Updating the Criteria for Web API Extended Access

[ThePodfather]

Hey, I created this thread to get your feedback on our blog post around changes to the Web API extended access criteria, which will take place on May 15th.

Please share any of your thoughts on this change in the comments below. All of your feedback will be reviewed and compiled so I can share directly with the S4D team.

Whilst I won’t be replying to individual pieces of feedback in this thread, please know that everything shared here will be read and considered. Any related threads or questions posted elsewhere on this topic will be merged here so everything is in one place.

Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts.

Update:

• Sharing some clarification that developers with existing quota moda extensions will keep their extension if they are actively using the Web API and remain in compliance with our Developer Terms. This update only applies to new developers in Dev mode seeking extended access
• As outlined in our blog post, if you've submitted your application before May 15th, we are committing to reviewing your submission based on prior criteria, whether you hear from us before that date or not.
• The criteria for the new process can be found HERE.

[TimothyLuedtke]

This is devastating. We found out about this after a year of working on a project. I have spent so much time and money getting to this point and find myself stuck. This impacts my project, my personal savings, my career aspirations, and so much more. I have lost trust in Spotify. All our app did was "like" a song in Spotify when a button was clicked in another app. We aren't scraping AI data or whatever else led to this disastrous decision.

I see only a few ways to move forward.

1. Spend more time and money developing a solution that's only compatible with Apple Music. We chose to launch with Spotify due to market share so I'm not thrilled about this...
2. Create a worse experience for Spotify users by deep-linking, which still requires additional infrastructure since you can't deeplinks to an ISRC code or anything standard.
3. Give up on my hopes and dreams. This is the easiest option.

I don't know what to do at this point. I might put the project on ice until this blows over. Unfortunately for tax purposes, you can't realize a loss on a software product that is still in development. This is a literal worst case scenario for my company (of two), my savings, my job prospects and more. Truly hoping for an update that brings some compromise to the table.

[TimothyLuedtke]

In the same boat as you. Artists, fans, and Spotify would all have been better off, but now we're back at the drawing board and might just give up.

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[sebass-tian]

oh yes, thats 100% what i feel! Thank you for your perfect words!

Is there no possibility to get an opportunity to talk with the developers/ S4D-Team and show the own app? Our app was declined until may but we dont have time to fix the problems... that was sad...

[dariosky]

Hi everyone,

I’m wondering if anyone from the Spotify Developer team is still following this forum - and if there’s any plan to revisit the current API restrictions.

Right now, the existing model (with only 25 pre-approved users in Development Mode and very high requirements for Extended Quota Mode) effectively shuts out independent developers who love the Spotify ecosystem and want to build non-commercial, community projects.

What used to be a vibrant indie dev community is going to fade because small developers can no longer share or properly test their apps with real users.

Would Spotify consider introducing an intermediate mode - something between Development and Extended Quota - that allows:

• An unlimited number of users (without the need of manual pre-approval)

• With reasonable per-user API limits to prevent abuse?

That would restore a fair balance between protecting Spotify’s infrastructure and supporting innovation, education, and open-source development within the platform.

Thank you for reading, and I hope someone from Spotify can clarify whether this topic is even being discussed internally.

PS. this is because I'm still developing LYKD - an open-source, non-profit music sharing project

[LukasF]

It looks like a deliberate decision to completely stop any indie app development with Spotify. I mean, it is obviously plain impossible to magically go from 25 users to 250.000 users to even apply for extended quota. Everyone at Spotify Dev Team knows that. It is not a mistake, it is a deliberate brick wall they built up in front of any indie dev.

I feel really sorry for anyone who has put their work and hearts into their apps, now being shut off. I'm lucky that I only now considered integrating Spotify into my app. But of course, not going to happen now...

[jaydenpriestley]

you guys are killing the developer community around spotify and the music community as a whole

[traxadev]

Hi, I'm sorry I don't understand Spotify's logic here at all. If an app's functionality relies on the Spotify WebAPI, how can a newly developed app go from 25 to 250,000 users to qualify for extended access of the Spotify WebAPI? Even an app built by a large company can't get to 250k MAU if the functionality of the app relies on the Spotify WebAPI. Am I missing something here? Is this just a way of turning off the WebAPI? 

[fergusjohnson]

Hi, I know this was a while ago. But did you have 250k MAUs or did you submit before these changes were put in place?

[icfixx]

I did not have the 250K month MAUs

[Cjlowman]

I had an app two years ago that had an extension approved but I put the project down because I couldn't find someone to partner with to help grow the website. I've now found one and want to continue the project but I opened my developer dashboard to see that 1. My extension has been removed due to inactivity and 2. now I don't qualify for even getting one!? 

In the blog post, you said that existing developers and applications won't be affected, but that is not true for my case. I was so excited to try to grow my idea with a new partner and now that seems impossible. 

fazool.us

[stuxmirai]

Crazy spotify hasn't done much to reconcile this despite the seemingly unanimous disappointment

[Smiley88]

Wow!! I just integrated my app with Spotify and just found the limitation today. This **bleep**. Just how can any startup or indie dev have 250K users??