Is Spotify banned in Russia? How to listen in 2026
Spotify left Russia, the app is gone from local stores and accounts ask to log in from their country. How to listen from Russia and what's up with Premium.
Spotify suspended its service in Russia in March 2022: Premium was switched off and the app removed from Russian stores. It's Spotify's own restriction, not an ISP block, so you need an IP address in a supported country.
Quick fix. Spotify opens through a VPN with an exit where the service works. Surok has exits in Germany, Poland, Estonia, Spain, Switzerland, the US and Canada.
Old accounts still exist, but Premium can't be paid with a Russian card, and free accounts are tied to their country: abroad they work for up to 14 days, then ask you to log in from "home" or change the country.
How to listen: turn on the VPN, create an account (or change the profile country) through it, always use the same country, and log in with the VPN on every couple of weeks.
Apps: desktop from spotify.com or the web player; Android via another country's Google Play or the official APK; iPhone needs an Apple ID from a supported country. Avoid "cracked Premium".
Paying: a foreign bank card or Spotify gift cards for your account's country. Resold "family plans" get accounts banned.