Spotify's powerful recommendation algorithm is fantastic for music discovery, but sometimes it gets things wrong. Whether it's an overplayed artist, a musician you dislike, or you simply want to curate a more specific vibe, knowing how to block an artist is an essential tool for personalizing your listening experience. A well-curated library is one of the top features you can get with a premium setup.
This comprehensive guide will walk you through the simple steps to block and unblock any artist on Spotify across all your devices: mobile, desktop, and the web player. We'll also cover the limitations of the feature and answer your most frequently asked questions. By the end, you'll have complete control over who makes it onto your playlists and radio stations.
What Does Blocking an Artist on Spotify Actually Do?
Before we dive into the "how," let's clarify the "what." When you block an artist on Spotify, the platform will prevent their music from playing from most of the automatically generated and personalized sections of the app. Here’s a breakdown of where their music will be hidden:
Music Will Be Blocked From:
- Autoplay sessions
- Personalized discovery playlists (e.g., Discover Weekly, Release Radar)
- Artist, genre, and decade radio stations
- Daily Mixes and other algorithmic playlists
- Chart playlists
Music Will NOT Be Blocked From:
- Playlists you've created yourself
- Playlists created by other users
- Songs featuring the blocked artist (if they are not the main artist)
- Any song you manually select and play
Important Limitation
How to Block an Artist on Spotify: Step-by-Step Guides
The process is slightly different depending on which device you're using. Here are the detailed instructions for each platform.
Mobile (iOS & Android) Guide
How to Block an Artist
- Open the Spotify app and navigate to the artist's page. You can do this by searching for them or tapping their name on a song.
- Tap the three dots (ellipsis) icon in the top-right corner of the artist's page to open the menu.
- From the menu options, select 'Don't play this artist'.
- A confirmation message will appear. The artist is now blocked.
How to Unblock an Artist
- Go back to the artist's page.
- Tap the three dots icon again.
- Select 'Allow to play this artist'.
- The artist is now unblocked and will reappear in your recommendations.
Desktop (Windows & Mac) & Web Player Guide
How to Block an Artist
- Open the Spotify desktop app or navigate to open.spotify.com.
- Go to the artist's main page by searching for them.
- Click the three dots (ellipsis) icon located next to the 'Follow' button.
- From the dropdown menu, select 'Don't play this artist'.
- The artist is now blocked from your personalized streams.
How to Unblock an Artist
- Return to the artist's page.
- Click the three dots icon again.
- This time, the option will say 'Allow to play this artist'. Click it to unblock them.
Why You Should Curate Your Listening Experience
Blocking artists isn't just about avoiding music you don't like; it's about actively refining Spotify's algorithm to better understand your unique tastes. The more feedback you give the platform-by liking, hiding, and blocking-the more accurate its recommendations become. This leads to a more enjoyable and personalized music discovery journey.
Better Recommendations
Refine your Discover Weekly and Release Radar to be filled with music you genuinely love.
Control Your Vibe
Ensure your focus playlists or workout mixes aren't interrupted by mood-killing tracks.
Explore Deeper
By removing mainstream artists you dislike, you make room for lesser-known musicians to appear in your recommendations.
For more tips on enhancing your setup, learn how to connect Spotify to all your devices for a seamless experience.
