Do you need a VPN for Spotify? here’s how to decide

I was resistant to Spotify for a long time. At first it just seemed exploitative. They would barely be paying artists for their hard work. It was hard enough for artists having to cope with pirating. Now that corporations were getting in on it, did the artists have any hope?

But it slowly became clear that Spotify and its ilk were here to stay, for better or worse. And I started thinking that maybe it was “for better”. Technology was advancing, and as the younger generations became the main consumers, getting them to pay anything was itself a victory. Furthermore, it gave us so many options. We could try new artists without worrying about “wasting” our money on something we didn’t like. There are other ways to support artists you feel deserve something more. Spotify may have its problems, but on the whole, it’s good for music.

What’s The Problem?

However, something else began to bother me. While I had access to tons of artists, some were blocked by geo-restrictions. My subscription should have given me access to the whole library. But more importantly, the musicians should be able to market their music all around the world. Certain record labels unfortunately tie artists into deals that aren’t international, and if the artist isn’t successful enough by the label’s standards, their music gets stuck in their region.

For this reason, a Spotify VPN became a priority for me. A VPN is software that hides your location by routing your connection through external servers. Once you’re connected through a server somewhere else in the world, Spotify will think you’re there.

Now, a VPN is important for security, and no one should go online without it. Getting around geo-restrictions is an advantage, but far from the only benefit.

So, which VPN should you go for when you want to get around Spotify’s geo-restrictions.

Choosing A VPN

One of your top priorities is certainly going to be where a VPN’s servers are located. After all, this is what allows you to get around geo-restrictions. Thus, a VPN with lots of servers, but all in one country or one continent, is less useful than you’d wish.

Look for a VPN with servers around the world – multiple servers in each location. This also ensures that you can switch from slow servers, and that you can explore artists no matter where they are based.

An added bonus is, of course, the ability to watch streaming content from different locations. If you’re somewhere with a small Netflix library, you can get access to the US or Japanese library using a VPN.

Another factor is going to be cost. Keep in mind that all good VPNs are going to require a paid subscription – free VPNs aren’t worth the effort (and aren’t necessarily trustworthy). You shouldn’t be paying much more than US$10 a month, and if you go for a year-long subscription, you will get major discounts.

Get a VPN now to secure yourself and listen to whatever artist you wish to.