I’ve received notice of rate increase

[DrRogan]

I’ve received notice of a $2 rate increase on my Premium Duo account. The email message I’ve received states,  “We’re increasing the price of Premium Duo so that we can continue to invest in and innovate on our product offerings and features, and bring you the best experience.”

what exactly does this mean?  What specifically will Spotify be doing to “invest in and innovate” on your product offerings in order to bring me the best experience?  Naturally, whether I keep my account fully depends upon the specifics. Please provide details. 

[DrRogan]

Hey folks,

Thanks for the feedback here in the Community.

For more info on what price changes mean for your account, head to Spotify.com or our FAQ page.  We also outlined why we're making these changes over on For the Record."

If anything else comes up, the Community will be here for you. 

[Christi239]

I agree! They claim they're gonna make changes... but seriously... how long have we been paying for this and nothing has been done? Now you see rates increasing, things being taken away with nothing new that benefits the billions of listeners taking it's place. They say they understood, but what is it really they understand aside from lining their pockets? They're being greedy. 

[johan-rocha]

I would add that the shift to promoting podcasts further deteriorates user experience. Worse is that despite premium plan, you still have to hear advertisements on these. The WSJ did an article about price hikes and said board members are pushing increase to turn profits. Further insult to the “community” ethos Spotify claims to have. User experience will not improve until they lose subscribers. 

[malilahollow]

I was recently was notified about the increase of the premium family price from $15.99 to $16.99. Though this seems like a small increase, it is an action taken with the intention to create product offerings and increase the user experience and doesn't seem to be directed at supporting the artists and creators it depends on. Spotify and other streaming platforms make it extremely hard to distribute art and make any revenue because of the lack of payment and support to musicians and artists - and yet its high accessibility and wide reach to the general consumer makes it necessary to utilize in this day and age. With one stream, the artist usually makes cents or less. The current price and planned price increase does not account for the inequity that exists between distributor and artist, which continues to be unfortunate. Though it is a great tool for making art more accessible, I believe Spotify and other streaming platforms can do much more to support artists. I do hope that Spotify will take into consideration supporting its artists more, because without them, their platform is useless.

[oneframe]

I moved over from Apple Music because of Spotify's lower pricing which matched their lower music quality and lack of direct HomePod integration.

With this new pricing which matches exactly Apple's pricing, but with inferior sound quality of having no lossless sound, and still no direct HomePod support, it's not even worth being on par with Apple Music pricing.

In fact, I'm guessing if Spotify does offer a lossless option, it will even be higher tiered pricing. So with that, I am moving back to Apple Music as I don't see any cost-saving or better benefit for staying.

Cheers and good luck all.

[vaajy]

You can pay or pay not.

I solved this price increase long ago: I grabbed few 6 mo cards Premium at local store, redeemed 3 pieces and have a bit under 18 mo Premium in my account. Grabbed already 4th card, but can not yet redeem. 18 mo maximum, but 12 mo time to redeem after purchase. They still sell 10 euro month within gift cards. And it was selling at that price since last 11 euro price increase. Now 12 euro increase.

Cards are still selling at 10 for month. Grab them and save money.

[DrRogan]

I’m asking you to provide subscribers with specifics. Those links you posted do not—

“The market landscape has continued to evolve since we launched. So that we can keep innovating, we are changing our Premium prices across a number of markets* around the world. These updates will help us continue to deliver value to fans and artists on our platform.”

my question *remains* ::  HOW will Spotify evolve???  What specially is Spotify planning?  

[johan-rocha]

I think the meaning of "price change" is clear - an increase in the monthly subscription amount for all user types. Neither your answer here nor the links included therein target the overall request from "the Community," which is to understand what specific initiatives the price *increase* will fund. I would add to this request, how are user "requests" addressed when deciding fund allocation? I just want a place to find music, listen to it, and assemble playlists based on what I like. Once that's reached, its the end of history -- no need for further innovation (***SPOTIFY IS THE MEDIUM, NOT THE PRODUCT*** ). I would add that "Blend" and the "AI" dj are 1) not desirable [at least by me] and 2) an innovative payola scheme to promote industry artists. 

In short, Spotify's purported "community" ethos is not reflected in profit-maximizing actions. Any music lover working for Spotify should quit and whistleblow. 

[hoppp]

Stop raising your prices when people are suffering around the world. You're a multi-billion class company, your stock share has been rising since the dawn of this company's time and you have reached good place and point. Do not raise prices on your customers to please your shareholders and chairmen. Everyone around you is suffering. This is not a time to exert greed on customers.

