Spotify forces new users to have a Facebook account

Want to sign up for an account on Spotify? If you don’t have a Facebook account (or don’t want to make one) then you’re probably out of luck.

The premium music streaming service is requiring that new users connect their Facebook accounts if they want to sign up for a Spotify account.

The move comes just days after Spotify tightly integrated its service with Facebook’s new OpenGraph platform, which allows users to see what their friends are listening to in real-time.

When you visit Spotify for the first time, you’re met with a message that reads: “You need a Facebook account to register for Spotify. If you have an account, just log in below to register. If you don’t have a Facebook account, get one by clicking the ‘create an account’ link below.”

As TechCrunch points out, a Spotify employee named Darren replied to some disgruntled users on the company’s Get Satisfaction account with a solution that violates Facebook’s terms of service.

“Hey Guys thanks for your question, Unfortunately you will need a Facebook account to access Spotify from now on, unless you already have an account set up,” Darren writes. “This does not stop you creating the Facebook account adding nothing to it and making it totally private as the Facebook account does not have to be actively used.”

Something tells me this isn’t the last we’ve heard about this situation. We’re contacting Spotify for a comment and will update the post when we hear back.