You can block artists on Spotify so their songs won't play in your library, playlists, or radio stations

Blocking an artist on Spotify prevents their music from appearing in your recommendations, radio stations, and shuffle play. The blocked artist's songs won't show up when you search, but you can still see them in your library if you've saved them before — you just won't hear them play automatically. This is different from unfollowing: blocking actually stops the music, while unfollowing just removes them from your following list.

The block feature works across all your devices — phone, computer, and tablet. Once you block someone, it stays blocked unless you manually unblock them later. Spotify doesn't notify the artist that you've blocked them.

Key Takeaways

  • You can block an artist directly from their profile page or from any song they've made by tapping the three-dot menu.
  • Blocked artists won't appear in radio stations, recommendations, or shuffle play, but their old songs stay in your library if you saved them.
  • The block applies to all your devices at once and doesn't notify the artist.
  • You can unblock an artist anytime by going to your settings and finding them in your blocked list.

How to block an artist from their profile page

Open Spotify and search for the artist you want to block. Tap or click their name to go to their profile page. At the top of the profile, you'll see a three-dot menu button (on mobile) or a menu icon (on desktop). Tap or click it.

A menu will pop up with several options. Look for "Block Artist" or "Don't Play This Artist" — the exact wording depends on your device and Spotify version. Tap or click that option. Spotify will confirm the block with a message like "Artist blocked" or show a checkmark next to the option.

How to block an artist from a song

You don't have to visit their full profile. If you're listening to a song and want to block the artist, tap or click the three-dot menu next to the song title. This works in your library, in playlists, in search results, or while a song is playing.

The menu will show options like "Save to Library," "Add to Playlist," and "Block Artist." Tap or click "Block Artist." The song will stop playing if it's currently on, and you won't hear that artist again in shuffle or radio unless you unblock them.

What happens after you block an artist

Once blocked, the artist's music won't play in Spotify Radio, Discover Weekly, Release Radar, or any other recommendation feature. If you're using shuffle play on a playlist that contains their songs, Spotify will skip over them. If you search for the artist by name, their profile still appears in search results, but you can't play their music directly.

Songs you've already saved to your library stay there, but they won't play during shuffle or radio. If someone else creates a playlist with that artist's songs and you follow it, those songs will be skipped when you listen. The artist can still see their own streams and followers — blocking is invisible to them.

How to unblock an artist

On mobile, go to your profile icon at the bottom right and tap "Settings and Privacy." Scroll down and tap "Explicit Content" or look for a "Blocked Artists" section (this varies by phone type). You should see a list of everyone you've blocked. Find the artist you want to unblock and tap the minus sign or "Unblock" button next to their name.

On desktop, click your profile icon in the top right corner and select "Settings." Scroll down to find "Blocked Artists" or a similar section. Click the X or "Unblock" next to the artist's name. After you unblock them, their music will start appearing in recommendations and radio again.

Blocking doesn't remove saved songs from your library

If you've already added an artist's songs to your library or playlists before blocking them, those songs stay in your collection. They just won't play during shuffle or radio. You can still manually play them if you go directly to your library and select them, but Spotify won't suggest them to you.

If you want to remove their songs completely, you'll need to delete them from your library separately. Go to each song or album, tap or click the heart icon or the minus sign to remove it. This is a different action from blocking and gives you more control over what stays in your collection.

Why you might want to block instead of just unfollowing

Unfollowing an artist just removes them from your "Following" list, but their music can still show up in recommendations and radio stations. Blocking is stronger — it tells Spotify's algorithm to stop suggesting them entirely. Use blocking when you really don't want to hear someone, and unfollowing when you just want to clean up your following list but don't mind hearing them occasionally.

Some people block artists because they don't like the music, others because they want to avoid certain content, and some because they prefer not to support a particular artist. Whatever your reason, the block feature gives you control over what plays on your account.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the artist know I blocked them?

No. Spotify doesn't notify artists when you block them. They can't see who has blocked them or how many people have done so. The block is completely private to your account.

Can I block an artist on one device but not another?

No. When you block an artist, the block applies to your entire Spotify account across all devices. If you block someone on your phone, they're blocked on your computer and tablet too.

What if I block an artist by accident?

You can unblock them anytime through your Settings. Go to your profile, find "Blocked Artists," and click the unblock button next to their name. After you unblock them, their music will appear in recommendations again.

Will blocking an artist affect my Discover Weekly or Release Radar?

Yes. Spotify won't recommend songs from blocked artists in Discover Weekly, Release Radar, or any other personalized playlist. If you unblock them later, they may start appearing in recommendations again.

Can I block multiple artists at once?

No. You have to block artists one at a time through their profile or through a song. There's no bulk-block feature in Spotify, so if you want to block several artists, you'll need to repeat the process for each one.