Spotify Is Hiking U.S. Subscription Prices in the Next Month

Spotify is implementing another price increase for its ad-free subscription tiers in the United States, with the changes taking effect over the next month. This represents the service's third U.S. price adjustment since 2021, continuing a pattern of hikes recently seen in other key markets like the UK. The company justified the decision by emphasizing the need to sustain platform investment, stating these updates allow it to "continue offering the best possible experience and benefit artists."

The revised pricing structure raises the cost of the standard Individual Premium plan from $11.99 to $12.99 monthly. Multi-user options are seeing steeper climbs: the Duo plan for two people is increasing by $2 to $18.99, and the Family plan is rising by the same amount to $21.99. The discounted Student plan will also go up by one dollar to $6.99 per month. This trend, often termed "streamflation," is now widespread across the audio streaming sector as companies balance profitability with content investment. Media analyst Rebecca Cho noted, "Spotify's move was anticipated, mirroring actions by Apple Music and YouTube Premium. The additional revenue is crucial for funding their expansive podcast and audiobook libraries, which are key differentiators in a competitive market."

U.S. subscribers, along with those in Estonia and Latvia, will be notified of the new rates via email within the coming weeks. The updated prices are already live for new customers on Spotify's website. The U.S. market, where Spotify launched in 2011 with a $9.99 individual plan, is its largest and most financially significant. This hike follows an increase in June 2024 and another in July 2023, which was the first price change since its stateside debut over a decade ago.

The pricing announcement arrives amidst a major executive reshuffle at the streaming giant. Effective January 1st, co-founder Daniel Ek moved from the CEO role to become Executive Chairman, focusing on long-term strategy. Day-to-day leadership is now shared by two promoted executives serving as co-CEOs: Gustav Söderström, the former Chief Product and Technology Officer, and Alex Norström, the previous Chief Business Officer. This dual-leadership model is interpreted by industry observers as a strategic setup to steer Spotify's evolution into a broader audio platform, moving beyond its music-streaming roots to aggressively compete in podcasting and audiobooks.