Spotify announced that it would be increasing its Premium subscription pricing in a few key regions, but the hike, which seems clockwork-like, excludes the US.
According to Spotify, Premium subscription prices are increasing from 10,99€/month to 11,99€/month. This new increase will occur in September and be reflected on individual billing dates. Spotify is citing innovative product offerings and features in the future.
This comes as Spotify cancelled the Car Thing last year, discontinuing the project less than a year after putting it up for sale. The Car Thing was a simple yet intriguing idea for an auto audio streamer that circumvented smartphones. While neat, it didn’t last long. At the end of last year, Spotify abandoned support for the device altogether.
Spotify has regularly increased prices in the US around June and July of each year, if the past two years have set a strong enough pattern. The Premium Individual plan went up to $12 last year, and up to $11 the year prior.
Interestingly enough, this new price hike doesn’t include the US, where the jump to 11,99€ would be the equivalent to around $14/month.
Spotify did note that the price increase would affect users in South Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Latin America, and the Asia-Pacific region. With that accounting for most markets besides the US and Canada, it’ll be interesting to see if Spotify plans a separate increase for users in North America.
With that, Spotify will need to justify the Premium price increase with better and more captivating features for Premium subscribers. Other services, like Tidal, are still operating at $10/month while offering superior sound quality. Still, Spotify’s algorithm and discover features tend to keep users tied down. There is no word on any Hi-Fi features, and hope is almost abandoned for most on that front.
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