Go to the Account Privacy page on your Spotify account and use the automated Download your data tool, or contact Spotify; you'll get a ZIP file with a copy of your personal data.
Spotify lets anyone ask for a copy of what it holds on them, and as of Nov 2026 the route is the same for free and Premium listeners. Here's the whole thing in the order you'll meet it: what you can ask for, how long it takes, what turns up, and the privacy choices you can change while you're in there.
Stage one: what you can ask Spotify for
Spotify's help page on data rights and privacy choices answers the question head on. Can you download a copy of your personal data? Yes. You can get a ZIP file with a copy of your personal data using the automated Download your data tool on your Account Privacy page, or by contacting Spotify.
There are two reasons people go looking for this. One is curiosity: you want to see your listening history in more detail than the app shows you, the way Spotify Wrapped does once a year. The other is moving on. Spotify says that if you want to port your personal data to another service, you can download a copy in a machine readable format from the same Account Privacy section.
Stage two: making the request
- Sign in to your account page on the Spotify website.
- Open the Account Privacy section.
- Use the Download your data tool to request your copy.
- If the tool doesn't work for you, contact Spotify instead and ask for your data.
Spotify adds that the Account Privacy page also has instructions for accessing your data and a summary of the categories of data you can expect to receive. Read that summary before you request, so you know what's coming.
Stage three: how long it takes
Here's the gap. Spotify's data rights help page doesn't give a turnaround time for the download, and it doesn't say how you'll be told the file is ready. So don't plan around a date. Make the request, then keep an eye on the inbox for the email address on your account.
If you need the data for something time-sensitive, such as a move to another service or a deadline of your own, request it early. That's the one practical tip that saves people grief here.
Stage four: what arrives and how to read it
When the download comes through, it's a ZIP. Inside, Spotify says, you'll get several files, each containing a different type of personal data. It doesn't dump it all into one spreadsheet.
Start with the file called Read Me First. That's the key. Spotify points to it for a description of the data, and the Read Me First file links to a further guide called Understanding My Data. Between the two, you can work out what each file is before you start opening them.
If you're in the EU or UK and want the processing details Spotify has to give under Article 15 of the GDPR, the help page points you to a separate page titled GDPR Article 15 Information. That covers how the data is processed, not just the raw copy.
The privacy choices worth changing while you're there
Getting your data is one thing. Controlling how Spotify uses it comes next, and that's the part most people skip. In the Account Privacy section you can restrict or withdraw consent to two types of processing:
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- Tailored ads, for listeners on the free service. Spotify says opting out stops it tailoring ads using third party data. The catch: it doesn't cut the number of ads you hear. You'll just get ads that may be less relevant.
- Facebook data, if you signed up through Facebook or connected your account to it. Opting out stops Spotify processing your Facebook display name, profile picture and Facebook Friends. It still processes what's needed for you to log in with Facebook, which can include your Facebook registered email address, date of birth and gender.
Then check your Notification Settings. When you create an account you're opted in by default to Product News, Spotify News and Offers, Recommend Music, New Music, Playlist Updates, Concert Notifications and Artist Updates. Turn off the ones you don't want.
In the desktop app, Spotify says to click the arrow in the top-right corner, then Settings, for the social controls. New playlists can be made public automatically, your listening can be published to Friend Activity, and your Recently Played Artists can be made public. You can turn each of those off. There's also a Private Session, which keeps what you're playing out of Recently Played and Friend Activity and stops your Top Artists updating. It's off by default, and if you switch it on it ends when you restart Spotify or after a long period of inactivity. If you make music yourself, our guide to the artist channel on Spotify covers the other side of the platform.
If you want Spotify to stop holding your data
Downloading a copy doesn't delete anything. Spotify is clear that it needs some personal data to run the service, and that to delete that data you need to close your account. You can still update your personal details in the Edit profile section of your account page.
My verdict: request the download, read the Read Me First file before anything else, and while you're on the Account Privacy page, switch off the tailored ads and Facebook data you never meant to share. Ten minutes well spent.
Quick answers
Can I download a copy of my Spotify data?
Yes. Use the Download your data tool on your Account Privacy page, or contact Spotify, and you'll get a ZIP file with a copy of your personal data.
How long does a Spotify data download take?
Spotify's data rights help page doesn't state a turnaround time, so request it early if you need it by a certain date.
What's in the Spotify data ZIP file?
Several files, each with a different type of personal data, plus a Read Me First file that describes them and links to Understanding My Data.
Does opting out of tailored ads mean fewer ads on Spotify Free?
No. Spotify says it doesn't decrease the number of ads you get, but the ads may be less relevant to you.
