save playlist
Following Spotify’s departure from Russia, many people have looked for ways to move their playlists to regional services. Yandex, for example, provides a built-in option to save playlists in Yandex.Music for users on its platform.
There are also numerous third-party tools to transfer playlists from Spotify to local services such as Yandex.Music or VK Music. One popular option is the @wholovesmusicbot Telegram bot. This method is often praised for its simplicity, and many steps are straightforward. If a playlist is publicly available, there is typically no need to log in to streaming platforms to complete the transfer.
Nevertheless, these approaches come with drawbacks. First, transferring large numbers of playlists can be tedious because each playlist must be moved individually. In other words, you can’t push everything in one go.
Second, even after moving tracks to a local service, many songs may not be available there, or may be restricted for residents in certain regions.
At present, the most reliable way to maintain access to preferred songs and the app is to adjust the region setting inside the Spotify app itself.
users from abroad
For a Russian user living abroad with a Russian profile, it is important to update the regional setting; otherwise, updates and new content may be unavailable. To keep receiving updates, open the profile in a browser, navigate to the account settings, and select the country or region option. Change the country at the bottom of the page, confirm the changes, and continue using the service without interruptions.
VPN users
Users who remain in Russia but want access to new items from foreign playlists can employ practical workarounds. The process begins with downloading and activating a VPN, followed by the region change described above. After updating the region, the VPN can be turned off and the service can be used normally.
The caveat is that this procedure may need to be repeated roughly every two weeks as Spotify can reset region settings. A paid VPN with manual region selection is recommended. For example, if the connection is made from the Netherlands, repeating the region change from a Dutch IP address after a two-week interval is advised.
Additionally, if the current subscription is nearing renewal, friends in a different region may be needed to help with the payment process, since the payment method must match the chosen region. Consequently, region selection should be considered carefully.
Free Spotify
For those unable to pay with a foreign card, a workaround exists to use Spotify for free. This involves a VPN connection to a country with a free tier and adjusting the region accordingly.
The free plan differs mainly in the absence of offline downloads, reduced audio quality options, and more frequent advertising.
In general, any region that offers a free tier can be used. The India region is often noted for comparatively fewer advertisements, according to some users.
With this approach, the region change may need to be repeated every 14 days.