← Back to all guidesSpotify holds a detailed record of everything you have ever listened to — every track, skip, search, and playlist change. You can request two separate exports: an account data package and an extended streaming history that goes back further. This guide covers both, explains what is actually inside each file, and shows you what you can do with the data once you have it.
What Spotify knows about you
Spotify builds a surprisingly detailed picture from your listening behaviour — not just what you played, but when, for how long, whether you skipped it, what device you used, and what it infers about your tastes from all of that.
- Every track you have ever streamed, with timestamps and play duration
- Whether you skipped a track and at what point
- Every search query you have typed into Spotify
- All playlists you have created, followed, or modified
- Saved albums, artists, podcasts, and tracks
- Your listening history broken down by time of day, device, and context (playlist, album, radio)
- Inferred taste profile — genres, moods, and audio features Spotify associates with you
- Payment and subscription history
- Social connections and follower data
The two Spotify exports — account data and extended streaming history
Spotify splits its data export into two separate requests, and most people only know about one of them. If you only request the standard account data, you will get roughly the last 30 days of streaming history. The extended streaming history goes back to the day you created your account.
Both are free to request. You need to submit them separately from the same Privacy Settings page.
- Account data — profile info, playlists, saved content, search history, inferences, payments, recent streaming history (roughly 30 days)
- Extended streaming history — your complete listening history from account creation, in JSON format
- Request both at the same time so they arrive together
- Account data usually arrives within a few days; extended history can take up to 30 days
How to request both exports
- Go to spotify.com and log in to your account.
- Click your profile icon in the top-right corner and choose "Account".
- Scroll down to the "Privacy settings" section.
- Find "Download your data" and click it.
- Under "What personal data can we provide?", check the box for "Account data" and click "Request".
- On the same page, find "Extended streaming history" and click "Request" for that separately.
- Confirm both requests via the verification emails Spotify sends.
- Wait for the notification emails — account data usually within a few days, extended history up to 30 days.
- Download both ZIP files from the links in the emails.
What is inside the account data ZIP
The account data archive is a ZIP containing a set of JSON files. Each file covers a different category of your data.
- StreamingHistory_music_0.json (and _1, _2 etc.) — recent tracks played with timestamps and ms played
- Playlist1.json — all your playlists with track listings
- YourLibrary.json — saved tracks, albums, artists, podcasts, and shows
- SearchQueries.json — every search you have typed into Spotify
- Inferences.json — the taste labels Spotify has assigned to you based on your behaviour
- Payments.json — subscription and billing history
- Identity.json — account profile details
- Follow.json — who you follow and who follows you
- userdata.json — general account metadata
What is inside the extended streaming history ZIP
This is the most valuable file for understanding your long-term listening habits. It is a set of JSON files named Streaming_History_Audio_YYYY-YYYY_N.json, covering your complete history in chunks.
Each entry in the file is a single play event with a rich set of fields.
- ts — timestamp of when the track ended playing (UTC)
- master_metadata_track_name — track title
- master_metadata_album_artist_name — artist name
- master_metadata_album_album_name — album name
- ms_played — how many milliseconds of the track you actually listened to
- reason_start — why it started (e.g. trackdone, fwdbtn, clickrow)
- reason_end — why it ended (e.g. trackdone, fwdbtn, endplay)
- skipped — whether you skipped the track
- platform — the device or app used (e.g. Android, web player, Cast)
- shuffle — whether shuffle was on
- offline — whether it was played offline
What the Inferences file reveals
The Inferences.json file contains a list of labels Spotify has derived from your listening behaviour. These are the signals that feed into what Spotify recommends to you and how it categorises your tastes.
They are worth opening even if you do not plan to do anything else with the export — many people are surprised by how specific or accurate (or inaccurate) they are.
- Genre and mood labels like "indie rock", "focus music", "late night listening"
- Behavioural labels like listening context or device patterns
- These inferences are used to power recommendations and personalised playlists like Discover Weekly
- You cannot edit them, but you can see what Spotify has built about you
How to actually read the data
The JSON files are not designed to be read directly, but they are not difficult to work with once you know your options.
- Open any JSON file in a browser by dragging it into a tab — most browsers display it in a readable tree view
- Use a free tool like jsonviewer.stack.hu for a cleaner interface
- Import StreamingHistory files into a spreadsheet: in Excel or Google Sheets, use File > Import and select the JSON file
- Use stats.fm (free web tool) to visualise your Spotify history — it can import your extended streaming history directly
- Use Receiptify to generate a shareable top-tracks summary from your recent history
- For deeper analysis, a basic Python script using pandas can turn the JSON into charts in a few lines
Using the data to switch services
Your playlist export is the most portable piece of data if you are moving to Apple Music, YouTube Music, Tidal, or another service.
- Tools like Soundiiz, TuneMyMusic, and Spotify's own built-in tools can import playlists between services
- Your liked tracks list (YourLibrary.json) can be used to reconstruct a saved songs library elsewhere
- Streaming history is harder to migrate — most other services have no import for play counts or listening history
- Last.fm is worth setting up going forward if you want cross-platform listening history tracking
How to delete your Spotify data
Exporting does not delete anything. If you want to clear your history or close your account, those are separate actions.
- To clear recent listening history: go to Privacy Settings and look for "Clear listening history"
- To delete your search history: go to Search History in the app settings
- To close your account entirely: go to Account > Close account — this is permanent and cannot be undone
- Export before you delete — once your account is closed, the data is gone
Where to store it
- Keep the streaming history JSON files — they are small and represent years of data worth having
- Store in a folder named spotify-2026-04 alongside other entertainment exports
- An off-site copy in ProtonDrive (go.getproton.me/SH2aK) or pCloud (partner.pcloud.com/r/155235) is a sensible precaution
Quick version
If you want the short checklist instead of the full guide, use the service page.
FAQ
Why does my streaming history only go back 30 days?
The standard account data export only includes roughly the last 30 days. To get your full history, you need to separately request the extended streaming history from the same Privacy Settings page.
How long does the Spotify data export take?
Account data usually arrives within a few days. Extended streaming history can take up to 30 days.
What format is the Spotify data in?
All files are JSON. They can be opened in a browser, a text editor, or imported into a spreadsheet or analysis tool.
What is the difference between ms_played and a full play?
ms_played tells you how many milliseconds of the track were actually played. A track with very low ms_played was probably skipped quickly. You can use this to distinguish real listens from skips.
Can I use my Spotify data to move to another streaming service?
Your playlists are the most portable — tools like Soundiiz and TuneMyMusic can transfer them to Apple Music, YouTube Music, or Tidal. Full listening history is harder to migrate as no standard import format exists.
What is Inferences.json?
It is a list of taste and behaviour labels Spotify has derived from your listening habits. These feed into your recommendations and personalised playlists.
Does exporting my data delete it from Spotify?
No. Exporting creates a copy. Your data stays on Spotify's servers unless you separately request deletion or close your account.
Can I see how many times I have played a specific song?
Yes, using the extended streaming history. Filter the JSON by track name and count the entries, or import into a spreadsheet and use a COUNTIF. Tools like stats.fm can do this automatically.