You cannot change your Spotify username after you create it

Spotify does not offer a way to edit or change the username you chose when you set up your account. Once you pick a username, it stays attached to your account permanently. If you want a different username, you have to create a new Spotify account with a new email address and start over — your playlists, saved songs, and listening history will not transfer.

This matters because your username is part of your public profile. Other people can search for you by username, see your playlists if you make them public, and follow your activity if you allow it. If you chose a username years ago that no longer fits who you are, or if you used personal information you now regret sharing, you are stuck with it unless you abandon that account entirely.

Key Takeaways

  • Spotify usernames cannot be changed, edited, or deleted once created — the only option is to start a new account with a new email address.
  • Your username appears in your public profile URL and is searchable, so other users can find and follow you by that name.
  • If you switch accounts, your playlists, saved songs, and listening history stay with the old account and do not move to the new one.
  • You can change your display name (the name that shows on your profile) separately from your username, though the display name is optional.
  • Before creating a new account, read or screenshot any playlists you want to keep, since you will need to manually recreate them.

What your username is and where it appears

Your Spotify username is the unique identifier you created during signup. It becomes part of your profile URL — for example, open.spotify.com/user/yourusername — and it is what other people type into the search bar to find you. This is different from your display name, which is the name that shows at the top of your profile and can be changed anytime.

When you make a playlist public, your username appears as the creator. If someone clicks on your profile from a shared playlist or a friend's follower list, they land on a page with your username in the URL. If your account is set to public, anyone on Spotify can see your username, your public playlists, and who you follow.

How to change your display name instead

If you want to change how your name appears on your profile without abandoning your account, you can edit your display name. This is separate from your username and takes effect when ready. On the Spotify app, go to your profile, tap the gear icon for settings, select "View Profile," and then tap "Edit Profile." Type in the new display name you want and save it.

On the web version, click your profile icon in the top right, select "Account," then "Edit Profile," and change the display name field. The display name can be anything — it does not have to match your username, and you can change it as often as you want. However, your username itself will not change, and it will still appear in your profile URL and in the creator credit on any public playlists you made before the change.

Why Spotify locks usernames and what that means for privacy

Spotify keeps usernames permanent because they function as a permanent identifier in the system. Every playlist you create, every follow you make, and every public activity ties back to that username. Changing it would break links to old playlists, confuse the follow system, and create technical problems across the platform. From Spotify's perspective, a permanent username is simpler to manage than allowing changes.

From a privacy standpoint, this is a trade-off. A locked username means you cannot erase or rebrand your public identity on the platform without starting completely fresh. If you shared your Spotify profile with people years ago, that username is still findable and still connected to your account. You cannot make it disappear or hand it off to someone else. This is worth thinking about when you first create an account — choose a username you are comfortable with long-term, or use something generic that does not reveal personal details.

What happens if you create a new account

If you decide to start over with a new username, you will need a different email address to sign up. You can use a new email account, or if you have a phone number linked to your old Spotify account, you can use that phone number with a new email for the new account. However, nothing from your old account transfers automatically.

Your playlists stay with the old account. Your saved songs stay with the old account. Your listening history and personalized recommendations stay with the old account. If you want to keep any playlists, you have to manually recreate them in the new account by searching for each song and adding it. For large playlists, this is time-consuming. Some people use third-party tools that claim to transfer playlists between accounts, but these tools require you to grant them access to your Spotify account, which carries its own privacy risk — they can see your listening history and saved content while they work.

Steps to take before you create a new account

If you have decided to switch to a new username, take these steps first. Screenshot or read a list of every playlist you want to keep. On Spotify, you can right-click a playlist and select "Share" to copy the link, then paste it somewhere you can reference later. Write down the song titles and artists from your most important playlists, or use a note app to keep track.

If you have followers or people who follow you, let them know you are switching accounts so they can find you under your new username. You can post about it on social media or send a message to close friends. After you create the new account and rebuild your playlists, you can share your new profile link. You can keep your old account active or delete it — Spotify will deactivate it after a period of inactivity, but you can also request deletion through your account settings if you want it gone when ready.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hide my username or make my profile private?

You can make your profile private so that only people you approve can see your playlists and activity. Go to Settings, select "Social," and turn off "Allow others to see your public playlists." This hides your public playlists from search, but your username itself still exists and is still part of your account — it just becomes less visible.

What if someone else took the username I want?

Spotify usernames are first-come, first-served. If the username you want is already taken, you cannot use it. You have to choose a different one during signup. There is no waitlist or way to claim a username that belongs to someone else, even if that account is inactive.

Does changing my email address change my username?

No. Your email address and your username are separate. You can change your email in your account settings without affecting your username. Your username stays the same no matter what email you use to log in.

If I delete my account, can I use that username again later?

Once you delete your Spotify account, that username is retired and cannot be reused — not by you and not by anyone else. Spotify does not recycle deleted usernames, so if you delete an account, that username is gone permanently.

Can I transfer my playlists to a friend's account?

You can make your playlists public and share the links with your friend, but they cannot be transferred to their account. Your friend would have to manually add the songs to their own playlists, or you could collaborate on a playlist together by making it editable for both of you.