Spotify cuts developer access to several of its recommendation features

Spotify's API Changes - Spotify is revoking access to several features for third-party developers using its Web API, including song and artist recommendations, Audio Analysis, and Audio Features [1][4] - The changes aim to limit developers who misuse the API, particularly those scraping data to create competitive AI music recommendation models [3] - Developers will also lose access to algorithmically-created playlists, which could impact apps unrelated to AI recommendations [4][5] Developer Reactions - Developers expressed outrage on Spotify's community forum, with some speculating the changes are driven by concerns over AI model training rather than security or user privacy [5][6] - One developer noted the risk of transformer models being trained to emulate Spotify's models, suggesting this could be a reason for the restrictions [6] Spotify's AI Strategy - Spotify has been actively developing AI music models, with CEO Daniel Ek emphasizing AI's potential for creativity in music [7] - The company has launched AI products, including an AI DJ and expanded AI playlists in the US, Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand [7] Impact on Developers - The changes primarily affect developers with limited API access, while official Spotify partners and those with extensions can still use the API endpoints [8] - Spotify did not provide prior warning to developers about these changes, leading to frustration among the developer community [8]