This potential adjustment follows price hikes that have already taken place. For instance, Spotify recently increased the cost of all its plans in the Netherlands and Luxembourg without much fanfare. In those countries, the Individual plan saw an 18 percent jump, rising from €10.99 ($12.48 USD) to €12.99 ($14.76 USD). The Family and Duo plans also got more expensive there.
A familiar tune in streaming
This news probably doesn’t come as a huge surprise if you follow the streaming world. We’ve seen many services, whether for music, podcasts, or video, gradually increase their subscription fees over the past couple of years.
U.S. spared for now, but a new tier is coming
If you’re stateside, it looks like your standard Spotify plan won’t be affected by this specific European and Latin American increase, at least for now. However, Spotify has other plans brewing for the US market. The company is reportedly preparing to introduce a brand-new subscription option, sometimes referred to as a “super-premium” tier.
Promotional image of Spotify HiFi when the service was announced for some regions (excluding the U.S. in 2001. | Image credit — Spotify
Details are still emerging, but here’s what we’re hearing about this potential new plan:
- Higher Cost: It might come with a price tag that’s about $6 higher than the current individual Premium plan.
- Extra Perks: Code discovered within the Spotify app mentions exploring plans to “get more from your Premium experience with add-ons.” This could potentially include features like higher fidelity audio (HiFi audio), which users have been requesting for years.
- Exclusive Content?: The report also noted that Spotify is considering options that might restrict access to certain new music releases, perhaps offering them first or exclusively to subscribers of this higher-priced tier.
It feels like the streaming subscription market is continually evolving. While a small price increase like a dollar or two might seem minor on its own, these adjustments add up over time, particularly for users subscribed to multiple services. We’ll be watching closely to see exactly what these supposed add-ons on a super-premium tier entail and if they offer enough value to justify the extra cost.
