Spotify announced on January 15, 2026, that it is increasing prices for its premium subscriptions in the US, Latvia, and Estonia, marking the third hike since July 2023. The changes take effect immediately for new subscribers and in February for existing ones, with individual plans rising from $12 to $13 per month. The company cites the need to invest in features and support artists amid ongoing criticisms over royalties and other issues.
Spotify's latest price adjustment affects multiple plans. The Premium Individual subscription will increase from $12 to $13 monthly, Student plans from $6 to $7, Duo plans for two users from $17 to $19, and Family plans for up to six from $20 to $22. The Basic plan at $11 per month remains unchanged and is available only to certain existing Premium subscribers as a downgrade option.
This marks Spotify's third price rise in 2.5 years, following increases in July 2023 and July 2024. In the 2024 hike, Premium Individual went from $11 to $12, Duo from $15 to $17, and Family from $17 to $20. The company explained the move in an email to subscribers, stating: "Occasional updates to pricing across our markets reflect the value that Spotify delivers, enabling us to continue offering the best possible experience and benefit artists."
Spotify highlighted recent investments, including lossless audio added in November 2025, music videos in December 2025, new Messages features for sharing listening activity and joint sessions called Jams earlier in January 2026, and an 11,000-square-foot podcast studio opened in Hollywood this month. In 2024, Spotify reported paying $10 billion in music royalties, a record amount, and introduced more monetization options for video podcasters.
Despite these claims, the platform faces criticism. Billboard estimated in 2024 that changes to royalty calculations would reduce musicians' earnings by millions. Grammy-nominated songwriters boycotted a Spotify-hosted awards event in protest of declining royalties per stream. In 2025, backlash included boycotts over CEO Daniel Ek's investment in a German military AI firm, Helsing, and calls to cancel subscriptions after Spotify ran US Immigration and Customs Enforcement recruitment ads, which ended late that year. A November 2025 report cited an anonymous source claiming the Department of Homeland Security paid $74,000 for the ads. Spotify also drew ire for the proliferation of AI-generated content.
Financially, Spotify's November 2025 earnings showed 12% year-over-year growth in Premium subscribers, 11% in Basic users, and 11% in total monthly active users, with gross profit up 9% to $1.56 billion. These figures suggest the company is gaining users despite the hikes, potentially signaling a shift toward regular price adjustments like other subscription services.
