Web API use case & quota question — physical playback controller

AbsenceAB — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 16:13:49 GMT

Hi,

I’m building a hardware prototype that acts as a physical controller for Spotify playback.

The device reads NFC tags embedded in physical media (e.g. vinyl records). When a tag is detected, it sends the tag ID to a backend, which triggers playback via the Spotify Web API.

Setup:

- Playback happens on the user’s existing Spotify Connect devices

- The device itself does not stream audio and does not implement Spotify Connect

- All requests use user-authorized OAuth tokens (via a web app)

- The device is purely a physical controller (not a Spotify client)

Demo:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/vhcebd8khfi1eu2vodm64/Demo-1080.mp4?rlkey=s5bjuedkf9ppb88u2inbi5xvh&e=1&st=f992bvmd&dl=0

Question:

Would this type of use case generally be considered compliant with Spotify Web API policies?

And if so, what is the recommended path to move beyond development mode (e.g. quota extension) for a hardware product like this?

Happy to adjust the implementation if needed.

Thanks

topic Web API use case & quota question — physical playback controller in Spotify for Developers

Web API use case & quota question — physical playback controller