data and audience segments (interests and audience segments inferred from listening, usage and behavior)

Tracking Methods

Strictly Necessary cookies (essential for Spotify service to function)Performance cookies (analytics and measurement of usage, errors, and performance)Functional cookies (enhanced features and personalization, e.g., preferred language)Targeting / Advertising cookies (personalized ads and interest-based advertising)First-party cookies (set by Spotify on Spotify domains)Third-party cookies (set by advertising and analytics partners on Spotify domains)Mobile device identifiers (mobile advertising IDs and app tracking technologies)

Third Parties

Business affiliates and subsidiaries / Spotify group companies Service providers (hosting, payments, customer support, security) Advertising and marketing partners (ad partners, marketing partners) Third-party app/integration developers and device partners (social media, speakers, voice assistants, automotive) Analytics and measurement partners (partners who measure ad effectiveness) Government authorities and law enforcement (legal process disclosure) Acquirers or successors / Purchasers of our business (in sale or merger scenarios) Hosting platforms (podcast hosts and similar platforms) Academic researchers (anonymized or aggregated data shared for research purposes)

User Controls

Access data (Download your data tool / data access) Rectify data (edit profile and user data) Erase or limit processing (Erasure / Restriction requests) Object to processing (including for tailored advertising) Data portability (right to request electronic copy; EU/UK GDPR noted) Withdraw consent (controls for consent-based processing) Opt-out of marketing / Tailored Ads controls (Account Privacy page) Delete account (account deletion and related removal steps) Request data copy or export (Download your data / portability tool) Limit personalization (Private session, Tailored Ads toggle)

Spotify Privacy Summary