To make a QR code for a Spotify playlist, tap Share on the playlist, choose Copy link, paste the address into a link QR code generator and download the image. This QR code opens with any phone's regular camera, unlike a Spotify Code, which can only be read inside the Spotify app. Before printing, make the playlist public.
- A Spotify QR code is a link QR code holding the playlist address, in the format open.spotify.com/playlist/ followed by an ID.
- A Spotify Code, the one with the wave-shaped bars, can only be read by the camera inside the Spotify app; a link QR code opens with any camera.
- According to Spotify's help pages, a private playlist doesn't open for anyone, and the sharing link for a private playlist expires after 7 days.
- You can swap the songs in the playlist whenever you like, and the printed QR code keeps pointing to it.
How to make a Spotify playlist QR code, step by step
- Open the playlist in the Spotify app.
- Tap the three dots, then Share, then Copy link. On a computer, right-click the playlist and go to Share.
- Trim the end of the link. The address usually comes with
?si=and a string of letters. That part identifies the share; without it, the playlist opens the same way and the QR code is simpler. - Paste it into the link QR code generator. If you want Spotify green, pick a very dark shade for the dots, on a light background.
- Download it as PNG or SVG and test it on a phone without Spotify installed, too.
Spotify Code or QR code: what's the difference?
Spotify has its own code, the Spotify Code, created in 2017. It shows up in the share menu under "Spotify Code" and looks like a sound wave next to the logo. According to Spotify's help pages, to read that code you open the app, tap Search, tap the camera icon in the search bar and then tap Scan.
| Spotify Code | Link QR code | |
|---|---|---|
| Who can scan it | Only people with the Spotify app | Any phone camera |
| People without Spotify | Have no idea what it is | Opens the playlist in the browser |
| Look | Bars with the Spotify logo | Any color, custom dots and corners |
| File | Image from the app or from Spotify's codes site | PNG from 200 to 4,000 px or SVG |
| Good for | Superfans, album covers, merch | Parties, shops, invitations, gifts, a mixed audience |
The Spotify Code is pretty and looks like music. But most people point their phone camera without opening any app, and then only the QR code reacts. For a mixed audience, the link QR code is the safe choice; on fan material, you can use both side by side.
How to get the playlist ready for the QR code
Here's the mistake that breaks the most Spotify QR codes. According to Spotify's help pages, when a playlist is private, nobody can access it, not even with the link. And the link the app generates to show a private playlist to other people expires in 7 days. On a printed invitation, that means a QR code that works the week you print it and fails on the day of the party.
- Make the playlist public. New playlists start out public; check that nobody changed that.
- Don't delete and recreate it. A new playlist gets a new link. To start over, empty the same playlist and fill it up again.
- Polish the name and cover. It's the first thing people see after the scan.
- Collaborative playlist: if the idea is for guests to add songs, the invitation to collaborate is a different link, one that grants edit permission. Think carefully before printing that link on a poster.
Where to use a Spotify QR code
Parties and weddings
The party playlist on the invitation, so guests arrive in the mood. At a wedding, the ceremony playlist or the couple's songs; the guide to QR codes on wedding invitations shows how to fit it in alongside the venue, gifts and RSVP.
Shops, cafes and restaurants
You know the customer who asks, "What song is this?" A discreet QR code at the counter saying "Like the music? The house playlist is right here" answers for you and even takes your shop's name to the person's Spotify. The guide to QR code ideas for restaurants has more ideas along these lines.
Gifts
A playlist made for someone, with the QR code on a card, in a little box or on a frame. It works great for Valentine's Day, and also for birthdays and farewells.
Musicians and bands
At the show, on merch and on posters, the QR code takes people to the artist profile or the new album.
For video, with a music video or a recorded show, the logic is the same as in the YouTube QR code, which even lets you make the video start at a specific minute.
Does a Spotify QR code expire?
A static QR code doesn't expire: the link is stored in the code itself, and here at QR Code Free Forever it doesn't even go through our server. What can fail is the playlist on the other end, if it gets deleted or made private. A good practice is to scan the QR code again a few days before the event, just to be sure.
Frequently asked questions
Can people without Spotify listen through the QR code?
They can open the playlist in the browser and see the tracks. To listen, Spotify asks for an account, and a free one works.
Can I make a QR code for a single song or a podcast?
Yes. Songs, albums, artists, podcasts and episodes each have their own link under the Share button, and any of them can become a link QR code.
If I change the playlist's name or cover, does the QR code still work?
Yes. The playlist link uses an internal ID that doesn't change when you edit the name, the cover or the songs.
Can I print a Spotify QR code on a gift?
Yes, on a card, mug, frame or T-shirt. Just make sure the playlist is public and won't be deleted.
