Spotify Threatens Account Bans Over Pirated Apps Used To Steal Premium Music Service

Spotify is handing out some harsh warnings to Android users that are using hacked apps, bypassing its paywall to access premium content without paying. Spotify's premium tier allows listeners to skip the commercials and download tunes directly to their devices. Spotify has sent out warning emails to an unknown number of users warning them against using the hacked apps.

The emails warn that the use of these hacked apps violates the terms of using Spotify and could result in account termination. One of these hacks is called "Dogfood" and Spotify recently had it removed from GitHub after having an official DMCA notice issued. Reports indicate that the email that Spotify sent out reads in part:

We detected abnormal activity on the app you are using so we have disabled it. Don’t worry – your Spotify account is safe. To access your Spotify account, simply uninstall any unauthorized or modified version of Spotify and download and install the Spotify app from the official Google Play Store. If you need more help, please see our support article on reinstalling Spotify. If we detect repeated use of unauthorized apps in violation of our terms, we reserve all rights, including suspending or terminating your account.

Spotify isn’t cutting users who claim to be using the old version of the app on their PC any slack. One user wrote on the Spotify forums, "Yesterday I have received a strange (sic) e-mail from Spotify. "All I'm using is the old version of the Spotify on my PC (old, not unauthorized), and also old version of Spotify on my phone. What should I do? I certainly don't want to upgrade to the new version cause I dislike it."

Spotify responded to the user stating, "It seems an unauthorized app was detected. To carry on using Spotify, uninstall the existing app on your device, then download the latest official version from http://www.spotify.com/download. Hope this helps." In other words, use the current app.

Spotify is getting ready to go public, the music streaming service filed to go public on the New York Stock Exchange using the ticker symbol SPOT. The value of the company is thought to be somewhere in the $20 billion range.