Spotify for Creators community guidelines

At Spotify, our mission is to democratize audio. We want to be a platform that enables a diverse range of voices and perspectives to share their stories with the world.

However, that doesn’t mean anything goes on our platform.

Below is a list of guidelines for creating content on Spotify for Creators to ensure that everyone has a safe and enjoyable experience. We reserve the right to remove any content we think violates our guidelines, the Spotify Platform Rules, or our Terms of Service. Also, bear in mind that as we grow, our policies may change.

Hateful content

We don’t permit content that incites violence or hatred towards an individual or group based on race, religion, gender identity or expression, sex, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, veteran status, age, or disability or other characteristics associated with systemic discrimination or marginalization.

Examples of what to avoid include:

• Praising violence against groups based on the characteristics listed above
• Encouraging others to believe that a person or group is inhuman or worthy of being hated based on the characteristics listed above
• Glorifying images and symbols associated with hate groups
• Claims that a group is predisposed to committing offline harm
• Promoting supremacist beliefs
• Promoting revisionist theories about acts of genocide

Dangerous content

Please don’t encourage others to do anything that could put themselves or anyone else in serious physical harm. This includes, but isn’t limited to, dangerous challenges or acts of suicide and/or self-harm.

Violent or graphic content

We don’t allow content that features graphic or gratuitous depictions of violence, gore, or other shocking elements.

Examples of what to avoid include:

• Depictions of graphic acts of violence or abuse
• Gruesome depictions of serious physical injury or trauma

Harassment or cyberbullying

We don’t allow harassment on Spotify for Creators. Examples include:

• Sharing, threatening to share, or encouraging others to share someone’s private information without their consent
• Repeatedly targeting someone with unwanted sexual advances

Sexually explicit content

You should avoid content that contains sexually explicit material such as:

• Pornography and other similar graphic depictions of sexual acts for the purpose of sexual gratification
• Depictions or descriptions of genitalia or nudity presented for the purpose of sexual gratification
• Advocating or glorifying sexual themes related to rape, incest, or beastiality

Infringing content

We protect creators’ intellectual property so they can be fairly compensated for their work. Any content that is provided to Spotify without rightsholder permission may be removed. The same is true for content that infringes upon the trademarks of others. If you use samples in your music, make sure they are cleared with the owner first.

Illegal content

We require content providers to comply with applicable laws and regulations, including those governing content administered by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) and the German ​Bundesprüfstelle für jugendgefährdende Medien (“BPjM”). Any content in violation of local laws may be removed, and we may withhold related payments if that content is subject to sanctions.

Impersonation

Avoid content that impersonates others in a way that is intended or likely to deceive. This includes posing as or mimicking another person, or misrepresenting your affiliation with a person, brand, or organization.

Spam

We don’t allow any kind of spam on Spotify for Creators. Spam includes, but isn't limited to:

• Content made solely to improve SEO or promote a product or service
• Mass publishing identical or indistinguishable content that directs listeners to potentially harmful sites or services, or violates our monetization policies

Monetization fraud

Using our monetization features fraudulently may result in monetization bans, account removals, and platform bans.

Monetization fraud includes, but isn’t limited to:

• Using credit cards you don’t own to generate fraudulent Listener Support earnings
• Inflating play counts to increase ad impressions and generate fraudulent earnings
• Enlisting a third party to generate inauthentic Listener Support or Subscriptions earnings

Enforcement

You can report content you think violates these guidelines by contacting us directly. Once we’ve received your report, we’ll review the content and take action if we find any violations. For claims against content you believe infringes your intellectual property rights, please visit this page.

Repeated violations of our prohibited content policies can result in losing access to the Spotify platform.