Spotify has introduced a new verification method using QR Codes to ensure that all participants in Family Premium reside at the same address. This checking process requires both individuals to be physically in the same location when the code is scanned.
The streaming platform stated that it may request this procedure from certain members, without specifying the exact number of accounts that will undergo verification. Instructions for this check are already available on Spotify's Brazilian support page.
Upon receiving the notification, the user has a seven-day period to complete the verification. To do this, the administrator must open the Spotify app on their mobile phone, select their profile picture, navigate to 'Your Premium,' and then to 'Manage' to display the QR Code. The other member must then scan this code using the camera on their own device. Spotify specifies that both devices must be in the same location and have the most updated version of the app installed.
The generated code is dynamic, changing every few seconds, which prevents sending a screenshot to someone in another location. Validation can only be performed through the mobile application. Furthermore, Spotify advises checking the date and time on both devices or restarting the application if reading errors occur.
If the reading is not completed within the seven-day period, access to the Family plan will be lost, and the user will migrate to the free version. However, the individual can still opt to subscribe to an individual Premium plan. Additionally, Spotify warns that those who fail to complete the check may be prevented from joining other Family or Duo Premium plans for a period of twelve months.
The requirement to prove co-residency is not new; since 2019, Spotify has required plan members to confirm their address. At that time, the company also planned periodic checks and had tested the use of mobile location in certain markets before adopting residential address confirmation.
Currently, Family Premium costs R$ 40.90 per month in Brazil and supports up to six Premium accounts. Each participant maintains their own profile, library, and recommendations, while billing is centralized with the administrator. With six users, the cost per person amounts to approximately R$ 6.82.