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Spotify Hikes Prices Again, Raising Premium Plan to $12 a Month

Spotify raises subscription prices for US users to 'invest in and innovate on' new features.

 & Kate Irwin Reporter

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Less than a year after its last price increase, music-streaming service Spotify is raising the cost of its Premium, Duo, and Family plans in the US by at least a dollar a month.

This means $10.99 Premium subscriptions now cost $11.99 a month, a 9% price hike. Duo subscriptions now cost $16.99, up 13% from $14.99. Family plans now cost $19.99, more than a 17% price increase. Student plans are still $5.99 a month. US users will soon receive an email detailing this week's changes.

Spotify says the move will help it "continue to invest in and innovate on our product features and bring users the best experience." In recent months, Spotify has bundled audiobook listening into Premium and has been testing new features like music videos and AI-powered playlists that can be generated with a simple text prompt.

Spotify users who don't want to pay the higher rates can cancel their subscriptions or try an alternative streaming service like Apple Music or Tidal. Those currently on free trials will get one month at the old rate and then be forced to pay the new rate or cancel.

Spotify may be able to hang on to its users as new data from research firm Antenna says Spotify users are much less likely than video-streaming subscribers to cancel their plans, Bloomberg reports, in part because it has a much wider content library compared with video services.

About Our Expert

Kate Irwin

Kate Irwin

Reporter

I’m a reporter for PCMag covering tech news early in the morning. Prior to joining PCMag, I was a producer and reporter at Decrypt and launched its gaming vertical, GG. I have previously written for Input, Game Rant, Dot Esports, and other places, covering a range of gaming, tech, crypto, and entertainment news.

I’ve been a PC gamer since The Sims (yes, the original) in the CD-ROM days. I still think about my first-gen pink iPod mini, which, looking back, was not so mini. In 2020, I finally built my own custom Windows PC for gaming with a 3090 graphics card, but I also regularly use Mac and iOS devices. As a reporter, I’m passionate about documenting the wide world of tech and how it affects our daily lives.

My Areas of Expertise

  • Microsoft
  • Google
  • Artificial intelligence 
  • Cybersecurity
  • Video games are a big one. I specialize in shooters (Apex Legends, Fortnite, Overwatch) but I occasionally test out other genres as well, especially indie games or cozy games (The Sims series, Animal Crossing). 
  • The business and tech that powers video games
  • Cryptocurrency and blockchain technology
  • Social media platforms, including Meta’s apps, X/Twitter, Telegram, TikTok, etc.
  • Tech regulation

The Technology I Use

  • MSI gaming laptops
  • Nvidia graphics cards
  • AMD CPUs
  • MacBook Pro and Air laptops
  • An iPhone from 2019 (though I’m thinking about getting a “dumb phone” like the Light Phone)
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PlayStation 5
  • Freewrite Traveler 
  • At home: Sonos speakers (we have them all over the house), Philips Hue + Ring security products

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