[Lilith13]

Bonjour 

du à l’augmentation de l’abonnement et a l’offre d’un mois gratuit pour les nouveaux clients . Quelle avantages ont aujourd’**bleep** les anciens ? Un geste serait le bienvenus … 

[31a4nttur4d62ivoqc4x]

People may choose to pay Rs 129 (around $2) for Spotify Premium despite the availability of other cheaper or competitive options like YouTube, JioSaavn, or Gaana for various reasons. Spotify Premium offers distinct advantages that cater to different preferences. Firstly, it provides a vast music library with a user-friendly interface and personalized playlists based on listening history, enhancing the overall music discovery experience. Additionally, Spotify Premium offers offline listening, an ad-free experience, and higher audio quality, appealing to those seeking uninterrupted and high-fidelity music streaming. Moreover, Spotify's cross-platform availability and seamless integration with various devices make it convenient for users to enjoy their favorite tunes anywhere, anytime. While other services may have competitive pricing, it's the unique features and convenience of Spotify Premium that attract many users to opt for its subscription.

[DrRogan]

Fair enough, but that is all happening right now, correct?
My question is what will be done differently after the rate increase. Spotify gives vague reference to investing and innovating. HOW will they use the extra revenue from this rate increase to do those two things?  

[johan-rocha]

None of what you mention here is exclusive to Spotify, so it is not a
competitive advantage. I speculate that Spotify has become the most popular
music streaming service because it pioneered the market and acquired
critical mass before competitors offered an alternative. Most importantly,
it was cheaper than Tidal or Apple Music, and now that’s gone.

[Mitre226644]

Sounds like you know a lot on this subject. Thanks for blessing us all, and Spotify too, with your wisdom. Did you also communicate similarly with other streaming platforms like Apple Music, Amazon Music, Amazon Prime, YouTube Music, YouTube TV, Netflix, Peacock, Hulu, HBO Max, Paramount+, and  Disney+ who also raised prices within the last year? They should hear your warnings as well because I bet they didn’t vet this out at all. You could really help them out.

[Mitre226644]

Responding to price increases with outrage and demands is just going to drain your energy. You’re not going to get what you want. 

[DrRogan]

all:  know that Spotify marked this as the solution, without answering my specific question. Just a canned response. 
I certainly did not get a “solution,” so I canceled my subscription. 

[Mitre226644]

Seeing as though there seems to be a misunderstanding about the agreement here, let’s clarify a couple things: Spotify is a business that is providing a service to you that you’re choosing to pay for. Businesses have the right to change their prices, make changes to their services, etc. 

You’re a customer. Not a shareholder, not a decision-maker. You’re one of 220 million people who utilize a platform service, and platforms aren’t going to accommodate everything you want. 

Be realistic, reassess where you fit into this business exchange, and enjoy the music and content. 

[vaajy]

People do complain about price increases, but my price for Spotify Premium hasn't increased in years.

I just top up my account with 10 euro/dollar/whatever amount in your currency for one month subscription. Even if Debit card prices went up to 12 euros a month, the gift cards are still selling at low 10 euro prices. Grab 18 of them and you have 18 months of Premium at old prices. You also have nothing to worry about, there will be certainly no one increasing your Premium prices when you have months ;d

Redeem it to your account, maximum amount of months is 18 and you can have gift cards on hand for sometime to redeem. Once purchased gift card should be redeemed in 12 months, so I'd recommend having 6 months worth of cards stored at home.

Very happy customer. This tough time paying in music is needed. Not only for you, but artists as well.

[Mitre226644]

Using polite language doesn’t disguise the fact that you are selfish. Companies raise rates for many reasons, and assuming they’re doing so nefariously is a clear indication you don’t understand how businesses in a rapidly evolving and competitive marketplace like streaming services work. 

Also, your privacy and the usage of your data drove off in a taxi cab the minute you started using free services like, say, Google. Don’t expect to get it back. 

Enjoy what you claim to enjoy so dearly, and pay a couple pennies daily to continue to do so. 

[skerur]

Another corporate price grab to feed the greed engine. I look forward to the stellar innovation they promise. In the meantime who is increasing my income as a senior (answer: NOBODY!!)

[Wade124]

Plan Premium

Country

Canada

Device

IPhoneX

Operating System

ios10

My Question or Issue

Message received that there will be a price increase in October and to decide whether to opt out.   No information seems to be readily available for what the price increase is.  Please don’t send me in a further frustrating path to find.  Please just answer the question how much will the new premium basic subscription cost in October?