Deleting your Spotify account can seem like a daunting task, cutting you off from those meticulously crafted playlists and years of personalized recommendations. But if Spotify is no longer jiving with your musical needs, this step-by-step guide will walk you through cancelling your account smoothly.
By the end, you‘ll know how to delete your Spotify profile permanently, what happens when you delete an account, reasons to justify this nuclear option, and tips to salvage your data. Let‘s dive in music lover!
How to Permanently Delete Your Spotify Account
Before getting to the nitty-gritty details, here are a few things you should keep in mind:
-
You need to cancel any active Spotify Premium subscription before deleting your account.
-
The account deletion process cannot be reversed once you confirm the closure request.
-
Your playlists, followers, listening history, liked songs – all personal data will be lost when your account is erased.
Ready to take the plunge? Here is exactly how to remove your Spotify account:
Step 1: Log Into Your Spotify Account
Visit the Spotify website and log into your account using your username and password credentials.
You‘ll land on the Spotify dashboard page upon successful login.
Step 2: Access Your Spotify Account Settings
Click on your profile icon on the top right corner of the screen and select Account from the dropdown menu.
This will open your Account Overview page with options like subscription plan, payment details, profile settings, etc.
Step 3: Find the "Close Account" Option
Scroll down to the Account Settings section of your Account Overview page. Here you will see the option to Close Account.
Go ahead and click on Close Account. A new page will open with details.
Step 4: Confirm Account Closure Request
On the account closure page, Spotify will explain what happens when you delete your account. Read through this information carefully before proceeding.
Check the box to confirm account closure and then click Continue.
This will initiate the account cancellation workflow.
Step 5: Enter Password to Verify Deletion Request
On the next page, you will be prompted to enter your account password again.
Type in your current Spotify password and click Close Account to verify the deletion request.
That‘s it! Your Spotify account closure will now be processed and scheduled for deletion.
Note that you have 7 days to reverse course and cancel the closure request if you change your mind. Simply log back in within 7 days, and your account will be restored with all associated data.
But after those 7 days of grace period, your Spotify profile will be permanently deleted with no option to retrieve it.
What Happens When You Delete Your Spotify Account?
Deleting your Spotify account cuts all ties you have with the music streaming service. Here‘s a quick rundown of what you stand to lose:
-
Playlists – All your custom playlists, both private and public, will be erased.
-
Followers/Following – You will lose all your followers. And access to who you were following on Spotify will also be revoked.
-
Listening history – Your previously streamed tracks and habits that powered recommendations will be wiped out.
-
Liked songs – Your library of liked songs and albums will disappear.
-
Profile customizations – Profile image, bio, username, link previews, etc will be removed.
-
Social connections – Any Facebook or Instagram account connected to your Spotify will be disconnected.
-
Billing details – Payment methods and billing address on file will no longer be accessible.
-
Account recovery – You will not be able to sign up again with the same username.
Essentially, all personal data and customizations associated with your Spotify account will be purged from their systems.
Justifiable Reasons to Delete Your Spotify Account
With over 422 million monthly active users, Spotify is the world‘s most popular audio streaming subscription service.
But the platform‘s dominance doesn‘t work for everyone. Here are some of the top reasons you may want to delete your Spotify account:
1. Costly Subscription Fees
Spotify Premium costs $9.99 per month for individual members. For people who don‘t stream music daily, shelling out $120 per year is not worth it. Deleting your account is the only way to ensure you aren‘t charged again if you forget to cancel the renewal.
According to Spotify, they have 182 million paid subscribers globally as of Q4 2022. But even more folks use the free ad-supported version.
2. Disruptive Ads in the Free Tier
Non-paying Spotify members have to tolerate periodic audio ad interruptions. These can be jarring if you‘re trying to get work done while listening to music. Deleting your account is the most definitive way to escape the pesky ads.
3. Unacceptable Audio Quality
With the free version, Spotify streams music at 160 Kbps, while Premium subscribers get 256 Kbps. For audiophiles, this sound quality may be inadequate. Leaving Spotify behind is one way of taking a stand for higher fidelity standards.
4. Requires Constant Internet Connectivity
You cannot listen to Spotify tracks offline without a paid Premium account. Frequent travelers or remote workers may find this reliance on internet connectivity frustrating. Removing one‘s account eliminates this limitation entirely.
