Spotify users cancel subscriptions over latest update affecting 236M customers
Spotify users have threatened to cancel after price hike affects 236 million subscribers.
While Disney+ subscribers are already considering cancelling after yet another price increase in two years, Microsoft faces legal action after allegedly misleading 2.7 million customers over forced subscription prices.
Now, Spotify has become the latest streaming service to anger its users with unwelcome news.
The music streaming giant has infuriated subscribers by announcing its second price increase for Premium subscriptions in a single year, affecting millions of users.
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Launched in 2008, the app now has 615 million users worldwide. While many take advantage of Spotify's free tier, the company reports that 236 million subscribers pay for Spotify Premium.
Premium comes with several advantages, including a new AI playlist feature that creates custom mixes based on your listening habits. But the main perk is the absence of ads interrupting your music. However, that ad-free experience now comes with an increasingly hefty price tag.
Starting in November, Spotify Premium will cost £12.99 per month in the UK for an Individual account, up £1 per month.
The Duo subscription, which offers two accounts at a discounted price, will now cost £17.99, and the Family option will increase to £21.99 per month.
Meanwhile, the Student account for university attendees remains at £5.99 per month.
Spotify defended the price hike, posting: "As we continue innovating and enhancing the value we deliver, we periodically update our pricing to reflect local market conditions and economic factors, ensuring our service remains unparalleled."
If you're currently on a free trial, you'll get one month at the original advertised price before being moved to the higher rate.
For those weighing whether Premium is still worth it, there are a number of features included in the price.
Spotify Premium offers uninterrupted and offline listening, unlimited skips, higher audio quality and AI-powered playlist generation.
The Free version allows only shuffle mode and only six song skips per hour, not to mention the ads between songs.
Social media has been flooded with people leaving Spotify and paying for alternative platforms.
"Now I’m wondering if it’s worth cancelling Spotify and getting YouTube," one Reddit user wrote. "Update: Cancelled my Spotify".
Another commented: "I've moved onto Apple Music (free 3 months) and it's decent. The sound quality is much better imo but the UI, a little confusing."
Someone else shared: "There is a lot more choice now. Apple Music, Tidal, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, etc
"I use YouTube Music personally which comes with YouTube Premium. It's obviously not as established as Spotify but for a music player with custom playlists it's everything you need."