Tech Team / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Spotify is reportedly increasing subscription prices in the UK, Australia, Pakistan, and two other countries by the end of April.
- A price hike is also expected to hit the US later this year.
- The streaming service will also introduce a “basic” plan that costs as much as the current Premium plan.
Some Spotify plans are about to get a little more expensive in a number of markets, according to a new report. The streaming service may also introduce a new “basic” tier that costs as much as the current Premium plan.
Bloomberg reports that Spotify is getting ready to raise prices of Premium individual, family, and duo plans. The individual tier will reportedly go up by about $1, while family and duo plans will increase by around $2. These price hikes will be coming to the UK, Australia, Pakistan, and two other countries by the end of April.
The US is also expected to see a price increase, but the report says it won’t happen until later this year. Spotify raised the price of its Premium plan in the US from $9.99 to $10.99 last June. So this would be the second time in around a year it raised prices for US customers.
It appears the reason why Spotify is making its subscriptions more expensive is to offset the cost of audiobooks. Since October, Spotify has allowed Premium members in some markets to listen to 15 hours of audiobooks per month at no extra cost.
However, if you can live without access to audiobooks, Spotify is reportedly introducing a new “basic” plan that includes ad-free music and podcasts. This basic tier is expected to cost $10.99, just like the current Premium plan.
Spotify has managed to grow into one of the biggest audiobook players in the market. At the same, the company recently began testing video-based online courses in the UK.
