According to CNET, Spotify is reportedly planning another price increase for US subscribers starting in early 2026. The Financial Times cites three sources familiar with the streaming company’s plans, indicating this would be the third Premium price hike since 2023. Currently, Spotify’s least expensive Premium plans start at $12 monthly, but the increase would likely align with other regions where Premium costs around $14. The service also offers Premium Family at $20 for six people, Student at $6 with Hulu, Duo at $17 for couples, and Basic at $11 without audiobooks. Spotify maintains about 32 percent market share in music streaming as of late 2024.
The Unstoppable Price Train
Here’s the thing about subscription services – once they start raising prices, they rarely stop. Spotify went from $10 to $11 in 2023, then to $12 in 2024, and now potentially to $14 by 2026. That’s a 40% increase in just three years. And honestly, what exactly are we getting for these constant bumps? More podcasts nobody asked for? Better algorithms that still can’t figure out I don’t like country music?
Why Now and Why So Much?
The timing is interesting. Spotify just rolled out a feature to import playlists from competitors like Apple Music and Tidal. Coincidence? Probably not. Get people locked in with their carefully curated libraries, then hit them with the price news. And jumping from $12 to $14 is significant – that’s nearly a 17% increase in one go. They’re basically testing how much elasticity there really is in the streaming market.
Not Exactly Smooth Sailing
This comes amid some real turbulence for Spotify. Major artists have been abandoning the platform over royalty disputes. There’s been subscriber backlash over ICE recruitment ads that prompted cancellations. Yet despite all this, they still command that 32% market share. It makes you wonder – at what point does the value proposition actually break?
The “Basic” Plan Isn’t Much Better
Oh, and about that Spotify Basic plan at $11? It cuts out audiobooks, which feels like Spotify deliberately removing features to create artificial pricing tiers. Basically, they’re giving you less for almost the same money. Clever, but transparent.
What Are Your Options Really?
So what happens when every streaming service keeps raising prices? We’re reaching a point where the combined cost of streaming subscriptions rivals old cable bills. The difference is you can cancel these individually. But with music being such a daily utility for most people, Spotify knows they’ve got leverage. The question is whether 2026 will be the year subscribers finally push back hard.
