Spotify clampdown on Family Premium sharing could leave you banned from sharing subs for a year

Spotify is clamping down on sharing your Family Premium plan with people who aren’t your family. The company devised a sneaky way to ensure Family Premium members are sharing their slots within the rules. The company is rolling out QR code verification for members of a family plan to ensure they live with the plan manager.

In a support page updated this week, the company said it may ask “some members” for verification which involves scanning a QR code on the plan manager’s phone. The plan manager has to bring up the QR code on their on their phone to be scanned by the plan member.

In theory, it’s pretty easy to get around. If you’re sharing with your friends, you could scan the code in the pub, or over lunch, or anywhere really. However, you will have to be together, because the QR code has to be scanned within the app and refreshes regularly. Sending a screenshot won’t cut it.

While the rules can be skirted, the consequences for not acting will bring your access to an end pretty swiftly. The plan member has 7 days to complete the scan after being notified to do so. Failing to do so could leave your account banned from joining another family plan for an entire year!

Spotify writes: “If a member misses the window or can’t complete verification: They can’t join a different Family or Duo plan for 12 months. They can choose a different plan.”

That means going solo and paying full whack. It doesn’t seem like there’ll be any punishment for the bill payer for the illicit plan sharing. Which is a relief to me. Spotify also uses addresses in the account setting to verify Family Premium plans, but that hasn’t been very effective either.