Spotify is getting very strict about its Premium Family plan. Just like Netflix stopped password sharing, the popular music streaming app is now taking active steps to stop users from sharing accounts with friends or family members who do not live with them.To enforce this rule, Spotify has introduced a strict new QR code verification system.
The company recently confirmed this move during its third-quarter investor call, noting that it is part of an ongoing process to stop misuse.How the QR code check worksIf you use a Premium Family plan, Spotify may ask you to prove that you actually live in the same house as the person paying for the account (the plan manager).To complete the check, the plan manager must open their Spotify app, go to their settings, and create a QR code. The plan member then has to scan this code using their own smartphone camera.
The biggest catch is that both people must be physically together to complete this step. You cannot simply take a screenshot and send it to a friend online, as the code refreshes every few seconds.The 7-day deadline and a 1-year banSpotify is taking this rule very seriously.
Users are given just seven days to complete the QR code scan once they get the notification. This means if you live in a different city and cannot visit home within a week, you will fail the test.
If you miss this seven-day window, Spotify will remove you from the Family plan and switch your account to the free, ad-supported version. As a penalty, you will not be able to join a different Spotify Family or Duo plan for 12 months from the date of the failed verification, although you may still rejoin the same plan.During this one-year restriction, your option for ad-free listening is to subscribe to your own Premium plan, such as an Individual Premium subscription.A "routine improvement"The Family plan is meant to let up to six members living under one roof share a subscription to save money.
However, many friends and adult children living apart have been splitting the cost of a single plan for years.During the recent earnings call, Spotify co-CEO Alex Norstrm downplayed the situation, saying this is not a "crackdown" but rather a "routine improvement."Norstrm explained that the Family Plan has been around for nearly 13 years and makes up a massive part of their total subscriber base. He added that as people find loopholes over time, the company will naturally improve its verification tools to fix them.
According to Spotify, these checks will not stop anytime soon and are now a part of the platform.In short, the days of easily sharing a single Spotify Family plan with friends across different cities are coming to an end. If you are sharing an account with someone outside your house, you now have two clear choices: be prepared to meet them in person for a quick QR code scan when the notification arrives, or get ready to pay for your own individual Spotify subscription.- Ends