Spotify slaps ReVanced app with DMCA notice over Unlock Premium patch

Modding projects live on a fine line, and ReVanced just found out how thin it can get after revealing that Spotify sent a DMCA takedown aimed squarely at its Unlock Premium patch. The team flagged the notice publicly and pointed users to an announcement while asking for legal help.

The patch in question modifies the official Spotify app to unlock premium features without paying for a subscription. This type of modification has been floating around Android modding communities for years. ReVanced’s approach works by applying patches to the original Play Store version of com.spotify.music, which is why Spotify appears on their list of supported apps rather than the team distributing a fully modified APK.

Spotify has been ramping up its anti-modification efforts lately. There are multiple reports of detection systems that identify altered APKs and block access, turning the use of patched versions into a frustrating cycle of fixes and breaks. Take, for example, the crackdown on the ‘Spotify Mod’ app late last year. Now with this onslaught, a formal DMCA notice was probably inevitable, even though ReVanced doesn’t actually distribute Spotify’s code directly.

That said, this isn’t the first time ReVanced was forced into a corner. In 2022, ReVanced and related projects were hit with DMCA actions that led to takedowns of specific patches and parts of their repositories, and the earlier Vanced project was ultimately wound down after legal pressure from rights holders. That precedent hangs over the current fight.

ReVanced hasn’t shared much beyond confirming the notice and directing followers to their announcement, suggesting the team is still working through their options with legal counsel. The immediate impact could be as straightforward as removing Spotify-related patches from their offerings. We’ll just have to wait and see how this plays out.

You can read the full notice from the embed below or by heading here.