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YouTube Music vs Spotify: Is Your Data Secure?

Explore how US-based YouTube Music and Sweden's Spotify handle your data privacy. Discover which platform offers better security for your music streaming needs today.

Last updated: February 1, 2026โ€ขReviewed by Built in EU Team

Should You Switch to Spotify?

What You Gain

Gain access to a vast library of music and podcasts, EU-based service.

Privacy advantage
Trade-offs

Lose music videos and YouTube integration; fewer personalized mixes.

YouTube Music has more features
Bottom Line

Switch if privacy and podcast access matter more than features.

At a Glance

Data Location
๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธUS

US data laws

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ชSE

GDPR protected

Pricing

YouTube Music

freemium

Spotify

freemium

Migration
Medium difficulty

Privacy & Compliance Comparison

Critical data sovereignty factors at a glance

CriteriaYouTube MusicSpotify
Server Location
US, EUEU, US
GDPR Compliance
Partial (SCCs)Full
Open Source
E2E Encryption
Data Portability
PartialFull export

CLOUD Act Notice

YouTube Music is a US company and must comply with CLOUD Act data requests, even for data stored in EU data centers. Spotify is not subject to US jurisdiction.

Switching from
YouTube Music logo

YouTube Music

๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ

Google (Alphabet)

VS
Switching to
Spotify logo

Spotify

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ช

Spotify

US Data Storage

Data subject to US CLOUD Act and may be accessed by US authorities

EU Data Protection

Data protected under GDPR with EU-only data residency

Certifications & Compliance

No certifications listed

EU-Based
GDPR Compliant

Reasons to Switch

  • โœ“Spotify offers a vast library with over 70 million songs.
  • โœ“Spotify's personalized playlists like 'Discover Weekly' enhance music discovery.
  • โœ“Spotify supports podcasts, integrating audio content in one app.
  • โœ“Spotify's web player allows access from any browser without app download.

Things to Consider

  • !YouTube Music's music videos are not available on Spotify.
  • !Switching requires re-creating playlists and preferences manually.
  • !Spotify's offline downloads limit is 10,000 songs per device.
Migration difficulty:
Medium

Migration Overview

Full guide
Difficulty
Medium

Quick Steps

1

Create Spotify account and configure settings

2

Export and prepare data from YouTube Music

3

Import data, test integrations, and migrate users

Other alternatives to YouTube Music

Ready to make the switch?

Start using Spotify today and take control of your data privacy.