Spotify app - free or not really free?

[Thracky]

I've downloaded the Spotify app, logged in, but whan I try to play a song, it says "Spotify Premium is required for on-demand mobile streaming".

BUT - in the description of Spotify in the AppStore, it says "With the Spotify app, you can choose to listen for free, or subscribe to Spotify Premium".

So how do I choose to listen for free? And if it turns out I can't - why does it say I can in the AppStore? Or am I just being fooled  by clever semantics here?

[Peter__]

Hey! Welcome to the community 🙂 

Are you in the US? 

Spotify free accounts can access the mobile radio feature on iOS in the US, everywhere else a premium account is required. 

Peter

[Thracky]

Well, no... No - I'm in Norway. And I'm using the Norwegian AppStore, so maybe you should make this clear in the description?
Or never mind - I'll survive. But perhaps saying we have the choice to listen for free when most of us actually don't, isn't such a good idea?

Because when it says  I can choose to listen for free, it doesn't say that a) you're talking about radio only, or b) US citizens only...

Thanks for answering, though. Appreciate it!

[Peter__]

Just looking into this (I don't work for Spotify) does it not say "Free radio: US only" underneath that text you copy and pasted? 

I will admit maybe it is a little vague, but I guess you can try premium for free too (48 hour trial) so maybe that is being bundled into the first statement too!

Peter

[Thracky]

Yes, it does say "Free radio: US only" underneath. But I have never been interested in a radio function anyway. I just wanted to listen to my PC playlists on my iPhone, so when it said I could choose to listen for free, radio sort of never crossed my mind.

[NotReallyFree]

It's FREE*

*all customers are required to purchase a premium account if they want any actual use of this mobile app.