No reverse-engineering or modifying unless law forbids the ban; lawful decompiling is limited to interoperability
The guidelines list activities that are "not permitted for any reason whatsoever" in relation to the Services and their content. The first is reverse-engineering, decompiling, disassembling, modifying or creating derivative works, except where applicable law expressly prohibits that restriction. Where the law lets you decompile part of the Services or Content to get information needed to build an independent program that works with the Services or another program, that information may only be used for that purpose; it may not be shared with any third party without Spotify's prior written consent unless sharing is necessary for that purpose; and it may not be used to create software or a service substantially similar in its expression to any part of the Services or Content.
Supporting quotations
The following is not permitted for any reason whatsoever in relation to the Services and the material or content made available through the Services, or any part thereof:
reverse-engineering, decompiling, disassembling, modifying, or creating derivative works, except where such restriction is expressly prohibited by applicable law.
If applicable law allows you to decompile any part of the Services or Content where required in order to obtain the information necessary to create an independent program that can be operated with the Services or with another program, the information you obtain from such activities (a) may only be used for the foregoing objective, (b) may not be disclosed or communicated without Spotify's prior written consent to any third party to whom it is not necessary to disclose or communicate in order to achieve that objective, and (c) may not be used to create any software or service that is substantially similar in its expression to any part of the Services or the Content;
Qualifications & exceptions
The ban gives way only where applicable law expressly prohibits the restriction.
Information from lawful decompiling is limited to building an interoperable independent program.
Sharing that information needs Spotify's prior written consent unless sharing is necessary for that purpose.
Not stated here
The page does not say which laws allow decompiling or where.
Content & IP Rights · Restriction or exception
No copying, ripping, recording or redistributing Spotify content unless the Agreements or law expressly allow it
You may not copy, reproduce, redistribute, "rip", record, transfer, perform, frame, link to or display to the public, broadcast, or make available to the public the Services or their content. Any other use that is not expressly permitted under "the Agreements" or applicable law, or that otherwise infringes intellectual property rights, is also not permitted.
Supporting quotations
copying, reproducing, redistributing, "ripping," recording, transferring, performing, framing, linking to or displaying to the public, broadcasting, or making available to the public, or any other use which is not expressly permitted under the Agreements or applicable law, or which otherwise infringes intellectual property rights;
Qualifications & exceptions
A use is allowed only if expressly permitted under the Agreements or applicable law.
Uses that otherwise infringe intellectual property rights are also prohibited.
Not stated here
"The Agreements" is a capitalized term this page does not define; which Spotify terms it covers is not stated here, and those terms were not supplied.
Content & IP Rights · Restriction or exception
No importing local files you lack the right to copy, and no moving cached content to another device
You may not import or copy local files into the service if you do not have the legal right to import or copy them in that way. You also may not transfer copies of cached Content from an authorized Device to any other Device, by any means.
Supporting quotations
importing or copying any local files that you do not have the legal right to import or copy in this way;
transferring copies of cached Content from an authorized Device to any other Device via any means;
Qualifications & exceptions
The local-files rule applies to files you do not have the legal right to import or copy "in this way".
The cached-content rule covers transfers "via any means".
Not stated here
"Device" and "authorized Device" are capitalized terms this page does not define.
Content & IP Rights · Restriction or exception
No crawling, scraping or bots, and no using Spotify content to train AI or machine-learning models
You may not crawl or scrape the Services, whether by hand or by automated means, or use any automated means such as bots, scrapers or spiders to view, access or collect information. You also may not use any part of the Services or Content to train a machine-learning or AI model, or otherwise feed Spotify Content into such a model.
Supporting quotations
"crawling" or "scraping", whether manually or by automated means, or otherwise using any automated means (including bots, scrapers, and spiders), to view, access or collect information, or using any part of the Services or Content to train a machine learning or AI model or otherwise ingesting Spotify Content into a machine learning or AI model;
Qualifications & exceptions
The scraping ban covers manual as well as automated crawling or scraping.
