Spotify seems to be cracking down on modded apps, as service goes down for thousands

Spotify is having a rough week, and so are thousands of its users — especially those relying on modded versions of the app. Over the past day or so, reports have poured in from people unable to stream music or podcasts on the platform. Social media, especially X, has been buzzing with complaints.

But here’s where things get interesting: a lot of the chatter points to one specific group of users — those using modded Spotify apps. If you’ve never heard of them, these are unofficial versions of the app that unlock premium features like ad-free streaming and offline downloads, all without paying a dime. They’ve been a popular workaround for years, but now, it seems, they’ve hit a wall. Users are claiming their modded apps are either refusing to load playlists, not connecting to the internet, or simply crashing altogether.

On X, people haven’t been shy about airing their frustrations. One person wrote, “fr they took down all the Spotify mod APKs,” while another joked, “Still ain’t gonna buy premium—f**k capitalism.” Reddit is seeing similar discussions, with some users sharing tips to export playlists to other platforms like YouTube Music, or finding temporary workarounds by using Spotify’s web app through a browser like Brave.

It’s not clear whether this is part of an official crackdown by Spotify. The company hasn’t released any statement, so for now, it’s all speculation. Still, the timing and the sheer number of affected modded app users are making people suspicious. Some are wondering if this is Spotify’s way of nudging free users toward paid subscriptions, while others think it could just be a coincidence or a temporary glitch.

For now, there’s no definitive answer. If you’re one of the affected users, you’re left with a few options: wait and see if things get back to normal, try a workaround like the web app, or start considering other music platforms. Whatever the case, it’s clear that this situation has a lot of people frustrated — and maybe rethinking their streaming habits. But before you quit for good, you might want to hang around to check out your Spotify Wrapped 2024 which could be dropping any time now.