Best Music Streaming · pricing · Updated June 2026
Spotify pricing (2026)
Spotify starts at $6.99/mo (Premium Student), across 4 plans. Best for Social listening and playlist sharing. Every figure links to Spotify's own page and the date we captured it.
At a glance
- Entry price: $6.99/mo (Premium Student)
- Free tier: Yes · 90-day trial
- Compliance: HIPAA — · SOC 2 — · GDPR —
- Best for: Social listening and playlist sharing; Largest user base for collaborative features (Blend, Jam); Casual listeners who want a capable free tier; Students wanting Hulu bundle; Podcast listeners
Spotify plans & pricing
| Plan | Monthly | Annual | Billing | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premium Individual | $12.99 | — | flat | 1 Premium account, ad-free on-demand music, offline downloads, plus 15 hours/month of audiobook listening from the subscriber catalog. After a 3-month free trial for new members. | spotify.com |
| Premium Student | $6.99 | — | flat | 1 verified Premium account for eligible students at a discount, includes Hulu (with ads). After a 1-month free trial. | spotify.com |
| Premium Duo | $18.99 | — | flat | 2 Premium accounts for a couple at one address, plus 15 hours/month of audiobook listening (plan manager only). | spotify.com |
| Premium Family | $21.99 | — | flat | Up to 6 Premium accounts for people at one address, parental controls, accounts for listeners under 13, plus 15 hours/month of audiobook listening. | spotify.com |
Last verified 2026-06-13. https://www.spotify.com/us/premium/ (official US Premium pricing page, accessed 2026-06-13; corroborated by Variety coverage of the early-2026 US Premium price increase) Cross-checked against variety.com.
Capabilities
Integrations: Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Amazon Echo / Alexa, Google Home / Nest, Samsung Galaxy Watch, Apple Watch, PlayStation, Xbox, Smart TVs, Chromecast, Sonos, Hulu (Student plan bundle).
Key features: 100M+ song catalog; Lossless audio up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz (Premium); Spotify DJ — AI-powered personalized radio with voice commentary; Spotify Wrapped — annual personalized listening recap; Blend — shared taste-matching playlist with friends; Jam — real-time collaborative listening session; Daylist — mood-based dynamic playlist updated throughout the day; 15 hours/month audiobook listening (Premium); Offline downloads (Premium); Podcasts and video podcasts; Compatible with 2000+ devices.
Plan limits: Free: shuffle-only on mobile (no on-demand song selection); Free: 6 skips per hour on mobile; Free: audio quality capped at 160 kbps (mobile) / 128 kbps (desktop); Free: ads every 15-20 minutes (15-30 second audio ads plus display ads); Free: no offline downloads; Premium Individual: 1 account only; Audiobook listening capped at 15 hours/month on all Premium plans.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Spotify cost?
Spotify starts at $6.99/mo (Premium Student); it has 4 published plans. Verified 2026-06-13.
What are cheaper alternatives to Spotify?
Cheaper music streaming than Spotify (entry $6.99/mo) include Pandora at $4.99/mo, TIDAL at $5.49/mo, Apple Music at $5.99/mo. Verified 2026-06-13.
Does Spotify support HIPAA?
Spotify HIPAA support: —. SOC 2: —. GDPR: —.
Does Spotify have a free plan?
Spotify free tier: Yes; 90-day free trial.
Spotify vs alternatives
Compare all music streaming → · Spotify alternatives → · Open data · MCP
Cheaper music streaming alternatives
- Apple Music from $5.99/mo
- Amazon Music Unlimited from $5.99/mo
- Deezer from $5.99/mo
- TIDAL from $5.49/mo
- Pandora from $4.99/mo