Automated means are prohibited even just to view or access information, not only to collect it.
Content & IP Rights · Restriction or exception
No selling, renting, sublicensing, leasing or other monetizing of the Services or content unless the Agreements allow it
You may not sell, rent, sublicense, lease or otherwise monetize the Services or the content made available through them, except as expressly permitted under "the Agreements".
Supporting quotations
selling, renting, sublicensing, leasing or other monetization except as expressly permitted under the Agreements;
Qualifications & exceptions
Monetization is allowed only where the Agreements expressly permit it.
Not stated here
"The Agreements" is a capitalized term this page does not define; which Spotify terms it covers is not stated here, and those terms were not supplied.
Content & IP Rights · Restriction or exception
No artificially boosting plays, follows or promotion, whether by bots, paid schemes or any other means
You may not artificially increase play counts or follow counts, artificially promote Content, or otherwise manipulate the Services. The guidelines name using bots, scripts or other automated processes, and giving or accepting any form of compensation, financial or otherwise, as examples, and also cover any other means.
Supporting quotations
artificially increasing play counts or follow counts, artificially promoting Content, or other manipulation including by (i) using any bot, script or other automated process, (ii) providing or accepting any form of compensation (financial or otherwise), or (iii) any other means;
Qualifications & exceptions
The listed methods are examples; "any other means" of manipulation is also covered.
Both providing and accepting compensation for manipulation are prohibited.
Not stated here
The page does not define what counts as "artificial" promotion.
Content & IP Rights · Restriction or exception
No removing or altering copyright, trademark or other IP notices
You may not remove or alter any copyright, trademark or other intellectual property notice, including to disguise or change who owns content or where it came from.
Supporting quotations
removing or altering any copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property notices (including for the purpose of disguising or changing any indications of ownership or source);
Qualifications & exceptions
Disguising or changing ownership or source is named as one purpose, but removing or altering notices is prohibited for any purpose.
Content & IP Rights · Restriction or exception
No deleting or altering any part of the Services or content unless the Agreements allow it or the owning user consents
You may not delete or alter any part of the Services or Content, except as expressly permitted under "the Agreements" or, for content another user made available, with that user's express consent.
Supporting quotations
deleting or altering any part of the Services or Content except as expressly permitted under the Agreements or, in the case of Content made available by another user, with such user's express consent;
Qualifications & exceptions
Deleting or altering is allowed where the Agreements expressly permit it.
For another user's content, that user's express consent allows it.
Not stated here
"The Agreements" is a capitalized term this page does not define; which Spotify terms it covers is not stated here, and those terms were not supplied.
Content & IP Rights · Restriction or exception
Your activity, posts and usernames must not be illegal, infringe others' rights, or break agreements you have signed
Spotify asks users to respect Spotify, the owners of material on the Services and other users. You may not engage in any activity, post any User Content, or register or use a username that is or includes material that is illegal or meant to promote or commit an illegal act. This includes violating intellectual property, privacy, publicity or proprietary rights of Spotify or a third party, and material that would violate an agreement you are party to, such as an exclusive recording or publishing agreement.
Supporting quotations
Please respect Spotify, the owners of the material and content on the Services, and other users of the Services.
Don't engage in any activity, post any User Content, or register or use a username, which is or includes material that:
is illegal, or intended to promote or commit an illegal act of any kind, including violations of intellectual property rights, privacy rights, publicity rights, or proprietary rights of Spotify or a third party, or would violate any agreement to which you are a party, such as, by way of example and not limitation, an exclusive recording agreement or publishing agreement;
Qualifications & exceptions
The rule covers activity, posted User Content and usernames.
Recording and publishing agreements are examples ("by way of example and not limitation"); any agreement you are party to counts.
Not stated here
"User Content" is a capitalized term this page does not define.
