Spotify has a price increase planned for early 2026
In the age of digital subscriptions in which we find ourselves, price increases have become par for the course. Spotify is no different to other companies in this regard, and the arrival of a new year seems to be as good a reason as any to hoik up monthly fees.
At the moment there is no official word from Spotify itself, but a price increase is certainly due, and a report by the Financial Times suggests that it is just around the corner.
Plex is clamping down on free remote streaming
Plex has, over the years, earned itself a dedicated legion of fans looking for free or cheap ways to stream music, movies and more. The software has simplified the process of setting up and working with a remote media server, and there is now a significant change on the way.
For some time, it has been possible to remotely access a Plex media server for free – great for anyone travelling who wants to stream contents from their home server. But this will soon be a paid-for feature, meaning that anyone looking to remotely access media will need to take out a Plex subscription.
Spotify now lets you listen to a track without it influencing the algorithm
The Spotify recommendation algorithm is problematic, and easily sent askew by random tracks you listen to. The company has just announced that it is rolling out the option for users around the world to exclude individual tracks
This may sound like something we’ve heard before, but previous exclusion options have related to playlists. Now you can stop that one song your kid keeps listening to from causing your recommendations to be in a similar vein.
Disney+ is raising its prices yet again
Subscribers to Disney+ are being asked to dig deeper into their pockets as the cost of the streaming service goes up again. In what is becoming an annual occurrence, subscription charges are increasing across the board.
If you were hoping that opting for an ad-supported tier would help with avoiding price increases, think again – even this subscription package is going up. With Disney having irritated many of its customers after the (since reversed) decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel, the company should expect an even frostier reception than normal to asking people for more money each month.
Netflix now lets you share clips from your favorite shows and movies
Timed to coincide with the release of the second half of season two of Wednesday, Netflix has announced an update to its Moments feature. Introduced last year, Moments gives Netflix a way to “bookmark” a point in a show so you can share it with friends, or just use it as a handy way to jump to a favorite scene.
With the update to Moments, Netflix is now making it possible to define a start and end point for such scenes so you can create shareable clips from thing you have been watching. While the launch is being tied to Wednesday, Netflix uses the announcement to promote KPop Demon Hunters as well.
YouTube gets tougher with Premium Family plan restrictions
It was inevitable that it would happen one day, and that day appears to have arrived. YouTube is getting stricter about how a Premium Family plan can be used.
The rules that apply to YouTube Family Premium are not changing, but YouTube is now seemingly enforcing restrictions that it was previously happy to turn a blind eye to.
Disney is killing off the Hulu app, bringing all content to Disney+
Disney has announced major plans for Hulu – in short, it is getting rid of the Hulu app. This does not mean, however, that Hulu itself is going away.
During an earnings call, Disney revealed that rather than maintain the Hulu app and Disney+ app separately, Hulu content will instead be made available via Disney+. This is a significant change, but it is not going to be happening immediately.
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.
Android Auto’s Spotify update adds new playlist options for long trips
Spotify and Android Auto is a perfect pairing, and with the latest update to the app things just got even better. There is something of a UX-enhancing face-lift to the app, but the update also sees the arrival of new collaborative playlist options.
Jams are not usually a good thing on car journeys, but in the case of Spotify Jam it’s a little different. The feature lets everyone in the vehicle add their own music to a queue and create a playlist that will include something for everyone’s taste.
Amazon is shutting down its Freevee app in August
Amazon has finally announced when the Freevee streaming video app will close for good. As of next month, the Freevee app will be inaccessible, with content now being available on Prime Video instead.
The shuttering is no surprise, as the closure was announced last year. At the time, however, Amazon did not specify a timeline for how things would pan out. Some eight months after the original announcement, the company has finally revealed that the Freevee app will be shut down in August 2025.
HBO Max makes a surprise comeback
In another twist for streaming subscribers, Warner Bros. Discovery is scrapping the “Max” brand and reviving the “HBO Max” name this summer. The company made this move official at its Upfront event today in New York, touting it as a way to double down on what works best: the HBO brand and its reputation for quality programming.
Executives point to billions in profit improvements and millions of new subscribers, insisting that shifting the focus back to HBO will help the company hit a projected 150 million global subscribers by 2026. But as someone who follows streaming trends closely, I can’t ignore the constant rebranding.
You can finally remove movies and shows from your Continue Watching list on Disney+
It has been an incredibly long time coming, but Disney+ subscribers are, at long last, being given control over the oft maligned Continue Watching list.
While an ostensibly useful feature, making it possible to easily pick up a viewing sessions from where you left it, Continue Watching lists have also been the cause of complaints. They have become wastelands of abandoned shows, movies that have been bailed on, and accidental additions -- but no more!
Plex announces higher prices and new remote streaming rules
Plex is making some massive adjustments, and users -- both free and paying -- are going to feel the impact. Sadly, the company has announced price increases for its Plex Pass subscription, a new “Remote Watch Pass,” and a decision that will end free remote streaming for personal media collections.
Starting April 29, 2025, the cost of Plex Pass is going up. The monthly plan will jump to $6.99, the annual plan to $69.99, and the Lifetime Plex Pass will more than double to $249.99. However, there’s still time to grab a lifetime subscription at the current $119.99 price before the hike kicks in. Plex says these changes will help fund future improvements, such as an integration with Common Sense Media, an upgraded server management app, and a new open API for server customization.
Firefox add-ons will stop working on March 14 if you don’t update
Firefox users running older versions of the web browser could be in for a really nasty surprise. On March 14, 2025, a critical root certificate will expire. And, if your browser isn’t updated to at least Firefox 128 (or ESR 115.13+ for those using the long-term support version) your add-ons will be disabled. Additionally, streaming services that require DRM may even stop working!
For anyone still using an outdated version on Windows, macOS, Linux, or Android, time is running out to avoid these annoyances. Even those sticking with older operating systems (such as Windows 7, 8, and 8.1, or macOS 10.12–10.14) need to at least update to ESR 115.13+ if they want to keep their add-ons and media playback working.
Super Bowl LIX will stream in 4K Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos for the first time
The Super Bowl is this Sunday, and I suppose I’m excited. As a New York Jets fan, I can never truly enjoy football -- it’s a miserable existence. However, I enjoy all things sports, so even though I hate both the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles (and refuse to cheer on either team), I will still tune in and watch the big game.
This year, you can watch the Super Bowl in 4K for free, which is definitely cool, but taking things a step further, if you have Xfinity TV service and the right hardware, you can experience the game in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos too. This upgrade is part of Comcast’s new “Enhanced 4K offering” on X1.
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