Spotify has changed how its APIs work in Developer Mode, its layer that allows developers to test their third-party applications 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 applications with up to 25 users. Spotify now limits each app to just five users and requires devs to have a Premium subscription. If developers need to make their app available to a wider user base, they need to apply extended quota.

Spotify says these changes are aimed at preventing dangerous AI-aided or automated use. “Over time, advances in automation and AI have fundamentally changed 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 says that development mode is meant for individuals to learn and experiment.

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

The company also released several API endpoints, including the ability to retrieve information such as new album releases, an artist’s top tracks, and markets where a track is available. Devs will no longer be able to perform actions such as requesting bulk metadata tracking or obtaining other user profile details, nor will they be able to obtain album record label information, artist follower details, and artist popularity.

This decision is the latest in a number of steps Spotify has taken over the past two years to restrict how much developers can do with its APIs. In November 2024, the company has cut off access to some API endpoints which can reveal users’ listening patterns, including frequently repeated songs in different groups. The move also prohibits developers from accessing the structure, rhythm, and characteristics of tracks.

In March 2025, the company changed its baseline for extended quotas, requires developers to have a legally registered business, 250,000 monthly active users, be present in Spotify’s key markets, and operate an active and launched service. Same move drawing in anger from developerswho accused the platform of stifling innovation and only supporting large companies rather than individual developers.