What is Spotify Artist Profile Protection (APP)?
Artist Profile Protection (APP) is an optional Spotify for Artists feature designed to prevent releases from being linked to the wrong artist profile (for example, because of name duplicates or impersonation). When APP is enabled, the artist can control which releases appear on their profile before they go live.
APP helps protect against:
Accidental metadata mismatches (e.g., “John Smith” linked to the wrong “John Smith”)
Impersonation / malicious profile linking
Unapproved main, featured, or remixer attributions
What changes when APP is enabled?
When APP is enabled for an artist, Spotify may require explicit approval before a new release is shown on that artist’s profile.
There are two ways a release can be approved:
⚠️ If no key is provided, the release will be routed to the artist’s Approvals tab in Spotify for Artists, which requires artist's manual approval.
✅ If an Artist Key is included in the delivery metadata., a release will be automatically pre‑approved and the delivery can be proceeded smoother (recommended).
What happens if no Artist Key is provided?
If an artist has APP enabled and no key is provided, the release may appear in the artist’s Approvals area in Spotify for Artists. The artist can then:
Approve (release will be listed on the artist profile after Spotify processing)
Decline (release will not be listed on the artist profile)
Take no action by release date (release will not be listed on the artist profile)
Does APP affect existing catalog?
No. APP applies to newly delivered releases after the artist opts in. Existing catalog is not affected.
Where can artists access APP?
APP is available in Spotify for Artists (desktop + mobile web). Availability and UI details may vary during Spotify’s rollout.
What is an Artist Key?
When an artist enables APP, Spotify provides a unique Artist Key. If the Artist Key is delivered in the release metadata, Spotify can treat the release as pre-approved, which helps avoid delays and manual action.
‼️ Very important: Security & key handling
The Artist Key must be obtained directly from the artist (or their authorized team in Spotify for Artists).
Keys must be handled per contributor and should not be reused across unrelated contributors.
If a key is suspected to be shared incorrectly or compromised, the artist should contact Spotify for Artists support to request that the key be refreshed.
What does an Artist Key look like?
A 29-character string (uppercase hexadecimal plus hyphens) shown in Spotify for Artists
In delivery metadata it must be sent with the prefix:
spotify-artist-key:
Example format:
spotify-artist-key:123E4-567E8-9B12D-3A456-42667
How do I avoid delays before release day?
If any contributing artist (main, featured, remixer, etc.) has APP enabled, the safest approach is:
Ask each contributing artist early whether they have APP enabled
Collect their Artist Key (if enabled)
Provide the Artist Key to your distributor before delivery
If no key is provided, the artist may need to approve manually in Spotify for Artists and Spotify processing time after approval can add delay.
How do I add an Artist Key on iGroove platform?
For existing artists, the Spotify Artist Key can be added in the Artist ID section of your iGroove account.
How to add it:
Go to My Profile.
Open Artist IDs.
Select the artist.
Enter the Spotify Artist Key in the corresponding field.
Click Save.
For new artists, the Spotify Artist Key can be added directly during the product upload.
How to add it:
Enter the artist name.
Wait for the artist pop-up to appear.
Fill in the artist IDs and the Spotify Artist Key.
Click Save.
Can we add or change the Artist Key after delivery?
Artist Keys must be included in the delivery metadata to enable pre‑approval. If a key is missing or incorrect, the release will typically need manual approval via Spotify for Artists.
‼️ Important: Featured artists and remixers
APP can affect collaborations.
If a featured artist (or secondary main artist) has APP enabled, they may need to approve the release or their Artist Key must be included at delivery time for the release to appear on their profile.
Remixers can also be impacted (even if the credit appears under “Appears On / Featured in” depending on how they are credited).
Best practice: Always confirm APP status and collect keys from all credited contributors early in the release planning process.
Troubleshooting
The release is live on Spotify, but not shown on an artist’s profile
If APP is enabled for that artist, the release may be waiting for:
Manual approval in Spotify for Artists, or
A correct Artist Key (only possible for future deliveries / updates that are reprocessed by Spotify)
The artist can’t find the key or approvals section
Confirm the artist is signed into the correct Spotify for Artists team/profile
Ensure they are using desktop or mobile web (availability can vary)
Some access levels can view keys only under certain conditions depending on Spotify’s rollout
The artist doesn’t appear correctly in Spotify for Artists
In rare edge cases where the artist profile/team setup is not available in Spotify for Artists, the artist should contact Spotify for Artists support.
Getting help
Spotify provides official guidance and support through Spotify for Artists:
Spotify for Artists Help Center: https://artists.spotify.com/help
In-app support / messaging via Spotify for Artists