Spotify vs. ReVanced: What Happened and What It Means

What Happened

In mid-September 2025, Spotify issued a DMCA takedown targeting ReVanced patches that aimed to unlock Premium-only behavior in the official Spotify Android app. ¹ Following the notice, ReVanced removed the affected "Unlock Premium" patch from its official distribution while it evaluates legal options. Public statements indicate the team is seeking legal advice and may consider further steps such as a counter-notice, which could escalate the dispute. ²

What ReVanced Is (in Brief)

ReVanced is an open-source patching framework. Users supply their own app APKs and apply patches locally to alter client-side behavior (e.g., UI changes, ad suppression, or toggling features that the stock app normally limits). ReVanced does not distribute Spotify's app itself; it provides patch logic that modifies a user-provided APK. ³

The Legal Dispute

Spotify's Position: Spotify's subscription model depends on keeping Premium features behind paywalls and monetizing free usage with advertising. From Spotify's perspective, patches that remove ads or unlock Premium features circumvent technical measures and violate its Terms of Service. ⁴

ReVanced's Position: ReVanced maintains that it distributes patches—not Spotify's code—and that users have a right to modify software running on their own devices. The project has indicated it will consult counsel and weigh options to restore or revise the patches in a way that it believes complies with applicable law and platform policies.

Why Spotify Patches Break So Often

• Client–server split: Some restrictions are client-side (ad UI, buttons), but others are enforced server-side (e.g., download entitlements). Client-side patches can't reliably bypass server checks.
• Integrity & attestation: Changes in signature checks or anti-tamper code can disable patched behavior even if installation "succeeds."
• Auto-updates: If the Play Store (or any store) updates Spotify in the background, a patched build can be overwritten or become incompatible. ⁵

Legal & Policy Context

Using modified clients likely violates Spotify's Terms of Service and can risk account sanctions. ⁴ Developers distributing patches argue they're not redistributing copyrighted binaries; rights owners argue the patches facilitate circumvention of technological protection measures under DMCA anti-circumvention provisions. ⁶

Whether a specific patch is lawful depends on jurisdiction and facts (what's being modified, how, and whether any copyrighted code is included). Recent enforcement trends show increased scrutiny of ad-blocking tools and sideloaded apps. ⁷

What to Watch Next

• ReVanced's legal path: Will there be a counter-notice to restore code on GitHub, or a reworked approach that avoids the contested elements?
• Platform moderation: GitHub's response to rights-holder complaints shapes how quickly code disappears and what returns after review
• Android security changes: Google's upcoming identity verification requirements for sideloaded apps may complicate distribution ⁸
• Alternatives & ecosystem: Open-source projects that don't try to spoof Premium may avoid the sharpest legal conflicts but can still face policy friction