Spotify has shut down several API endpoints
Spotify’s decision to immediately shut down several Web API endpoints is breaking many hobbyist tools and custom integrations that relied on features like audio analysis and recommendations, unless those apps already had hard-to-obtain “extended mode” access. Commenters see the move as part of a broader trend of large platforms locking down or monetizing APIs after years of openness, undermining third-party innovation and adversarial interoperability. The change also reignites criticism of Spotify’s business model, with many users weighing a shift to alternatives such as Apple Music, Tidal, Bandcamp, or self-hosted music servers that offer better artist payouts, more control, or open ecosystems.
API changes and immediate impact
- Spotify shut down several Web API endpoints immediately, while grandfathering existing apps with “extended mode” access.
- Apps still in development mode and all new apps are affected; many hobby scripts used development keys and broke overnight.
- Key losses include access to recommendation endpoints and the “Audio Features” / analysis endpoints used to get per-track attributes (energy, valence, danceability, etc.).
- Some users note this also breaks improved integrations (e.g., HomeAssistant, custom playlist tools, jukebox-style apps).
Developer frustration and access model
- Extended access requires an approval process; multiple commenters say it’s slow, opaque, and often stalls for months.
- Many personal/utility projects never applied because they weren’t commercial, so they’re now locked out.
- People criticize Spotify’s framing of the change as “security,” seeing it instead as reducing user value and third‑party freedom.
Music discovery, recommendations, and lost features
- Several commenters used the API for graph‑style discovery (related artists networks), filtering by audio features, and custom radios; they report better discovery than Spotify’s built‑in tools.
- Others find Spotify’s native recommendations decent or “fabulous,” while some say they became shallow, repetitive, or payola‑like over time.
- LLMs as replacements for these APIs are widely doubted; audio analysis is seen as solvable, but not via generic LLMs, and recommendations are viewed as inherently hard.
Alternatives and self‑hosting
- Suggestions include running personal music servers with tools like PlexAmp, Jellyfin, MusicBrainz Picard, beets, and ListenBrainz, plus buying from Bandcamp or similar.
- Some point to MetaBrainz/ListenBrainz as open, recommendation‑oriented alternatives that are actively trying to fill gaps.
- Reverse‑engineering efforts (e.g., librespot, unofficial clients like psst) are mentioned, but many rely on the now‑restricted endpoints.
Artist compensation and streaming economics
- Long subthread debates whether streaming (especially Spotify’s pro‑rata model) is “terrible” for artists versus merely reflecting historic realities.
- Touring as primary income is both defended and attacked, with detailed breakdowns arguing that mid‑level tours often barely break even.
- Comparisons: Apple Music and Tidal are said to pay more per stream but may be subsidized or unprofitable; labels are repeatedly described as the main power brokers.
APIs, lock‑in, and broader trend
- Multiple commenters link this move to a wider pattern: large platforms shutting or monetizing APIs (Twitter, Reddit, Deezer, YouTube Music) after growth phases end.
- Some see this as classic “enshittification” and value extraction; others frame it as inevitable once unprofitable features are scrutinized.