Spotify's current pricing and plan options

Spotify offers four subscription tiers in the United States: Free, Premium Individual, Premium Duo, and Premium Family. The Free tier costs nothing but includes ads and limits how you can skip songs. Premium Individual costs $11.99 per month and removes ads, lets you read music offline, and gives you higher sound quality. Premium Duo is $16.99 per month for two people with separate accounts and playlists. Premium Family is $19.99 per month for up to six people in the same household, each with their own account.

Prices vary by country and change periodically. Spotify also offers discounted rates for students ($5.99 per month in the US) and bundles with other services like Hulu or Apple Music through third-party offers. The student plan includes ad-free listening and offline downloads but does not include Hulu or other add-ons unless purchased separately.

You can switch between plans at any time. If you downgrade mid-month, you keep your current plan until your next billing date, then the new price takes effect. If you upgrade, the change happens when ready and you pay a prorated amount for the remainder of your current billing cycle.

Key Takeaways

  • Premium Individual at $11.99 per month removes ads and lets you read music to listen offline, while the Free tier keeps ads and limits skipping.
  • Premium Family at $19.99 per month covers up to six household members, each with separate accounts and playlists, making it cheaper per person than buying individual plans.
  • Student plans cost $5.99 per month if you can verify enrollment through SheerID or another verification service Spotify accepts.
  • Switching plans takes effect when ready for upgrades and at your next billing date for downgrades, with no cancellation fees.
  • Prices listed here are for the United States and may differ in other countries or change without notice.

What each plan includes and what it leaves out

The Free plan plays music with ads between songs and lets you create playlists and follow artists. You can skip up to six songs per hour on mobile devices, though desktop has fewer restrictions. You cannot read songs to listen without internet, and you cannot choose exactly which song plays next on mobile—Spotify picks from your playlist or liked songs. Sound quality maxes out at 96 kbps, which is noticeably lower than paid plans.

Premium Individual removes all ads, lets you skip unlimited songs, and downloads up to 10,000 songs per device to listen offline. You can play any song you want at any time. Sound quality goes up to 320 kbps with a high-fidelity option available on some devices. You get access to Spotify's full catalog without restrictions.

Premium Duo and Premium Family include everything in Premium Individual for each person on the plan. The difference is the number of people and household requirement. Duo is for two people who may or may not live together. Family requires all six members to be in the same household and uses Spotify's Family Plan verification to confirm this. Both plans let each person have completely separate accounts, playlists, and listening history.

How billing works and what happens if you cancel

Spotify charges on a monthly cycle starting from the day you sign up. If you sign up on the 15th, you are billed on the 15th of every month. You can change your payment method, update your billing address, or pause your subscription through your account settings without losing your playlists or followers.

If you cancel, your account stays active until the end of your current billing period. After that, you drop to the Free tier automatically—Spotify does not require you to delete your account. Your playlists, followers, and saved songs remain in your account if you return later. There are no cancellation fees or early termination charges.

If your payment method fails, Spotify usually sends a reminder email and tries the charge again a few days later. If payment fails multiple times, your account reverts to Free. You can update your payment method and resume a paid plan at any time.

Student discounts and bundled offers

Spotify's student plan costs $5.99 per month in the United States and includes all Premium Individual features. To sign up, you need to verify your student status through SheerID, a third-party verification service. You must be enrolled at an accredited college or university. The verification process takes a few minutes and happens once when you first sign up for the student plan.

Student plans renew monthly and Spotify checks your enrollment status periodically. If you graduate or leave school, your plan converts to Premium Individual at the full $11.99 price. Spotify sends a notice before this happens so you can downgrade to Free or cancel if you prefer.

Spotify also partners with other services to offer bundle deals. These vary by region and change over time. Some bundles combine Spotify Premium with Hulu, Apple Music, or other streaming services at a discount compared to paying for each separately. You can find current bundle offers on Spotify's website or through the services themselves.

Price increases and how to know when yours takes effect

Spotify raises prices periodically, though not on a fixed schedule. When a price increase happens, existing customers usually get a notice 30 days before the new price takes effect. The notice appears in your account settings and via email. You can downgrade to a cheaper plan or cancel before the new price kicks in if you choose.

Price increases explore to your next billing date after the 30-day notice period ends. If you are on a monthly plan, you see the new price on your next monthly renewal. If you prepaid for a longer period, you keep the old price until that period expires, then the new price applies at renewal.

Different regions and plan types may see price changes at different times. Spotify's pricing page shows current prices for your country. If you are unsure whether a price increase affects you, check your account settings under "Plan" or "Billing" to see your current rate and next billing date.

Comparing Spotify to other music streaming services

Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, and Tidal all offer similar individual plans in the $10 to $12 range. Most include ad-free listening, offline downloads, and higher sound quality than Spotify's standard tier. Some services include additional features: Apple Music offers lossless audio, Tidal emphasizes high-fidelity sound, and Amazon Music includes ad-free access to podcasts and audiobooks for Prime members.

Family plans vary in price and member count. Apple Music Family is $16.99 per month for up to six people. Amazon Music Unlimited Family is $14.99 per month for up to six people if you are an Amazon Prime member, or $19.98 if you are not. YouTube Music Family is $22.99 per month for up to six people. Tidal's family plan is $24.99 per month for up to six people.

The choice between services often comes down to which catalog you prefer, which devices you use, and whether you want features like podcasts, audiobooks, or high-fidelity sound. Spotify's strength is its recommendation algorithm and podcast integration. Other services may offer better sound quality or different music selections depending on your taste.

How to manage your Spotify subscription

You can change your plan, update your payment method, and view your billing history through your account settings on Spotify's website or mobile app. Go to your profile, select "Account," then "Subscription" or "Billing" to see your current plan and next billing date. From there you can upgrade, downgrade, or pause your subscription.

Pausing your subscription temporarily stops charges without canceling your account. You can pause for up to three months at a time. Your playlists and followers stay intact while paused, and you can resume at any time. Pausing is useful if you know you will not use Spotify for a while but want to keep your account active.

If you share a Family Plan with others, each person manages their own account separately. The plan owner can see who is on the plan and remove members through the Family Plan settings, but cannot see what others are listening to or control their accounts. Each member can change their own password and payment method independently.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Spotify Premium on multiple devices at the same time?

Premium Individual lets you listen on one device at a time. If you start playing on a second device, playback stops on the first. Premium Duo and Family plans let each person listen simultaneously on their own account, so two people on Duo can play different songs at the same time, and up to six people on Family can do the same.

What happens to my playlists if I downgrade from Premium to Free?

Your playlists stay in your account. On Free, you can still see them and listen to them, but you cannot skip as freely and you hear ads. If you upgrade back to Premium later, everything remains exactly as you left it.

Do I have to use the same payment method for the entire Family Plan?

The plan owner sets up the payment method when creating the Family Plan, and that is the card or account charged each month. Individual family members cannot pay separately. If you want to split costs, you would need to arrange payment outside of Spotify.

Can I switch from Premium Individual to Family Plan mid-month?

Yes. When you upgrade to Family Plan, you pay a prorated amount for the remainder of your current billing cycle, then the full Family Plan price applies at your next renewal. The switch happens when ready and you can add family members right away.

Is Spotify Premium worth the cost compared to the Free tier?

That depends on how much you listen and whether ads bother you. Premium removes ads, lets you skip unlimited songs, and downloads music offline—useful if you listen during commutes or in areas without internet. Free works fine if you listen occasionally and do not mind ads or the skip limit.