When you think of streaming music, chances are the first name that comes to mind is Spotify. Spotify has a huge music library, a great music recommendation algorithm, and some useful features that are worth paying for. Spotify Premium is the paid version of the world's most popular music streaming service. If you can't afford it, or don't want to pay for Spotify, you can still use its free tier. Free Spotify has some annoying limitations, though, such as a limited number of song skips and lots of ads, and it doesn't let you see time-synced lyrics either. You'll also miss out on the highest quality audio and can't download music for offline listening. While you can block Spotify ads on some platforms, others are disruptive to many people.
How much does Spotify Premium cost?
Spotify Premium has four paid plans. If you're buying it for yourself, you'll need the Premium Personal version, which costs $10.99 per month. For those who want to share music with others in the household, the $14.99/month Premium Duo is the best plan. For families or large groups who want Spotify Premium, there's the Premium Family plan for $16.99 per month. The plan allows up to 6 people to sign up for an alternative plan, but all should live at the same address.
If you are a student attending an accredited higher education institution, you can enroll in the Advanced Student Plan for $5.99/month. This plan also gives you access to Hulu (with ads).
How to get Spotify Premium discount
The best way to save money on Spotify Premium is to use gift cards to sign up for the annual plan. You can purchase these gift cards from Amazon or Best Buy for $99 for an annual plan. If you decide to use Spotify year-round, you'll end up saving $33 compared to paying monthly.
Of course, you can also take advantage of Spotify Premium's free trial. The duration of these free trials will continue to change over time, but one thing remains constant - it only works if you've never used Spotify Premium before. You're free to create a new account and keep signing up for the free trial for as long as you can get away with it, but keep in mind that you'll lose your listening history and playlists every time you create a new account. As of this writing, Spotify offers a three-month free trial on its website. You may also periodically come across promotions offering longer free trials. As of the time of publication, Spotify and Tinder have teamed up to let you sign up for four months of Premium for free. PayPal also offers a three-month free trial of Spotify Premium.
Your employer may also offer Spotify Premium for free. (Starbucks is one of these employers.)
You can sign up for Spotify Premium from other regions where prices are lower. For example, Spotify Premium in India starts at INR 7 (USD 0.08) per day; the most affordable monthly plan costs INR 119 (USD 1.43) per month. You must use a VPN to log in regularly from the region of your choice. Note, however, that streaming deals vary by region, so some artists available on Spotify USA may be missing when you sign up from another region.
