On 2025-12-22, hacktivist group Anna’s Archive announced it had breached Spotify, obtaining and releasing 86 million audio tracks and over 250 million metadata records, totaling about 300 terabytes. These tracks reportedly account for 99.6% of Spotify's listens.
Data Breach Details
Anna’s Archive disclosed that they uploaded metadata to their torrent site, with plans to release audio files and covers ordered by popularity. Popular tracks are available at a bitrate of 160 kbps, while less popular ones are at 75 kbps. The group's stated aim is to create a 'music preservation archive' focusing on large-scale saving rather than hit quality.
- Hack date: 2025-12-22
- Data size: 300 TB
- Tracks: 86 million
- Metadata records: 250 million+
Spotify’s Response and Investigation
Spotify confirmed unauthorized access and is investigating the incident. The company noted that a third party collected public metadata and employed illegal methods to bypass DRM for some audio files.
These developments may raise concerns about Spotify's security measures and affect user trust.
