The free Spotify account type includes access to the streaming service's massive library of songs and podcasts, but the paid premium version also offers a few other features that might be worth paying for, depending on your listening habits.
We've reviewed both account types and analyzed all their key features and benefits in detail to make it easier for you to choose the one that's best for you.
Access Spotify's complete song library.
Limit six track jumps per hour.
Full access to over 2.6 million podcasts.
Ads appear while listening to songs, podcasts, and audiobooks.
160kbit/s is the lower limit of sound quality.
Full song library access and early access to select albums.
Unlimited track skipping and download options.
Full access to over 2.6 million podcasts.
Listen to 15 hours of audiobooks per month.
Ads appear when listening to audiobooks and podcasts.
Higher 320kbit/s sound quality option.
Spotify Free is a perfectly acceptable option for those who want to play some random music or podcasts in the background throughout the day. All Spotify podcasts and albums available to premium users are also unlocked with a free account, though you may have to wait a week or two before you can access some new music releases.
The sound quality of 160kbit/s is completely fine for ordinary people. Note that you do need a constant internet connection to use Spotify for free; the ability to download songs and podcasts is limited to paid premium accounts.
However, the number of audio ads between songs means that a free account isn't enough to play music through speakers at parties or at work or events.
You need to pay for a Spotify Premium account to remove ads while listening to music. Spotify Premium includes 15 hours of free audiobook listening per month, so if you're a fan of audiobooks, we recommend Spotify Premium.
The Premium version is also a better choice if you prefer listening to music yourself and selecting songs manually rather than just throwing them into a playlist and forgetting about it. Headphone listeners will also like Premium because of its improved sound quality.
Access over 80 million songs.
There are over 2.6 million podcasts on Spotify.
Some new albums are only available to premium users for a limited time.
Up to 6 tracks can be skipped per hour.
Exclusive early access to select new releases.
Access a master library of over 80 million songs.
Over 2.6 million podcasts.
Unlimited dancing.
Spotify has an absolutely massive library of songs that are almost entirely free to listen to. The only exception is a handful of new releases, which are typically only available to premium users for a few weeks before being unlocked for everyone.
The new version is premium because these memberships generate higher per listen rates for artists than free memberships. However, this release strategy is at the discretion of the artist and label, with most albums being released to everyone at the same time.
Of greater concern to Spotify Free users are restrictions on song selection and skipping: they can only skip six tracks per hour. For those who like to shuffle a playlist or album and start their day, this limitation won't be a problem. But those who prefer to listen to music in person and frequently skip tracks may find these free Spotify limitations frustrating.
There are over 2.6 million podcasts available on Spotify with no skip limits.
freeOver 370,000 audiobooks are available for purchase.
New books and classics available.
Audio ads appear when listening to audiobooks.
Over 370,000 audiobooks are available for purchase.
A mix of classics and new titles.
With 15 hours of listening time per month, you can listen to 200,000 audiobooks.
Ads will still play when listening to audiobooks.
In addition to music and podcasts, Spotify has more than 350,000 audiobooks available for purchase by both free and premium users on the web player in most major browsers. Once purchased, the audiobook will be unlocked in web players and all official Spotify apps on all devices.
However, Spotify Premium users can listen to approximately 200,000 audiobooks as part of their subscription without purchasing. Total audiobook listening time is capped at 15 hours per month, but this is usually enough to listen to two or three full titles.
Given that Spotify audiobooks cost over $20 each to purchase, and the Spotify Premium individual plan costs $10.99 per month, Premium is probably worth it even if you only listen to one audiobook per month. It's also ideal for those who only want to listen to specific chapters of a book without purchasing the entire book.
freeAdvertisements in the Spotify app.
Advertising before, during and after podcast episodes.
Advertisements during audiobooks.
100% ad-free music experience.
There are zero visual ads in the Spotify app.
The podcast still has ads before, during, and after episodes.
Audiobooks still have ads.
The removal of audio and video ads while listening to music is arguably the biggest draw of Spotify Premium.
If you're a free member, you'll often hear ads between songs, whether you listen to Spotify through the web player or on one of the official apps. If you plan on using Spotify to play music through your speakers at work or at a planned party, having ads play after each song is obviously not ideal.
In these cases, you might as well listen to regular radio stations directly instead of using Spotify Free, or pay to get rid of the ads. Signing up for Spotify Premium will completely remove all audio ads while listening to music. It will also remove visual image ads within the app.
However, Spotify Premium does not remove ads from podcasts and audiobooks. Unfortunately, it's not possible to get a completely ad-free audiobook and podcast experience on Spotify.
freeMusic plays at AAC 128kbit/s on the network player.
24, 96 and 160kbit/s sound options for music in the app.
Podcasts play at 128kbit/s on the web player and 96kbit/s in the app.
Music plays at AAC 256kbit/s on the network player.
24, 96 and 160kbit/s sound options for music in the app.
Additional 320kbit/s option for music in the Spotify app.
Podcasts play at 128kbit/s on the web player and 96kbit/s in the app.
Low, normal, and high audio quality options are available in the Spotify app for both free and premium Spotify users. These settings allow you to listen to music at 24, 96 and 160kbit/s respectively. An automatic option is also available for both membership levels, which reduces or improves audio quality depending on the speed of your network connection.
While the 160kbit/s option offers a decent experience for casual listening, the 320kbit/s option unlocked with a Spotify Premium membership is of much higher quality, with improvements in clarity and depth evident even on smartphone and laptop speakers.
It is worth noting that the upper limit of Premium music sound quality in network players is 256kbit/s. This is still better than the free option, which is limited to 128kbit/s. Podcast audio quality is the same for Spotify Premium and free users.
Spotify actually offers several different types of premium plans. All premium plans offer the same overall benefits as above, but are tailored to a specific individual or family. Here's a brief breakdown of each Spotify Premium plan you'll encounter when you choose to upgrade from a free membership.
- Premium Personal : The $10.99 basic Spotify Premium plan designed for single users.
- Premium Student : Premium plan with $5.99 discount for verified students. Also includes a free Hulu subscription.
- Premium Duo : A $14.99 option that includes two Premium accounts on the same payment plan. Both accounts have access to full premium benefits, except for the 15-hour audiobook benefit, which is limited to the account responsible for the payment.
- Premium Family : This $16.99 plan includes six accounts, either an adult Premium account or a Spotify Kids account with content restrictions. Only the account responsible for the program can use the 15-hour audiobook benefit.
Spotify Free isn't bad by any means, it's perfect for those who don't mind ads and just want to listen to some free podcasts and music casually in the background. That being said, Spotify Premium clearly has several features that on their own might be enough to convince someone to pay for the monthly upgrade.
If you need to download music and podcasts for offline listening, you'll need to upgrade to Premium. The same goes for removing ads between songs or listening to audiobooks without purchasing each one outright.
While the audio quality offered by the free Spotify tier is very good, music lovers who own high-quality headphones or speakers and want their songs to sound the absolute best may also be willing to pay for an account upgrade.
If you want more than a barebones, ad-filled audio experience, Spotify Premium is clearly the way to go.
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