Spotify outlines new DRM safeguards after alleged catalog copying

Spotify has officially responded to the largest case of illicit content copying in its history and outlined the steps it is taking to safeguard music and copyrights. The statement followed a post by Anna’s Archive, which earlier said it had created an almost complete replica of Spotify’s catalog—about 300 terabytes—now being distributed via torrents.

In an updated statement, the company said it had identified specific user accounts used to copy music unlawfully. Those accounts have been disabled, and Spotify has introduced additional technical protections to prevent similar attacks going forward. The service added that it is actively tracking suspicious activity and has reinforced systems designed to stop DRM circumvention and large-scale copying.

Spotify also stressed that since its founding it has stood with artists and rightsholders in the fight against piracy and continues to work closely with the music industry to protect authors’ rights. The company previously said a third party had accessed public metadata and used unlawful methods to extract part of the audio files, but did not confirm the scale claimed by Anna’s Archive.

Anna’s Archive, for its part, claims to have archived metadata for hundreds of millions of tracks and the audio files for tens of millions of songs, allegedly covering nearly all listening on the platform. Spotify has not endorsed that estimate, saying only that there was access to some audio files. For now, the severity of the damage remains unclear, as does the question of whether data already being shared can be removed.

Legal action from Spotify and major rightsholders has not been announced, but experts note that mass distribution of music via torrents violates the platform’s terms and copyright laws in many countries. Despite appeals about preserving cultural heritage, the company indicated it will clamp down on such incidents and keep tightening the defenses around its ecosystem.