Image Credit: Spotify

Spotify have announced that starting next week, streaming will be unavailable in Russia. No action is required from artists.

As the war in Ukraine continues and laws around free-speech in Russia tighten, much like other tech companies, Spotify have taken further steps to restrict access to the streaming service from Russia. Last month, Spotify enabled artists to add a Ukraine fundraiser to their profile, removed Sputnik and RT content in the EU and other regions, and closed their office in Russia.

Around two weeks ago, Spotify posted the following statement as an update to their initial reponse to the war in Ukraine:

Spotify has continued to believe that it’s critically important to try and keep our service operational in Russia to provide trusted, independent news and information in the region. Unfortunately, recently enacted legislation further restricting access to information, eliminating free expression, and criminalizing certain types of news puts the safety of Spotify’s employees and possibly even our listeners at risk. After carefully considering our options and the current circumstances, we have come to the difficult decision to fully suspend our service in Russia.

Spotify

Today, Spotify made the following announcement:

After carefully considering the current circumstances, we have come to the difficult decision to suspend the Spotify service in Russia from April 11th.

Spotify

Going forward, Spotify says “If it becomes available in the future, we will communicate separately.”

You can find steps on reactivating your account if you aren’t in Russia, how to download your personal data and how to delete your account on Spotify’s support site.