Spotify has made its long-expected US price hike official. The Premium Individual plan will rise from $11.99 to $12.99 per month, with the new rate taking effect on each subscriber’s February billing date. The company is notifying users by email and says the change helps it continue delivering a “great experience,” without tying the increase to a specific new feature.
What Is Changing for US Spotify Premium Subscribers
The change impacts Premium Individual accounts in the United States and follows a similar pattern seen in other regions last year. Customers will see the $1 increase on their next monthly renewal after the new pricing window begins, and communication will roll out in waves over the coming weeks. Spotify has also confirmed adjustments in select European markets, including Estonia and Latvia.
For US listeners, this marks the second jump in as many years: the Individual plan moved from $10.99 to $11.99 in 2024, and now to $12.99. While modest in absolute terms, the compounding effect is notable for long-time subscribers who have grown accustomed to streaming’s historically stable pricing.
Why Spotify Is Raising Prices on Premium Plans
Streaming economics remain the core backdrop. Roughly 70% of subscription revenue is paid out to music rights holders—labels, publishers, and artists—leaving platforms to fund product development, marketing, cloud costs, and new content initiatives from a relatively thin margin. As licensing and operating costs climb, services have increasingly turned to price revisions to maintain or improve profitability.
Spotify has invested heavily beyond music, particularly in podcasts and, more recently, audiobooks—offering Premium members a monthly allotment of listening hours in many markets. Those moves add perceived value for users but also introduce new cost centers. Executives across the major labels have publicly advocated for higher subscription prices, and industry bodies such as IFPI have noted that subscription revenue is the engine of global recorded-music growth, reinforcing the incentive to nudge pricing upward.
How Spotify’s New US Price Compares in the Market
Price pressure is industry-wide. Rivals including Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Amazon Music have all implemented increases in the past two years, pushing most individual plans into the roughly $11–$13 monthly range in the US, depending on bundles and promotions. At $12.99, Spotify now sits at the upper end of that band, a signal of confidence in its catalog depth, discovery tools, and cross-format strategy spanning music, podcasts, and audiobooks.
The risk is churn. Historically, streaming churn tends to be limited for core music users, but incremental hikes can push price-sensitive listeners to switch services or downgrade to ad-supported tiers. Spotify counts well over 220 million Premium subscribers globally and hundreds of millions more on its free tier, giving it scale to test elasticity—but that scale also magnifies even small shifts in retention metrics.
What About Family, Duo, and Student Plans in the US
Spotify’s announcement explicitly cites the Individual tier. It did not detail changes for Family, Duo, or Student plans in the US. Historically, when the Individual rate moves, other tiers often follow—sometimes with a lag—so households and students should watch inboxes closely for updates. Carriers and device makers that bundle Spotify may also adjust plan pricing or benefits when wholesale rates change.
What Subscribers Should Do Now Before New Bills Hit
Check the date of your next renewal to see when the new price takes effect, and review your plan fit. If you share listening with a partner or family, consolidating on Duo or Family can lower per-person costs. Eligible students should confirm verification to access discounted pricing. It’s also worth scanning any mobile or broadband bundles you have; some carriers periodically include music streaming as a perk, which can offset the hike.
For Spotify, the move aligns US pricing with a global trend that accelerated last year as streaming services recalibrated long-static fees. For listeners, the calculus becomes simple: is Spotify’s mix of catalog, recommendations, and extras worth $12.99 a month? With the change now official, many will be making that decision before their next billing cycle.
