this post was submitted on 03 Jun 2024
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Spotify is raising the cost of Premium subscriptions, again (www.engadget.com)
submitted 8 months ago by cyberpunk007@lemmy.ca to c/technology@lemmy.world
295 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

Spotify is officially raising its Premium subscription rates in the US come July, following reports of the move in April. The platform is increasing its Individual plan from $11 to $12 monthly and its Duo plan from $15 to $17 monthly — the same jump as last year's $1 and $2 price hikes, respectively. However, its Family plan is going up by a whopping $3, increasing from $17 to $20 monthly. The only subscribers getting a break are students, who will continue to pay $6 monthly.

Spotify announced the price hikes less than a year after its previous one last July. Before that, Spotify hadn't raised its fees since launching a decade and a half ago. I guess it was too optimistic to hope the next increase would also take that long, especially with Spotify's continued focus (and money dump) on audiobooks.

Premium subscribers should receive an email from Spotify in the next month detailing the price hike and providing a link to cancel their plan if they would prefer to do so. Users currently on a trial period for Spotify will get one month at $11 after it ends before being moved up to a $12 monthly fee.

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[–] anthony@lemmy.cif.su 0 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Who else is still using YouTube Music ReVanced?

[–] JSens1998@lemmy.ml 0 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I don't understand why people pay for a music subscription when you can just use YouTube Music (ReVanced or FOSS YTMusic clients) for the freezies.

[–] soloner@lemmy.world 0 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Do those things give you DJ and radio options? I'm too lazy to go find the songs I want. I'd rather just let the app put on tunes and learn what I like based on feedback and behavior.

[–] JSens1998@lemmy.ml 0 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

SimpMusic allows you to login to your Google account, and will sync your YTMusic recommendations. It also has radios. :)

[–] InternetUser2012@midwest.social 0 points 8 months ago (3 children)

People still use spotify? Huh, TIL.

[–] kworpy@lemm.ee 0 points 8 months ago

literally just get audio files of whatever you wanna listen to and plop it on funkwhale

[–] douglasg14b@lemmy.world 0 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (5 children)

You.... Are kidding right?

You would have to be living under a proverbial rock to have no inkling that Spotify is a product still in use, or be willfully ignorant.

It's like saying:

  • People still use Google?
  • People still drive cars?
  • People still use Windows?
  • People still go to churches?

...etc

Not that I agree that we should use Spotify. But playing pretend that they are small, irrelevant, and have no effect on the industry they are in isn't doing us any favors when it comes to pushing back against it.

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[–] ulkesh@lemmy.world 0 points 8 months ago

SpotX works quite well.

[–] SpiceDealer@lemmy.world 0 points 8 months ago

UNDER JOLLY ROGER!

[–] jpeps@lemmy.world 0 points 8 months ago (1 children)

For anyone who hasn't checked their Spotify subscription for a while, I recently discovered a new basic tier created underneath the premium one that is a little cheaper simply by not including the 'free' 15 hours of audiobooks. I've never used it and don't intend to. YMMV.

[–] cyberpunk007@lemmy.ca 0 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Is the audio quality the same?

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[–] lazycouchpotato@lemmy.world 0 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (3 children)

I don't mind paying $10/mo for access to millions of songs on demand, even if the caveat is that I don't own anything at the end of my subscription.

I understand costs have gone up, so I can accept a $1 increase in subscription. The problem is that Spotify wants to do a bunch of side projects at my expense. I have no interest in podcasts or audiobooks yet I must fork up the extra money to fund it. I have no say in what my money is being used for and I hate that.

It's why I moved from it to Tidal and then to Apple Music (even though I'm on Android). Both have their own issues but at least they're focused on music.

[–] exanime@lemmy.today 0 points 8 months ago

Hope you like Joe Rogan and the crap he peddles because he is getting a nice chunk of Spotify money... I left because of that particular deal

[–] GenEcon@lemm.ee 0 points 8 months ago (6 children)

The problem is that Spotify is losing money each year. They aren't profitable. And if they are keep focusing on music, they never will. Their deal with the music labels says that they need to give 70 % of each subscription to the music labels. So by getting more people to signup, they only marginally increase their revenue. Some goes for raising their prices.

Thats why they tried focusing on Podcasts and Audiobooks. Those are a lot more profitable, either by adding ads (Podcasts) or by charging a premium (audiobooks).

[–] lazycouchpotato@lemmy.world 0 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Interesting. I wasn’t aware that they weren’t profitable.

Funny enough, right after your comment I got recommended this video on YouTube talking about the points you mentioned: https://youtu.be/yDWgOwb8kj4

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[–] Firebirdie713@lemmy.blahaj.zone 0 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (9 children)

I pay about that already (~$14 a month), but for Napster, which afaik gives the biggest cut of any streaming service to artists. They also have really good custom playlist management, I never get intrusive popups or emails, and premium means no ads, even with hours of listening. I switched after the Joe Rogan thing happened with Spotify and never looked back honestly.

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[–] USSEthernet@startrek.website 0 points 8 months ago

And I'm assuming they're not adding any benefits for the cost like more audio book hours on the family plan...

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