5. Privacy and Data Sharing Concerns
Spotify‘s data collection practices have raised eyebrows before. The platform tracks your listening habits, favorites, activity, location and more. Worried about how this personal data might be used or shared? Account deletion cuts off data access.
6. Hard Drive Space Constraints
Between cached songs and the app size, Spotify can consume significant local storage on phones. Deleting account and app frees up precious hard drive room.
7. Ideological Protest Against Certain Content
In January 2022, Neil Young pulled his music from Spotify in protest of COVID misinformation aired on Joe Rogan‘s podcast. This triggered a #DeleteSpotify movement online. Account deletion is the strongest brand protest possible for angry users.
Helpful Tips Before Deleting Your Spotify Account
If you are set on erasing your Spotify presence, here are some tips to follow beforehand:
-
Download your Spotify data for a limited backup. You can request an archive of playlists, your library, recommendations and other account activity.
-
Officially cancel any active Premium subscription to avoid surprise charges in the future.
-
Export your playlists or save songs to a non-Spotify folder for future reference.
-
Disconnect your Spotify account from any social media profiles like Facebook to cut ties completely.
-
Create a playlist of your "Liked Songs" so you have a copy before those are wiped out.
-
Delete the Spotify app from all devices and disconnect any Spotify Connect devices.
-
Cancel any ongoing Spotify gift card subscriptions your account may have.
-
Unsubscribe from artist, podcast or playlist notifications you may receive by email.
How To Retrieve Your Account Within 7 Days
Within 7 days of initiating account deletion, Spotify does allow you to undo this action and restore your account.
Simply log back into your Spotify account within a week using your old credentials. Your profile along with all account data including playlists, favorites, followers, etc will be revived.
But once those 7 days of grace period are up, your deletion is permanent. There is no way to retrieve your Spotify account or reuse your old username after that point.
9 Viable Spotify Alternatives to Consider
Once your Spotify account is deleted, the musical world doesn‘t end. You have plenty of other streaming services to choose as alternatives. Here are the top options:
1. YouTube Music
Owned by Google, YouTube Music has over 80 million official songs, albums, thousands of playlists and music videos. It‘s bundled with a YouTube Premium subscription which removes ads.
2. Amazon Music
Amazon Music grants you access to 90 million songs with an Amazon Prime membership. Amazon Music Unlimited gives you additional features like unlimited skips for $7.99 a month.
3. Apple Music
Apple users will find Apple Music a seamless replacement for Spotify with over 90 million songs, live radio, music videos and more. It costs $9.99 per month indivdually.
4. Tidal
Tidal is the streaming service of choice for audiophiles thanks to its lossless, high fidelity audio quality, 360 Reality Audio support and over 70 million tracks.
5. Pandora
A pioneer in internet radio, Pandora lets you create custom stations based on your favorite artists, tracks or genres for free. Their Premium tier ($9.99/month) offers unlimited skips and replays.
6. SoundCloud
With over 300 million tracks, SoundCloud is particularly popular among new musicians looking to share their content. The ad-supported free version lets you discover rising talent.
7. Deezer
Deezer offers a catalog of over 90 million tracks including plenty of user-generated content. They were one of the first platforms to introduce lossless CD-quality streaming.
8. iHeartRadio
iHeartRadio gives you access to over 30,000 live radio stations from across the globe along with podcasts. Their subscription Plus tier ($9.99/month) removes ads.
9. Audiomack
A strong option for hip-hop and rap fans, Audiomack has a large catalog of mixtapes, albums and tracks from both major and independent artists.
In Conclusion: Evaluate Alternatives Before Deleting Spotify
There you have it folks. You now know how to permanently erase your Spotify account in a few quick steps. But think carefully before taking this nuclear approach.
Losing years of curated playlists, listening history powering recommendations, and integration with devices can be rough. Always look at alternatives like switching plans or trying competitors before cancelling your Spotify account entirely.
The streaming music space has exploded with options for every taste, circumstance and budget. Don‘t immediately pull the plug on Spotify; see if another service resonates better with your needs first. But if ultimately unsatisfied, this guide has your back for deleting your account swiftly.
So whether Spotify‘s time is up for you, or you‘re just seeking a fresh music experience, why not try something new? Happy listening!