I’m working on a Spotify application and I’m curious about the testing process. After my app concept gets approved by Spotify, can I run a limited trial with actual Spotify users before making it publicly available?
What I’m hoping for is some kind of private testing setup where I could share a special link with selected users. They would see the terms and conditions, agree to them, and then get access to install my app. The app would work in their Spotify client but wouldn’t show up in the main app directory for everyone else.
Does Spotify offer this kind of beta testing feature for developers? If yes, what’s the process to set it up?
When I was developing my app, Spotify has this “quota mode” thing that kicks in after approval. Your testers just use the normal OAuth flow, but only whitelisted accounts actually get through. I was expecting something like TestFlight but it’s really just backend access control. Heads up - you can’t easily remove testers once they’re added without bugging Spotify support, so pick your beta users wisely. Also, it uses live Spotify data, which is great until your buggy app starts messing with people’s actual playlists.
Yeah, Spotify has an extended mode for testing. Once you’re approved, you can set up restricted access for specific users. When I built my playlist tool, I had to submit user credentials through the developer portal - no direct link sharing. Users still go through normal OAuth, but only pre-registered people can actually connect. You get 25-50 concurrent testers depending on your account level. Make sure you collect solid feedback though - Spotify wants proof you’re actually testing before they’ll let you expand beyond that limit.
Yeah, Spotify supports this! Once your app’s approved, you can enable beta testing mode. Just invite testers using their Spotify usernames and they’ll get access without the app being live. Worked great for my music quiz app - just collect feedback properly since testing slots are limited.
It’s pretty straightforward once you get approval. Go to your Spotify Developer Dashboard and turn on “Development Mode.” This lets you add specific Spotify accounts to your app’s allowlist without going through the full public review process. I did this for my project last year - users just log in through your app’s auth flow, and if they’re on your approved list, they’re in. You start with about 25 test users, but you can request more from Spotify’s dev support if you show you actually need them for testing.
Yeah, there’s a restricted testing phase, but it works differently than you described. Once approved, Spotify puts you in quota mode - you get controlled access through normal auth. The biggest pain point I hit was no shareable beta links. You have to manually add each tester in your developer console with their exact Spotify account info. Testers authenticate like normal, but your backend checks if they’re on your approved list. Here’s the catch - testing happens in the live Spotify environment. Any changes hit real user accounts, not sandbox data. So you better test thoroughly because bugs will mess with actual playlists and user data.
Definitely doable! There’s a quota mode where you can manually add testers. It’s different from what others mentioned though - you don’t get a special link. You have to add testers one by one in the dev console. Pretty tedious, but it works fine for small groups.
Yes, it’s possible to run a private beta before the public release of your Spotify application. After your app has been approved by Spotify, you will receive testing credentials that allow you to utilize their sandbox environment. You can whitelist specific Spotify user IDs through your developer dashboard, which grants them access via their regular Spotify client, while keeping it hidden from the general public. Usually, you’re able to test with 25 to 50 users, depending on your developer tier, which should suffice for most initial testing needs.