Spotify is Raising Its Price Next Month—Here's What to Expect
- - Spotify is Raising Its Price Next Month—Here's What to Expect
Kenn C. BivinsJanuary 15, 2026 at 5:45 PM
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As someone who considers themselves quite the audiophile and a former Starbucks barista, my favorite and most missed perk, hands down, is the free premium Spotify account. Knowing that on those long, grueling days I could plug in my headphones and escape for a bit without having to pay a monthly subscription fee truly made my time there all the more worthwhile.
Of course, reality set in after I left and could no longer access my coveted free playlists. Back then, a premium Spotify account cost a meager $9.99, which by today's standards is pretty much unheard of. After going public in 2018, Spotify implemented its first of many price increases, culminating in a $11.99 monthly price in June 2024. Unfortunately, Spotify users are in for yet another price increase, bringing the total for a premium account to $12.99 next month.
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The jump is even higher for Duo accounts, which is set to go from $16.99 to $18.99. Family plans will increase from $19.99 to $21.99, and student plans will jump from $5.99 to $6.99. This increase makes it the most expensive major music streaming platform on the market. According to Spotify, subscribers will receive an email explaining the increase and when it will take effect. Although, on its face, an increase of $1 or $2 is incremental at best, it places the burden on consumers to decide whether they can afford to pay even more per month for something that's decidedly non-essential.
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Spotify Increases Premium Price to Highest So Far
Octavio Hoyos / Shutterstock.com
Outside of Spotify, prices are rising across everything from groceries to basic necessities, with some reports citing increases of nearly 30 percent since 2019 in groceries alone. Rent has also increased significantly in previous years, further adding to the financial strain placed on consumers. For people already paying closer attention to their budgets, the idea of continuing to pay for a subscription like Spotify seems trivial. That said, Spotify isn't the only platform that has increased its prices.
In previous years, Netflix, Hulu, and Paramount+ have dramatically increased costs, leaving users to foot the bill. When explaining the price hikes, most companies offer a rationale for their value proposition to justify the increases. Be that as it may, depending on what matters most to each individual customer, the value proposition becomes moot in an increasingly uncertain world.
As Matthew Desmond so eloquently put it in his #1 New York Times Bestseller, Poverty, by America, "What good is a toaster oven if you can't afford the electricity to power it or a kitchen in which to use it?" Either way, what you do with your money is totally up to you, and if Spotify is in your budget, then you do you. Here's hoping things stabilize soon.
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This story was originally published by Parade on Jan 15, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
