In June 2023, Russian citizens are unable to officially use the popular music streaming application. Many do not know how to use Spotify in Russia after the blockage. Most are even unaware that such a possibility exists. To address this injustice, we are publishing this material with a detailed description of how to solve the problem.
How to use Spotify in Russia: installing the application
If you already have the official app installed on your smartphone, it will not be removed and will continue to work and update through Google Play or the App Store.
If you have deleted the app or have never installed it, you need to download it before using Spotify in Russia in 2023:
For Android:
The easiest way is to download the APK file with the app directly. Although Spotify does not officially distribute its APK, you can use a trusted website to avoid fraud. For example, you can register on 4PDA and download the file from there. You will need to download each update in the same way.
For iOS:
If you previously installed Spotify officially and deleted it, you can still download it again. To do this, open the App Store, click on your Apple ID account icon in the top right corner, and then go to "Purchases" / "All". Find Spotify among the removed apps and click on the cloud icon next to its name.
If you have never had the Spotify app, you will need to create a foreign Apple ID and use it to download the app. If you don't know how, here is a detailed instruction. After that, you can listen to Spotify without registration.
For PC:
You can listen to music on the Spotify website or use the computer application. In both cases, you will need to use a VPN service.
Registering on Spotify after blocking
If you already have a Spotify account, you can change the region to anywhere the service is available to activate free access. Here are a few steps that can help you in this process, perform them before using Spotify in Russia:
- Use VPN: Access the Spotify website through a VPN, selecting a country where the service is available. This will help you bypass the blockage and access your account settings;
- Open the account page: After logging into your Spotify account, click on your avatar or profile icon, and then go to the account;
- Change the region: In the "Profile Editing" section, find the "Country or Region" option and select the new country where you want to use the service.
Not knowing how to use Spotify in Russia can lead to additional problems. Since autumn 2022, it has become more difficult to change the Russian region to another. You may receive a notification of service unavailability when attempting to change profile settings. In that case, you may need to register a new account:
- Turn on VPN: Make sure the service is on and set to the country where you want to register.
- Go to the Spotify website;
- Sign up: On the Spotify homepage, find the registration option and fill in the necessary information such as email address and password;
- Set the region settings.
Please note that creating a Spotify account using the method mentioned above may come with some limitations in the service:
- Spotify may offer different available features in different countries. Some features may be unavailable or added depending on the region.
- In some regions, certain tracks may be unavailable due to licensing restrictions. This may result in the loss of some songs or albums in your library.
- In the new region, you may see the appearance of local playlists and recommendations related to the music and culture of that region.
Despite the changes when changing regions, your listening history, playlists, and preferences will be preserved. You will also be able to change the interface language to your preference.
