It's official: Spotify has raised its subscription prices

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Premium Family gets the biggest price hike

It's official: Spotify hikes subscription prices in the UK
(Image credit: Spotify)

We knew Spotify had been trialling the idea of raising subscription prices in the UK and now the price hike is official.

Spotify has sent out emails to subscribers informing them of its plans to increase prices from the 30th April. Premium student goes from £4.99/€4.99mth to £5.99/€5.99mth and Premium Duo moves from £12.99/€12.49mth to £13.99/€13.99mth.

The biggest price increase affects the Spotify Premium Family tier, which jumps from £14.99/€14.99mth to £16.99/€17.99mth. It appears as though the Premium Individual tier has avoided a price increase.

While announcing the price changes will come into effect on the 30th April, it appears Spotify is giving current subscribers an additional month at the "old" price to soften the blow. This means the new price will take effect from their June billing date.

If you're currently on a trial, Spotify will give you one month on the current price before the increase takes effect.

Back in March, a survey was sent out to Spotify users that floated the idea of increasing prices for the Premium Individual, Duo and Family plans to £10.99, £14.99 and £19.99. We're assuming the feedback from this survey has helped shape the new prices revealed today.

Spotify's price hike news follows reports from earlier today that it could also be about to launch podcast subscriptions.

Now all eyes will be on how much the streaming giant decides to charge for its upcoming Spotify Hifi tier, which promises “music in lossless audio format, with CD quality”, and how it stacks up to rival tiers from the likes of Tidal and Amazon Music Unlimited. Are you a Spotify subscriber? What do you think of today's announcement? Let us know in the comments below. 

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Andy Madden
Andy Madden

Andy is Deputy Editor of What Hi-Fi? and a consumer electronics journalist with nearly 20 years of experience writing news, reviews and features. Over the years he's also contributed to a number of other outlets, including The Sunday Times, the BBC, Stuff, and BA High Life Magazine. Premium wireless earbuds are his passion but he's also keen on car tech and in-car audio systems and can often be found cruising the countryside testing the latest set-ups. In his spare time Andy is a keen golfer and gamer.

9 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Neiljbp
    I just wish that the massive amount of folk who get every record in the shop for nothing, be wiped from the platform and be forced to cough up.
    I know there is probably some crawling, vomit inducing business reason why this does not happen, but these people should at least show some sign of being sufficiently interested in music, some indication that music means enough to them to actually support the business and then at least these folks would have a little self respect and could stop believing that everything is of no value and should be free.
    I guess the free-loaders just use Spotify for background music or to put on when they are doing the housework at the weekends, but that should not matter.
    As for the price rises. Come on, get real. In the old days you had to pay and pay properly. If Spotify raised its prices more than they have, still no-one would be paying properly.
    Ask me what I paid in 1979 or 1985 or 1990. Yep you guessed it, massive amounts more than the paltry sum Spotify require. Genuine music fans did that and still do today, one way or another.
    People should feel embarrassed if they expect everything for nothing. What kind of intelligence do these people have. Don't answer that.
    To some extent Spotify and streaming in general have diminished music and in other ways perhaps not. I for one prefer the way it used to be but would not abolish streaming, even if I had the power. I would just demand that if folk express an interest then that comes with a price tag.
    All the arguments about people not having the paltry sums to pay for Spotify are ridiculous and should be ignored. Anyone believing them should be transported back to 1985 and left there.
    Reply
  • nopiano
    Neiljbp said:
    All the arguments about people not having the paltry sums to pay for Spotify are ridiculous and should be ignored. Anyone believing them should be transported back to 1985 and left there.
    Is that like the freeloaders who watch ITV and C4 and pay nothing for it? Or have you overlooked the advertising?
    Reply
  • Gray
    Neiljbp said:
    I just wish that the massive amount of folk who get every record in the shop for nothing, be wiped from the platform and be forced to cough up.
    I know there is probably some crawling, vomit inducing business reason why this does not happen
    Yes, you're right, the 'crawling, vomit inducing business reason' is that Spotify need 'Freeloaders' to be exposed to the adverts - adverts that subsidise what the payers pay.
    If the 'Freeloaders' were 'wiped from the platform' there'd be no adverts and if there were no adverts.....there would be fewer people paying the necessarily higher prices.
    Of course, if all the subscribers are like you, they'll be happy paying more. So no problem (y)
    Reply
  • Neiljbp
    nopiano said:
    Is that like the freeloaders who watch ITV and C4 and pay nothing for it? Or have you overlooked the advertising?

    Everyone who works for ITV and C4 gets paid properly.
    Every actor and actress gets paid properly.
    Even ITV and C4 get paid.

    Spotify is very different.
    May I ask if you pay for Spotify or music in general. And if not, would you consider doing so.
    Reply
  • Neiljbp
    Gray said:
    Yes, you're right, the 'crawling, vomit inducing business reason' is that Spotify need 'Freeloaders' to be exposed to the adverts - adverts that subsidise what the payers pay.
    If the 'Freeloaders' were 'wiped from the platform' there'd be no adverts and if there were no adverts.....there would be fewer people paying the necessarily higher prices.
    Of course, if all the subscribers are like you, they'll be happy paying more. So no problem (y)

    People should pay for music, full-stop.
    People should pay for train journeys, and they do.
    People should pay for food. And they do.
    People should not be given everything for nothing.
    The business model is clearly wrong and cheapens music.
    Do you pay or do you ransack the shop.
    Reply
  • nopiano
    Neiljbp said:
    Everyone who works for ITV and C4 gets paid properly.
    Every actor and actress gets paid properly.
    Even ITV and C4 get paid.

    Spotify is very different.
    May I ask if you pay for Spotify or music in general. And if not, would you consider doing so.
    Yes, I subscribe to Qobuz, buy CDs from regular stores and Bandcamp, and the occasional secondhand LP.
    If your beef is about the tiny cut the artists get, I have sympathy, and you’ll know it’s complex. But my understanding the big labels handover vast swathes of their catalogues to the likes of Spotify for £millions, but then offer very measly returns to their artists. The newer artists doubtless have provided for streaming revenues in their contract, but older ones have nothing contractually, so feel aggrieved even though their works have been sold in many formats over the years.
    Reply
  • Kalavere
    Neiljbp said:
    People should pay for music, full-stop.
    People should pay for train journeys, and they do.
    People should pay for food. And they do.
    People should not be given everything for nothing.
    The business model is clearly wrong and cheapens music.
    Do you pay or do you ransack the shop.

    I don't feel sorry for the artists, they aren't starving. Artists make the bulk of their money from gigs and touring. I wouldn't mind touring for 6 months of the year to get 6 months off and earn $40 million.

    I subscribe to Qobuz, Tidal and have a Roon subscription going as well as playing and buying CDs still. Gigging is part of an artists job, if you're paying your motrgage with it, you're doing well.
    Reply
  • Gray
    Neiljbp said:
    Do you pay or do you ransack the shop.
    'Ransak the shop' :LOL: I like you. You're funny.
    As it happens, I very (and I mean very) occasionally use Spotify Free. This is because I own all the music I like - and I've paid thousands of pounds for it, so have no need for any streaming service.
    Spotify repeatedly e-mail me to get me to use it more. They want me back as a Freeloader which proves your point that it is their (successful) business model. I would suggest that, without it, you might not have Spotify at all.
    Reply
  • RebeccaJohnson
    This is sad news
    Reply