Spotify Tests $0.99 Subscription Tier With Ads But Fewer Playback Limitations

Spotify is experimenting with a new ad-supported subscription tier that gives listeners more freedom over what they listen to compared to the existing free ad-based plan.

spotify plus plan
Called Spotify Plus, the tier costs $0.99 per month and lets users pick which songs they want to stream between ads, with unlimited skips and on-demand listening.

That's in contrast to Spotify's free ad-based tier, which limits users to skipping no more than six tracks every hour, and only lets them listen to tracks from 15 pre-selected playlists. If they don't want to listen to the playlists, they're limited to shuffling between tracks.

The streaming service confirmed to The Verge that it was piloting Spotify Plus with a limited number of users, but cautioned there was no guarantee that it would get a full rollout and that it "routinely conduct[s] tests to inform our decisions."

Spotify in February announced plans to introduce a new "HiFi premium" tier later this year, but despite some indications that it's been in testing, we've still to see the high-definition plan go live. Since then, Apple Music has launched Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos and ‌‌Apple Music‌‌ Lossless, two features that became available to subscribers in June for no additional fee.

Tag: Spotify

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Top Rated Comments

BvizioN Avatar
52 months ago
Ads don't bother me as much as not being able to choose what to listen to next. Sounds like a good idea to me.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BigKahunaBurguer Avatar
52 months ago
I think this is a first step to remove the free tier.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
darkcompass Avatar
52 months ago
"pick which songs they want to stream between ads"

Sounds like you're going to get more ads than music with that statement.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JippaLippa Avatar
52 months ago
I don't get using the free tier...it's quite a miserable experience.
I prefer the Apple Music approach, being one thing only at one price for it all.
It makes it feel more serious and premium, instead of splitting the offer into various tiers (from hi-fi to free) each vorse than the previous one...
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
siddavis Avatar
52 months ago

It sounds like it would be a solid value for some people; however, I feel like the market might be small for this type of product. I know the cost difference from $.99 to $9.99 is small I feel like if someone is going to pay for music they would more likely just go all in. But maybe the .99 plan could tease people with just enough features to convert more previously free users to paid subscribers?
This is right in my wheelhouse. I don't listen to enough music to justify unlimited access to everything. I bounce around between Amazon Music (with Prime Sub), Pandora, and my own Apple Music library. This sounds like it would give me access to any song I want to hear that might be excluded from my library or Amazon Music basic.

Also, the cost difference from $.99 to $9.99 is 10x. $12/year vs $120/year is a big difference. Given my listening habits, I can handle the ads (I think!)
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mungo2k Avatar
52 months ago
Will artists get the subscription rate per play (which is already low with Spotify Premium) or the even lower rate that the free tier pays per play?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)