There’s never been a better time to upgrade to Spotify Premium. There are tens of millions of songs available for both ad-free and offline listening, which you can tune into whenever you’d like (there’s no need to shuffle-play an artist, album, or playlist, as is the case with Spotify Free), and a a near-endless catalog of curated playlists.
But before you rush into a basic $10-per-month Premium subscription, take a look at all of the different pricing tiers. If you’re a student or are looking to share your account with some friends or relatives, doing some research could save you a few bucks a month. Or you might even end up scoring Premium for free.
SPOTIFY PLANS
Spotify Free
With a Spotify Free account, you can listen to (almost) anything you want, so long as you’re willing to put up with ads. You can’t choose the tracks you want to listen to as and when you please, though; you’ll need to shuffle an artist, album, or genre. Curated playlists and offline listening have also been stripped out, as has Radio.
Spotify Premium
Those willing to part with a little cash ($10 per month, worst case scenario) can access a host of top-tier features, including a catalog of more than 35 million ad-free tracks, which can be sifted through however you want — no shuffle required. You can also save tracks for offline listening, access Spotify Radio, and watch music videos.
Spotify Student
If you’re a student (you have a valid student email address from an educational institution), you can get Premium for just $5 per month. It also comes with a free Hulu subscription. Just make sure you re-register as a student after a year, or Spotify will strip you of the Hulu membership and start charging you the full Premium price.
Spotify Family Plan
Those with loved ones who also want to stream music may be more interested in the Spotify Family Premium, which costs $15 per month, and lets you have up to six people on one account. Everyone on the family plan has to have the same residential address, but there’s no stipulation on how long you have to live together (wink).
Spotify Corporate
There are a number of employers that offer Spotify Premium for free, like Starbucks, which has more than 200,000 employees on a comped subscription. Certain cellular and internet providers also offer a free or discounted membership, so it’s worth consulting the fine print to see if you’re eligible for one or the other.
HOW SPOTIFY COMPARES TO THE COMPETITION
If you’re torn between Spotify and a competitor, chances are it’s either Apple Music or Google Play Music. Both cost the same and tout similar features, but Spotify comes out on top. It has the best interface, a near-endless catalog of on-demand content, fantastic curated playlists, and a free tier for those who can’t make a commitment.
Credit: Digital trends/Digishare Africa/Jonilar
