Spotify's subscription tiers and their monthly costs
Spotify offers four subscription tiers in the United States: Free, Premium, Premium Duo, and Premium Family. The Free tier costs nothing but includes ads and limits how you can listen. Premium costs $11.99 per month for one person with no ads. Premium Duo costs $16.99 per month and covers two people in the same household. Premium Family costs $19.99 per month and covers up to six people in the same household, each with their own account and listening history.
Prices vary by country and can change. Spotify has raised prices multiple times in recent years — Premium in the US increased from $9.99 to $10.99 in July 2023, then to $11.99 in October 2024. If you are already paying a lower price, Spotify may grandfather you at that rate for a period of time, though the company does not may provide this. Check your account settings or your billing email to see what you are currently paying.
Spotify also offers discounted rates for students through the Premium Student plan, which costs $6.99 per month and includes a Hulu ad-supported subscription and a Disney+ subscription. This plan requires verification through SheerID, a third-party service that confirms student status. The student discount is available for up to four years.
Key Takeaways
- Premium costs $11.99 per month for one person with no ads, while the Free tier is ad-supported and has listening limits.
- Premium Duo covers two people for $16.99 per month, and Premium Family covers up to six people for $19.99 per month.
- Students can pay $6.99 per month for Premium Student, which also includes Hulu and Disney+ subscriptions.
- Spotify prices have increased multiple times and may vary by country, so check your billing statement to confirm your current rate.
What the Free tier includes and what it does not
The Free tier lets you stream music and podcasts on Spotify's app or website, but with restrictions. You hear ads between songs and before podcasts. You cannot skip more than six songs per hour on mobile devices, and you cannot choose which song plays next on mobile — Spotify plays songs from the artist or playlist you selected in a shuffled order. On desktop or web, you can skip unlimited songs and choose what plays.
The Free tier works on phones, tablets, computers, and some smart speakers. Sound quality is limited to 96 kbps, which is lower than Premium's 320 kbps on mobile and desktop. You can read songs to listen offline only on Premium, not on Free. If you do not use your Free account for 30 days, Spotify may pause it, though you can reactivate it by logging in.
What Premium adds: ad-free listening and offline downloads
Premium removes all ads from music and podcasts. You can skip as many songs as you want on any device. You choose exactly which song plays next, whether you are on mobile, desktop, or a smart speaker. You can read up to 10,000 songs per device to listen offline — useful if you travel or have spotty internet.
Premium also gives you higher sound quality: up to 320 kbps on mobile and desktop, and lossless audio (up to 1,411 kbps) on compatible devices if you have a Spotify HiFi subscription, though HiFi is not yet widely available in most countries. You can use Premium on up to six devices at once, though only one can play music at a time unless you use Premium Duo or Premium Family.
Premium Duo and Premium Family: sharing across households
Premium Duo costs $16.99 per month and covers two people who live in the same household. Each person gets their own Premium account with no ads, offline downloads, and unlimited skips. Spotify keeps your listening histories separate, so your recommendations do not mix with the other person's. You can each use Premium on up to six devices, though only one person can play music at a time.
Premium Family costs $19.99 per month and covers up to six people in the same household. Each person gets a separate Premium account. Spotify offers a feature called Family Mix that blends music from all family members' listening habits into one playlist, though you can turn this off. The plan includes parental controls so the account holder can restrict explicit content on child accounts. Like Duo, only one family member can play music at a time across all accounts.
Both Duo and Family require that all members live at the same address. Spotify may ask you to verify your location periodically. If members move out, they can no longer use the shared plan and must switch to their own Premium subscription.
How to pay and what happens if you cancel
You can pay for Spotify with a credit card, debit card, PayPal, or a gift card. Spotify charges your payment method on the same day each month. If a payment fails, Spotify sends you a notice and tries again a few days later. If payment fails multiple times, your account reverts to Free.
You can cancel your subscription at any time through your account settings on Spotify's website or app. Cancellation takes effect at the end of your current billing cycle — you keep Premium access until that date, then your account switches to Free. Spotify does not refund partial months. If you cancel and then resubscribe later, your playlists, followers, and saved songs remain on your account.
Student pricing and other discounts
The Premium Student plan costs $6.99 per month and includes Hulu (ad-supported) and Disney+ at no extra cost. To sign up, you must verify your student status through SheerID, which checks your school email or student ID. The discount lasts for up to four years from the date you first sign up. After four years, your account converts to a regular Premium subscription at the full price.
Spotify occasionally offers promotional rates for new subscribers — for example, three months at a reduced price or one month free. These offers appear when you sign up and vary by region and time. Existing subscribers do not usually receive these promotions. Some payment methods, like certain credit cards or mobile carriers, may offer their own Spotify discounts, though these are separate from Spotify's official pricing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Premium on multiple devices at the same time?
Premium allows you to log in on up to six devices, but only one device can play music at a time. If you want multiple people to listen simultaneously, you need Premium Duo (two people) or Premium Family (up to six people). Each person in those plans gets their own account and can play music independently.
What happens to my music if I downgrade from Premium to Free?
Your playlists, saved songs, and followers stay on your account. However, you lose the ability to skip unlimited songs on mobile, you hear ads again, and any songs you downloaded for offline listening become unavailable. Your listening history and recommendations remain.
Is there a yearly payment option instead of monthly?
Spotify does not offer an official yearly subscription plan in most countries. You pay month to month. Some third-party retailers sell Spotify gift cards in bulk, which you can use to prepay for multiple months, but this is not a discount — you pay the same monthly rate.
Can I share my Premium account password with someone outside my household?
Spotify's terms of service state that Premium is for personal use only and should not be shared with people outside your household. Spotify may detect unusual login locations or devices and ask you to verify your account. If you want to share with someone else, Premium Duo or Premium Family is the intended way to do so.
Do I pay sales tax on my Spotify subscription?
Sales tax on Spotify varies by state and country. Some states tax digital services, others do not. The tax amount, if any, appears on your billing statement. Spotify calculates tax based on the billing address on your account, so updating your address may change the amount you owe.