Does a VPN Work With Spotify? When Do You Need One?
VPNs work with almost any internet service out there, including Spotify. But why would you need a VPN when listening to your tunes? There are several reasons, some more important than others, depending on where you live and how often you travel.
We tell you all about them in the sections below. Plus, we cover several fixes to get your private network working with Spotify and list the best VPN choices.
Let’s get going.
When Do You Need a VPN for Spotify?
Typically, Spotify works great without a VPN service; however, several scenarios may have you looking for the best VPN out there to keep on listening to your music.
1. Using Spotify Free While Traveling
The main reason to use Spotify over a VPN is to avoid the 14-day rule that says: “You can use a free Spotify account in a different country or region for up to 14 days.”
To resume your listening sessions within minutes. You’ll only have to navigate to your ‘Account’ page on the web, click ‘Edit profile’, and select your current country or region.
However, the problem with this solution is that you’ll lose access to your home country’s Spotify content—there are certain differences between the music libraries available across different countries due to licensing and copyright agreements.
For that reason, Spotify users that travel often use a VPN to connect to a server located in their home country before logging into their Spotify account. By doing so, Spotify will believe they are still at home and won’t generate the 14-day message.
Note: Premium subscribers retain access to their home libraries without doing anything.
2. Accessing Spotify in Restricted Regions
Spotify is still unavailable in over a dozen countries due to licensing agreements or government restrictions. To access the platform’s libraries in such regions, music fans have no other choice than install a VPN service and set their location to a Spotify-friendly country. By doing so, they will bypass any and all geo-restrictions for all their services.
Another situation where Spotify usage may be restricted is within organizations and institutions that prohibit the use of media services and may ban access to Spotify. If you are more productive with some music in your ear, you can use a VPN to get access.
3. Listening to Region-Specific Content
As mentioned previously, the availability of music and content on Spotify varies to a degree depending on your location. By using a VPN, you can change your virtual location to access region-specific content that may be unavailable in your current country.
That way, you can listen to any song or album you want and even get faster access than the rest of the world. For instance, if an artist is dropping their latest release on a certain day, you can set your location to Japan or Australia since they are the first to listen to it.
4. Avoiding Speed Throttling Issues
Some internet service providers may throttle or slow down certain types of online traffic, including streaming services like Spotify. By using a VPN, you can hide your streaming activities and bypass any throttling actions to ensure a smoother listening experience.
Moreover, it adds an extra layer of security and privacy by encrypting your internet traffic and masking your IP address, making it more difficult for others to know who you are or track your online activities, which is extremely beneficial when using public Wi-Fi.
Spotify Not Working With Your VPN? Try These Fixes
As with any other service, users may experience some issues getting Spotify to work with their VPN. Thankfully, several fixes will likely resolve the problem:
- Try a premium VPN provider—not all VPN services work seamlessly with streaming platforms. Low-cost and free providers may not even do their job properly in overcoming the geo-restrictions. The solution: subscribe to a premium VPN;
- Switch VPN servers—sometimes, certain VPN servers may have difficulty accessing streaming services like Spotify. To fix that, try connecting to a different server location within your VPN client to see if that resolves the issue;
- Clear browser cache and cookies—when using Spotify’s web player, you must first clear your browser’s cache and cookies, as they contain data about your location; just navigate to your browser’s settings and find the relevant options;
- Check your firewall and IPv6 settings—your device may not be configured properly to use Spotify with a VPN, especially one that uses IPv6 addresses; turn off the IPv6 protocol and allow Spotify through your firewall to resolve the issue;
- Only use one VPN service—disable additional VPN services (such as a browser extension) since multiple connections interfere with each other.
Note: If nothing else works, you can always contact Spotify via their usual support channels to obtain assistance from a qualified Spotify representative.
Is It Illegal to Use Spotify With a VPN?
Just like Netflix, using Spotify with a VPN is generally not illegal. However, Spotify’s terms of service may prohibit the use of VPNs or other similar tools to access their service, which may eventually lead to an account suspension or termination.
Moreover, accessing Spotify via a VPN in a region where it is officially unavailable could potentially be a violation of copyright laws. So review and abide by Spotify’s terms of service to ensure compliance with the law and their guidelines.
However, using VPN in the first place is an entirely different matter. Usually, authoritarian governments forbid the use of VPNs to stop citizens from evading their censorship laws. Also, using a VPN doesn’t make criminal conduct any less unlawful!
Which VPN Is the Best for Spotify?
Did we convince you that pairing Spotify with a VPN is the right choice for you? If so, here are the best VPNs you can use with Spotify (or for any other purpose) today:
- NordVPN—the first choice when it comes to using streaming services, including Spotify, as it’s one of the oldest and best VPN services around; its 5,000 servers will also let you find the best and speediest location to connect to;
- Private Internet Access—if you need a premium VPN you can trust to secure your data and provide you with access to all your content wherever you are, PIA is the VPN for you; it also provides full online security with a privacy-first antivirus;
- Surfshark—looking for an effortless setup and a VPN that works in over 100 countries? Sutfshark is the answer you are looking for; additionally, it comes with support for unlimited devices, a no-logs policy, and round-the-clock support;
- CyberGhost—while it delivers the speed and encryption you expect from a premium service, CyberGhost also operates from a privacy-friendly country (Romania); on top of that, it guarantees access to all popular streaming platforms;
- ExpressVPN—last but not least, ExpressVPN rounds up our selection of the best VPNs since it combines military-grade encryption, ultra-fast and efficient connections, and a slew of advanced features, from split tunneling to a kill switch.
You can’t go wrong with any of these VPNs, as they all provide a premium service packed with features. Best of all, you can try out all of them for free before deciding. Then, you’ll just have to pay your subscription and start enjoying the best music anywhere you are.
Conclusion
Using a VPN with Spotify can be useful in certain situations, especially for travelers looking to use their free plan without issues, listeners from countries where Spotify is unavailable, and those looking to access the platform’s full catalog.
Outside of these niche cases, a VPN won’t improve your Spotify experience. That said, it does more than let you listen to music anywhere. After all, you get the privacy and security needed to stay safe online, unblock any web content, and bypass censorship and surveillance from third parties, be it the government, your ISP, or bad actors.
