Did you ever think you could make money with your Spotify data ? What for many is only an annual summary with favorite songs and artists, for others it is a source of real value. An increasing group of users has decided to sell their listening history to train artificial intelligence models. Spotify, which has transformed its Wrapped feature into one of its most recognizable brands, has not remained silent, and the tension is palpable.
Wrapped was born in 2015 as a tool to visualize listening habits and has become a global tradition. Today, its popularity has given rise to UNWRapped, a collective managed by the decentralized platform Vain. More than 18,000 users have grouped their data to sell them to interested companies. According to Ars Technica, in June they achieved their first sale: a portion of data for $55,000 to an AI company, with an average payment of about five dollars in cryptocurrencies for each participant.
Wrapped is No Longer Just Marketing: It Is the Center of a Data Control Fight
The interest in these data is not accidental: Spotify collects a detailed history of each account, including searches, devices, approximate locations, and technical records. All of that is available to any user through an official download option , which offers packages in JSON format with years of history and precise data on the use of the platform. However, while access is legal, its usage has clear limits defined in Spotify’s terms.
The policy for developers explicitly prohibits using Spotify data or contents to train artificial intelligence models, reselling information, or replicating essential functions of the platform without permission. Spotify confirmed to the aforementioned medium that they sent a letter to UNWRAPPED’s administrators, warning that the project could violate its registered trademark and breach these policies. The company insists that users can download their data, but does not authorize its monetary use through third parties.
The UNWRAPPED page, which until recently allowed users to register and sell data, is no longer available. At the time of publishing this article, an English message appears that has been translated: “This service is no longer available. We regret the inconvenience. If you have any questions, get in touch with support.” It is unclear if this closure is a response to Spotify’s actions or a decision by the developers, who have not provided any explanations.
UNWRAPPED was created, according to its creators, to give users more control over their data, although its future remains uncertain. Vana, the platform that drives it, argues that the project enables users to group their information within a community and collectively negotiate its use. They explain that it is unlikely a user could sell their data separately; companies seek broad datasets, such as those created by Vain, and then distribute the income among participants.
Wrapped continues to be, for most users, a curious and shared annual summary. However, the interest in monetizing this data highlights that the discussion about who controls personal information remains unresolved. Spotify has expressed reservations regarding projects that exploit their services beyond what is permitted, while decentralized proposals strive to gain traction. It will be interesting to observe what ultimately happens with this initiative and similar projects in the future.
Images | Spotify | Xataka with Gemini 2.5
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