Fact Check: Has Spotify implemented an age cap to restrict listeners? Viral tweet debunked 

Claims of Spotify implementing an ‘age cap’ feature have gone viral on X. A netizen took to the social networking site to reveal that the website had placed a maximum age limit on songs, which would not let people above a certain threshold stream certain music. Despite the assumption seeming lifelike, it is far from the truth. The music streaming platform has not placed such restrictions.

On April 24, 2024, X user @soren_iverson was the first to take to the social media platform to state that—

“Spotify “age cap” means you can’t listen to some artists if ur too old.”

Along with the tweet, the netizen also attached a screenshot that showed Olivia Rodrigo’s music on Spotify. A notification on the app also read, “Aren’t you a little old to be listening to Olivia Rodrigo?”

The pop-up message on the music player also read—

“This artist has an age cap set at 25. Since you’re older than this, you can’t listen to them.”

Two options under the same stated— “Okay, okay” and “Oh come on.”

At the time of writing this article, the tweet had amassed over seven million views. Despite the screenshot looking real, it is not.

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Spotify is not placing an ‘age cap’ on music

Despite the tweet amassing over 100K likes and 6,000 retweets, it is worth noting that the music streaming platform is not implementing the feature.

The user who shared the news, Soren Iverson, shared a fake screenshot. As per his official website, he “creates absurd versions of the apps we interact with on a daily basis.” He has reportedly used X as the platform to share his niche innovations.

Due to his impressive creative ideas, he has reportedly been featured in SF Gate, Reuters, and Wired, among other publications. He also created a coffee table book containing over 365 of his “unhinged interfaces.”

A few of his ideas include an 'Instagram story NDA' that requires followers to sign a digital Non-Disclosure Agreement to view stories that appear on the Close Friends list, Duolingo having the option of sharing divorce papers with users, and a Snapchat feature that removes filters from one’s face.

The aforementioned Spotify feature is not the first web player-based idea Iverson has created. In another mock-up titled “Spotify lock Christmas music,” he created a fake feature that would not allow users to listen to Christmas music in months other than those leading up to the holiday.

A fake notification on the app read—

“There’s no need for Christmas in July. We can notify you when this album becomes available to stream.”

It is also safe to say that the “age cap” feature is fake, as the platform itself did not confirm the same on its social media platforms or through a press release.

Although the app does not have the aforementioned feature, it does have an Artists Terms and Conditions of Use page, which is the only feature on the platform that has age restrictions of any sort. In the same, the web player has noted that in order for an artist to share their music on the platform, they need to be 13 years of age. If they are younger than that, they “need permission from a parent or guardian.”