[Accessibility] Requesting Guidance on Partner API Access for NVDA Screen Reader Add-on

[raf-li]

Hello Spotify Developer Community and Staff,
I'm the developer of Accessify Play, a free, open-source accessibility addon for the NVDA Screen Reader. I'm posting today to seek guidance on a critical issue that impacts our ability to serve blind and visually impaired users: finding a viable path to an extended API quota for a non-commercial, assistive technology project.
The TL;DR
Our Project: A powerful addon that makes the entire Spotify ecosystem keyboard-accessible for blind users, solving major UX challenges with the standard desktop app.
The Problem: To provide a simple "Login with Spotify" experience, we need an extended API quota. Without it, every user must complete a complex, multi-step developer setup process, which is a significant barrier for our community.
The Blocker: Our project is non-commercial, community-driven, and serves a niche audience. We cannot meet the new partner requirements of being an "Established Business Entity" or achieving "250k MAU."
Our Question: Is there an alternative path, an exception process, or a "public good" category for assistive technology projects like ours to obtain a necessary API quota extension?

What is Accessify Play?

For a blind user navigating with a screen reader, the standard Spotify desktop app can be cumbersome. Simple actions like saving a song or managing the queue require navigating through multiple menus and web-based elements.
Accessify Play solves this by acting as a powerful command center. It provides global keyboard shortcuts and clean, list-based dialogs to control every aspect of Spotify (including remote Connect devices) without ever needing to focus the main app window.
Here’s a practical comparison of the user experience:
Task Standard Spotify App + NVDA With the Accessify Play Addon
Save Current Song Navigate to the 'Now Playing' bar, find the 'More Options' button, navigate a pop-up menu, and activate 'Add to Liked Songs'. Press a single global shortcut: NVDA+Alt+Shift+L.
Manage Queue Navigate to the queue view, then tab through dozens of elements to find and manipulate tracks. Press NVDA+Shift+Alt+Q to open a dedicated, simple, list-based dialog for full queue management.
Search & Play Switch to the Spotify window, navigate to the search field, type a query, navigate through complex result categories and lists. Press NVDA+Shift+Alt+S anywhere in Windows to open a clean search dialog and start playback in seconds.
The Core Dilemma: The API Quota Catch-22
The single largest friction point for our users is authentication. Because we are limited to the standard developer quota, we cannot offer a simple, one-click "Login with Spotify" button.
Instead, as our Configuration Guide shows, every user is forced to:
Login to their account on spotify developer website.
Create their own "Spotify App" on the dashboard.
Copy the generated Client ID and paste it into our addon's settings.
This puts the burden of a developer setup on a non-technical audience that relies on assistive technology to reduce complexity, not increase it. It is the primary reason users struggle or abandon the addon.
Incompatibility with the New Partner Model
We understand that the only solution is an Extended Quota. However, the new partner requirements (effective May 15th, 2025) create an impassable roadblock for a project like Accessify Play.
Our project is, by its very nature:
Not an Established Business Entity: We are a non-commercial, open-source community project.
Not Capable of 250k MAU: Our target audience is the global community of NVDA screen reader users who use Spotify—a vital but niche user base.
This leaves us in a difficult position: the 25-user Development Mode is insufficient for a public tool, but the path to a production-level quota seems exclusively designed for commercial enterprises.
Our Questions for the Spotify Team
We are deeply committed to being a responsible and secure integration. We already use the recommended PKCE authentication flow and are prepared to meet any required security and privacy policy standards.
Given this context, we would be incredibly grateful for guidance on the following:
Is there an alternative review process or a dedicated path for non-commercial Assistive Technology (AT) projects that cannot meet the standard business and MAU requirements?
Could projects that serve a clear "public good" or accessibility function be considered for a quota extension under a different set of criteria?
Is there a specific team or contact at Spotify that handles accessibility-focused developer relations?
Thank you for your time and for building a platform that developers are passionate about. We are eager to work with you to ensure the Spotify experience is inclusive and empowering for everyone.
Best regards,
Rafli

[Ximzend]

Hi @raf-li 

Thank you for posting in the Spotify Community!

I’m sorry to hear about the issue you experienced with the Spotify apps. Accessibility has always been a top priority at Spotify and they are always looking for ways to improve. That being said, I appreciate you taking the time to reach out and share your thoughts on this, and the right team is made aware of this issue. While the team looks into things further backstage, I'd be more than happy to answer any questions you may have about the app's design. In the meantime, you can have a look at Spotify's Accessibility Center.

Let me know if you need further assistance.

[raf-li]

Hi @Ximzend, thanks a lot for the response.
Just to clarify, the issue we're facing isn’t related to the accessibility of the Spotify app itself. The problem is specifically with the Spotify Web API quota and authentication model.
Our NVDA addon uses Spotify’s Web API to perform allowed actions like saving tracks, following playlists, managing the queue, and controlling Connect devices. Everything we do is strictly within the permissions Spotify provides.
However, the challenge is this:
We cannot offer a simple “Login with Spotify” flow to our users.
Because we are limited to the standard developer quota, every user must:
1. Log in to the Spotify Developer Dashboard
2. Create their own Spotify App
3. Copy their Client ID manually
4. Paste it into our addon
For non-technical users, this is extremely difficult and discouraging.
A one-click OAuth login would completely solve this, but it requires an extended quota, which we cannot obtain under the new Partner requirements (established business entity + 250k MAU).
Since our project is open-source, non-commercial, and serves a niche accessibility community, we fall outside the normal pathways.
So our question is:
Is there any alternative process for assistive technology projects to receive an extended API quota or to enable OAuth login without requiring every user to create their own Developer App?
We appreciate any guidance — and thank you again for taking the time to respond.
Best regards,
Rafli