Spotify is raising its prices yet again
Spotify has announced an increase in subscription prices for users around the world. For now, the US does not get a mention, but with fees being raised in pretty much every region, it is hard to imagine that the same will not happen stateside as well.
The new pricing is due to kick in for existing subscribers in September, but sooner for new subscribers.
Spotify has not said if other subscription tiers, such as Premium Duo, will increase as well. Saying nothing about if – or when – the changes will hit US users will do nothing to stop people bracing themselves for higher charges.
In a blog post announcing the price increase, Spotify says:
At Spotify, we’re committed to delivering a world-class, personalized experience for every user. To continue to innovate on our product offerings and features and bring users the best experience, we occasionally update our prices.
Over the next month, Premium subscribers in multiple markets across South Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Latin America, and the Asia-Pacific region will receive an email explaining what this update means for their subscriptions. New subscribers can find the latest pricing by visiting spotify.com/premium.
The company shares a sample email which affected users can expect to receive shortly:
Spotify Premium
Thank you for being a valued Premium subscriber. Starting on your billing date in September, your subscription price will change from 10,99 €/month to 11,99 €/month.
We're increasing the price of Premium Individual so that we can continue to innovate on our product offerings and features, and bring you the best experience.
Thank you for choosing Premium.
The Spotify Team
Apparently unconcerned about the potential for losing customers, Spotify includes a note at the bottom of the email saying.
If you do not wish to continue paying for Premium at the new price point, you can always cancel via your account page or visit our support site if you have more questions. You can also explore alternative plans available to you via your account settings.
The increases in prices come as Spotify faces criticism from various quarters, not least from artists who are unhappy about the earnings they receive from the company. There have been numerous high profile bands and artists who have removed their catalogs from the service.
The streaming music service has also faced flak for its use of AI, and the promotion of AI-generated music.
This is far from being the first price increase to hit Spotify specifically, but streaming services in general. Could this be enough to make people think twice about the number of subscription services they pay for? Will Spotify see an exodus of users, or has the service managed to hook people to a point that they are willing to endure endless incremental price increases?