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Audio streaming subscription service Spotify has more than 100 million tracks, nearly 7 million podcasts and 350,000 audiobooks.
Spotify provides a Free version and tiered Premium options, which add features like ad-free listening, personalized recommendations and high-quality audio. Here’s how much you can expect to pay for each plan.
What is Spotify Free?
Spotify Free gives subscribers access to the Spotify library, podcasts and audiobooks. The main difference between the Free and Premium options is that you will listen to ads with the Free version.
The Free plan also does not let you download music or play songs in any order.
Spotify Premium accounts range in price from $6.99 per month for students to $21.99 per month for families. Individuals pay $12.99 and couples pay $18.99 per month. An audiobook-only subscription is $9.99 per month.
The Individual plan includes access to the full Spotify library, with features like ad-free listening, the ability to download songs and listen offline, control of the shuffle feature, high-quality audio and personal recommendations, among others. The Individual plan also comes with 15 hours of listening time per month from Spotify’s audiobook catalog.
Like the Individual plan, the Duo option provides all the same Premium features, but with the option for two accounts. This plan is designed for two people living together who each want their own account; Spotify will ask for the address of each member to ensure it is the same.
» MORE: How much do Apple Music and YouTube Music cost?
The Family plan includes all of the features of the Individual plan but is designed for up to six people living together. It also comes with Spotify Kids, an app with singalongs and family-friendly playlists that can be enjoyed offline and ad-free.
Kids have the option to create their own account while parents can control the settings. Each new kid account added counts toward one spot in the six available spots in the Family plan. The manager of the plan can also access the explicit filter, a feature allowing you to choose which accounts get access to explicit content.
The Student plan comes with the same features as the Individual option and can be used for up to four years. Members must renew annually to keep this plan. In addition to all of the Premium features, Student subscribers have access to Hulu’s ad-supported plan for free.
Audiobooks Access: $9.99 per month
For $9.99 per month, book lovers can get 15 hours of audiobook listening time from Spotify’s audiobook catalog, which has more than 350,000 titles. Listening hours expire each month and do not roll over into the next month. If you run out of hours before your month is up, you can add “top-up” hours to your account. These are purchased in increments of 10 hours. Top-ups are good for 12 months from the date of purchase.
How to cancel Spotify
Regardless of which Premium plan you select, you can cancel any time. If canceling, your Premium plan will stay active until your next billing date, at which time your account will automatically switch to the Free version. All playlists and saved music remain in your account and can be accessed with ads in the Free plan.
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How to get a Spotify free trial
Spotify is known to offer free trials to people who have not previously had a Premium plan.
At the time of this writing, a Premium Individual plan is available for two months free while the Student plan has a one-month free promotion.
To get a free trial, you will need to provide a payment method when signing up. After the trial ends, the payment method you have on file will be processed at the monthly price of the plan you signed up for.
Is Spotify worth it?
How do you determine whether Spotify fits into your budget? Whether you follow a 50/30/20 budget framework, use zero-based budgeting or prefer an envelope system, a subscription service like Spotify would typically be categorized as a want.
If you’re already maxed out on wants, consider saving money elsewhere.
Or if you already pay for an Amazon Prime membership, see if the included Amazon Music Prime might serve your music-streaming wants without adding another subscription fee.
Another option to make an audio streaming plan work in your budget is to investigate rewards categories on credit cards you may have in your wallet. Some cards offer perks for streaming services, including cash back.
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