Spotify is hiking prices for its Premium users starting from May, the streaming service has announced.
It’s the second time in less than a year that the music provider has upped its charge to fee-paying users.
From May, a ‘Premium Individual’ plan will rise by £1, from £10.99 to £11.99 per month, while the ‘Duo’ subscription, where two people can use the same profile, will increase by £2. That charge will soon cost £16.99 per month.
A ‘Family’ plan, which allows six people living at the same address to listen to utilise the platform, will cost £19.99 – a jump from £17.99.
The free version of the app and website will continue to be an option for music fans. But this plan interrupts your playlist, album, podcast or audiobook with adverts.
A student plan is also on offer, which will remain at £5.99 for those at school, college or university.
Spotify price increase ‘to bring best experience’ to users
In the announcement, Spotify wrote: “We’re increasing the price of Premium Individual so that we can continue bringing you the best experience. You’ll continue to get the benefits that you know and love today like ad-free music listening and downloading to listen offline.”
As well as streaming music, users can also “host real-time listening sessions with friends and family by starting a Jam on your phone and desktop.”
The last price increase by the streaming giant took place in July 2023. Back then, prices also rose by £1, which means users have seen prices surge by £24 per year in the space of fewer than 12 months.
A Spotify spokesperson told City AM the decision to turn prices up “is so we can keep innovating and delivering value to fans, the music industry, and creators on our platform, we occasionally update our prices”.
They added: “We’ve begun communicating with existing subscribers in the UK to explain what this means for their account.”
Alternative streaming options
If you wish to avoid the next price increase, you can cancel your Spotify Premium account any time up until May.
There are alternative options on the streaming market. Currently, Apple Music and Amazon Music Unlimited offer free trials for a month, before the respective membership fees kick in.
After that, both services charge a slightly cheaper plan than Spotify, costing £10.99 for the equivalent membership, as does YouTube Music.