Content & IP Rights · Restriction or exception
No exposing others' confidential information, or personal details about yourself not meant for a worldwide audience
Your activity, posts and usernames must not expose a third party's confidential or proprietary information, or personal information about yourself that is not intended to be broadcast to people around the world.
Supporting quotations
exposes confidential or proprietary information of a third party or personal information about yourself that is not intended to be broadcast to people around the world;
Qualifications & exceptions
The rule on your own information covers only personal information "not intended to be broadcast to people around the world".
Not stated here
The page does not say how Spotify judges whether your own information was intended for broadcast.
Content & IP Rights · Restriction or exception
No impersonating Spotify or anyone else, misusing Spotify's logo or trademarks, or posting false or deceptive material
Your activity, posts and usernames must not impersonate or misrepresent your affiliation with Spotify, another user, or any other person or entity. Examples involving Spotify are using Spotify's copyrighted content, using the Spotify logo without permission, or using Spotify trademarks in a confusing way. Material that is otherwise fraudulent, false, deceptive or misleading is also not allowed.
Supporting quotations
impersonates or misrepresents your affiliation with Spotify (including, for instance, by using Spotify's copyrighted content, using the Spotify logo without permission, or otherwise using Spotify trademarks in a confusing manner), another user, person, or entity, or is otherwise fraudulent, false, deceptive, or misleading;
Qualifications & exceptions
This is one of the items in the list of material that your activity, posted User Content or username must not be or include.
The Spotify logo is covered when used "without permission"; trademarks when used "in a confusing manner".
Content & IP Rights · Restriction or exception
No spam, junk mail, chain letters or unsolicited mass mailings
Your activity, posts and usernames must not involve sending unsolicited mass mailings or other forms of spam, junk mail, chain letters or similar messages.
Supporting quotations
involves the transmission of unsolicited mass mailings or other forms of spam, junk mail, chain letters, or similar;
Qualifications & exceptions
This is one of the items in the list of material that your activity, posted User Content or username must not be or include.
Content & IP Rights · Restriction or exception
No unauthorized advertising, contests, gambling or promotion of products or services unless Spotify authorizes it
Unauthorized commercial or sales activities are not allowed, such as advertising, promotions, contests, sweepstakes, gambling, bookmaking or pyramid schemes. Unauthorized linking to, referring to or otherwise promoting commercial products or services is also not allowed, except as Spotify expressly authorizes.
Supporting quotations
unauthorized commercial or sales activities, such as advertising, promotions, contests, sweepstakes, gambling, bookmaking, or pyramid schemes;
unauthorized linking to, referencing, or otherwise promoting commercial products or services, except as expressly authorized by Spotify;
Qualifications & exceptions
This is one of the items in the list of material that your activity, posted User Content or username must not be or include.
Only "unauthorized" activities are prohibited; promoting commercial products or services is allowed where Spotify expressly authorizes it.
The listed activities are examples ("such as").
Not stated here
The page does not say how Spotify gives authorization or which commercial activity it authorizes.
Content & IP Rights · Restriction or exception
No re-posting content removed for breaking Spotify's rules, or new content made to serve the same purpose
Material that has been removed from any Spotify service for breaching its terms or policies, such as a prohibited track, episode or show, must not be posted again. This also covers content created or repurposed to reconstitute removed content or to serve the same objective as previously removed Content.
Supporting quotations
has been removed from any of our services for a breach of our terms or policies, such as a prohibited track, episode or show.
This includes content being created or repurposed to reconstitute or serve the same objective as previously removed Content.
Qualifications & exceptions
This is one of the items in the list of material that your activity, posted User Content or username must not be or include.
Removal from "any of our services" counts, not only from the service where the content is posted again.
Content newly created or repurposed to serve the same objective as removed content is covered, not only identical copies.
Not stated here
The page does not say how Spotify decides that content serves "the same objective" as removed content.