7 Ways To Get Banned On Spotify (Explained)

Spotify is one of the most popular music streaming apps around. You can download music, create the perfect playlist, and even discover new music.

What happens when you find that your Spotify account was banned? More importantly, what was the reason why your account was banned?

Here are some reasons why Spotify may ban your account so that you can ensure not to break the rules:

1. Using Someone Else’s Credit Card

The number one reason why Spotify would ban an account is if they suspect that fraudulent activity may be occurring. More specifically, if you are using a credit or debit card that isn’t in your name.

Using someone else’s card to pay for a Spotify account when the account is registered under your name is considered to be fraudulent. While Spotify generally is free to use, you can opt to purchase a premium account that will allow you to use extra features like an ad-free experience.

Once you purchase a Spotify premium account, you will be charged monthly, and when someone else’s card is being used, they will be able to view the purchase and dispute the charges.

Once Spotify is notified that a charge is being questioned, they will waste no time banning the account linked to that credit card. Not only will Spotify ban the account, but they will also ban the email and address linked to that account which will prevent you from creating a new account in the future.

2. Having an Inappropriate Username or Playlist

Using a user name that contains inappropriate language or offensive terms is a sure way to find yourself getting banned from the Spotify platform.

However, this shouldn’t come as a big surprise. When you sign up for Spotify, you will have to sign off on their terms of use before you are allowed to start streaming and enjoying music.

While those terms are long and a little daunting to read, it clearly states that you can’t use certain terms or language for your user name. So, if you want to keep enjoying your favorite playlist or podcast, stick to a username or a playlist name that is within the boundaries of the guidelines.

3. Illegally Copying Files

If Spotify believes you are illegally copying files from the streaming platform, it will permanently ban your account. This is because you are not only doing something illegal but also putting Spotify’s licensing agreement at risk.

There are a few ways to illegally copy files from Spotify, and you may not even know that you are doing it. The most common way people get caught doing so is by using an external application or platform to get around the rules.

Using a third-party platform the copy music from Spotify is a surefire way to get your Spotify account flagged. Once your account is flagged, it is only a matter of time before they officially ban your account.

4. Harassing Other Users

Any social media platform will require you to follow guidelines regarding treating other users. Since Spotify is considered a social service, any harassment done through the platform will result in your account getting banned.

On Spotify, the most common form of harassment is spamming reports that are not founded.

Spotify is great for new artists to showcase their music without being attached to a major label. This can come with some amount of backlash from other users.

Recently, Spotify has come under fire for not protecting smaller artists from harassment regarding being reported. People will spam these artists’ playlists with reports forcing Spotify to remove their music while they sort out the complaints.

While many of these mass reporting issues get worked out in a week, they cause major problems for the artist. More specifically, it makes it harder for people to discover their music, preventing them from growing their fanbase.

Since there has been so much pushback from smaller artists about how Spotify handles mass reporting that isn’t founded, Spotify has started to protect people from this harassment.

If Spotify finds that you are using your account to report playlists for an unfounded reason, you will get your Spotify account banned.

5. Too Many Missed Payments

As mentioned, Spotify has several payment agreements if you purchase a premium account. You only do so if you plan on making monthly or yearly payments.

Understandably, finances can change on a whim, sometimes forcing you to miss a payment. If you miss too many payments or the charges are declining, Spotify can ban your account and ban you from registering for a new account.

However, it isn’t just low funds that can cause your payment to be declined.

Cards that have expired will also force your payment to be declined. This is why recording which payment goes on which card is important.

If you find that your card is expiring or you have lost your card, which means a new one will be issued, make sure to update this information on your Spotify account so that you won’t miss another payment if you don’t want your account to be banned.

6. Artificial Plays or Followers

With Spotify, the more followers or plays you get, the more visibility you have. As a musician, this will not only increase your fanbase but will also help you to become popular on that platform.

It is important to only get plays and followers organically. Many people feel the pressure to get a lot of followers, which can lead some people to purchase plays and followers.

You can purchase plays and followers from third-party platforms that use bots and fake accounts to increase your visibility. The price of this will depend on how many bot followers you will get.

While you may think this is an innocent thing to do, a large increase of followers or plays will flag your account and put it under review in a short amount of time.

If Spotify finds that you are increasing your follower count artificially, you will ban your account, which means you will lose your following and decrease your plays to zero. So, to keep your account safe, always take the slow and steady route to gain followers.

7. Using The Spotify Brand Without Permission

While Spotify is meant to be used by everyone, Spotify still owns the rights to all of its branding and marketing materials.

More specifically, if you are hosting an event to showcase your music on Spotify and use any of the Spotify branding materials to promote your event, you can find that your account will be banned.

However, this is limited to just events, either. Any use of the Spotify logo is strictly prohibited. Some artists get themselves in trouble when advertising that their music is featured on Spotify by using the logo without getting permission.

Spotify, like any company, takes its branding and marketing seriously so that it won’t play around if they find out that its branding is being used without permission. This is especially true if you use the logo or branding on any merchandise you sell.

This will be considered fraudulent and not only result in your account getting banned but may also come along with some legal action filed by Spotify itself.

Sources:

Spotify Account Suspension