Spotify is lifting the price of Premium subscriptions once more, with new monthly rates rolling out in February for the U.S., Estonia, and Latvia. Subscribers will see emails detailing the changes, which take effect in the coming weeks.
In the U.S., the Individual plan moves from $11.99 to $12.99, Student rises from $5.99 to $6.99, Duo climbs from $16.99 to $18.99, and Family increases from $19.99 to $21.99. For many users, that’s $1 more for single-user plans and $2 more for multi-user plans. Spotify says the adjustment will help it continue improving the service, though it offered few specifics.
What Changes and When the New Spotify Prices Take Effect
The new pricing applies to Premium subscribers in the U.S., Estonia, and Latvia beginning in February. Affected users will receive direct notifications before their next billing cycle. If you’re on a discounted trial or promotional bundle, expect the higher charge once your current offer ends.
The move extends a run of increases across the streaming industry. Spotify last raised U.S. prices in 2024, following its first major U.S. hike in 2023. The steady cadence signals that the decade-long $9.99 era is firmly over as platforms lean on higher average revenue per user to offset rising costs.
Why Spotify Keeps Pushing Prices Higher Across Plans
Music economics are shifting. Royalty obligations to rights holders scale with subscription revenue, and regulatory decisions continue to shape those payouts. In the U.S., the Copyright Royalty Board’s streaming framework has been edging publisher rates upward through the middle of the decade, adding pressure to margins. At the same time, labels have pressed for higher per-subscriber returns as streaming’s share of recorded-music income grows.
Spotify has also expanded what “Premium” includes. The company rolled out an audiobooks bundle for many subscribers, a content category with different licensing dynamics than music. In 2024 it introduced a Basic tier in select markets that strips audiobooks from Premium, an early sign it’s testing how packaging affects price sensitivity.
Bigger picture, Spotify is optimizing for profitability after years of subsidizing growth. The platform now counts more than 600 million monthly users and over 230 million paying subscribers globally. Incremental price moves of $1–$2 across that base translate into significant revenue, and industry analysts at firms like MIDiA Research have noted that recent streaming price hikes generally produced limited churn while lifting top-line results.
How Spotify’s New Prices Stack Up Against Streaming Rivals
Spotify isn’t alone. Over the last two years, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Amazon Music have nudged subscription rates higher across individual and family plans. While exact pricing varies by region and bundle, the market has drifted upward together, reducing the risk that a single provider loses customers purely on price.
Where Spotify continues to differentiate is breadth—music, podcasts, and increasingly audiobooks—alongside ubiquitous device support and discovery features like algorithmic playlists. Whether that’s worth the new monthly total depends on how much of the bundle you actually use.
What Subscribers Can Do Now to Manage Higher Costs
- Audit your plan: If you’re paying for Duo or Family but only one person listens regularly, downsizing to Individual could offset the increase. Conversely, consolidating multiple Individual accounts into a Family plan may still be cheaper per user.
- Check available tiers: In some markets, Spotify offers a Basic option focused on music and podcasts without audiobooks. If you don’t use audiobooks, that tier can lower your bill.
- Verify eligibility: Students who can validate enrollment often qualify for the discounted rate, which remains substantially below standard pricing even after the bump.
- Review bundles: Carriers and device makers sometimes include Spotify in promotional packages. If your billing runs through a third party, confirm whether your plan’s rate changes on the same schedule.
The Bottom Line on Spotify’s Latest Premium Price Hike
This latest increase reinforces a clear trend: music streaming is maturing, and platforms are prioritizing higher ARPU over rock-bottom pricing. For Spotify, the calculus is straightforward—modest hikes fund content, features, and margin improvement. For listeners, it’s a prompt to reassess which plan best matches their habits, and whether the add-ons that crept into Premium are must-haves or nice-to-haves.
