Metadata for 99.9% of Spotify’s Music Library Reportedly Archived

Pirate activist group Anna’s Archive has claimed that it has scraped almost the entire music library of Spotify, marking one of the largest alleged data collection efforts in the platform’s history. The group says it archived metadata for nearly 256 million tracks, which represents about 99.9% of Spotify’s catalog.

According to the group, the archive includes around 86 million music files, accounting for 99.6% of all listens on Spotify. The total data size reportedly reaches close to 300 terabytes. However, Anna’s Archive has clarified that no actual music files have been released so far. Only metadata is publicly available at this stage.

What Anna’s Archive Says About the Spotify Scrape

In a blog post, Anna’s Archive described the Spotify scrape as part of its broader mission to preserve digital culture. The group stated that its goal is to create a “preservation archive” for music, similar to how it has archived books, research papers, and other text-based resources in the past.

The group acknowledged that Spotify does not host all music ever created. Still, it described the platform as a strong starting point for large-scale music preservation. Anna’s Archive also noted that its mission does not differentiate between media formats.

Spotify Responds and Takes Action

Spotify has confirmed that it identified and disabled the user accounts linked to the scraping activity. In a statement shared with TechCrunch, the company said it has added new safeguards to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Spotify reiterated its long-standing stance against piracy. The company said it continues to work closely with industry partners to protect artists and defend their rights. Spotify also stated that it is actively monitoring for suspicious behavior across its platform.

Why This Matters for Streaming Platforms

The alleged Spotify scrape highlights growing concerns around data security, copyright protection, and digital preservation. As streaming platforms host massive cultural libraries, they also become attractive targets for large-scale data extraction efforts.

While no music files have been released yet, the situation raises questions about how platforms safeguard content at scale. It also brings renewed attention to the tension between digital preservation efforts and copyright enforcement in the streaming era.

For now, Spotify says it has contained the issue. However, the incident underscores the evolving challenges faced by music platforms in protecting vast digital ecosystems.