Spotify offers a range of Premium plans to choose from. However, if you want to get the most bang for your buck, you’ll need to consider who you stream your music with and how you’re going to split your account.
The account you choose may also be affected by price increases announced on July 24, 2023.
We’ve compared the four different Spotify Premium options – Individual, Duo, Family and Student – to help you choose the right plan for your finances and listening habits. We also have a similar guide on which Netflix plan is right for you, and you can also find out how much mobile data Spotify is using here.
If you haven’t already, you can create an account for free on Spotify’s website and then choose the plan you want from there.
The truth about Spotify plans
First, if you haven’t tried it yet, consider Spotify’s free option. You still have access to a large library of music, but you will have to accept a number of restrictions. These include both visual and audio ads, only being able to randomly play songs, a limited number of skips, and no way to listen to songs offline.
If this all sounds too much like a compromise, then Premium is absolutely the way to go. You can see a more detailed comparison between Spotify Free and Spotify Premium here.
To be clear, every Premium account on Spotify offers the following:
- Listen to ad-free music
- Offline game
- unlimited jumps
All plans also offer one-month free trials, so you can try out the benefits of Spotify Premium without having to part with any cash.
Although Spotify offers joint accounts, you can only register one payment option. Therefore, be sure to think about how you want to split the cost of your chosen Spotify Premium account. You can either have people set up a simple standing order, pay through PayPal, and split the cost here, or use something like Monzo. The maximum number of people you can have on an account is six.
Additionally, all of these people will need your registered email address and password – so make sure these are details you’re comfortable sharing. For example, don’t use a sensitive password, like the one you use for internet banking.
We have also totaled the annual equivalent cost of each plan to help you solve your financial problems. All plans are monthly and can be canceled at any time.
Spotify announced price changes on July 24, 2023 – customers will get a one-month grace period once they’ve been notified by email, so you should have time to change your plan or cancel it altogether.
Is Spotify Premium Individual right for me?
Cost: £10.99/$10.99 per month (equivalent to £131.88 or $131.88 per year)
Best for: Professionals who don’t want to share an account
You don’t want to share your account with anyone and you’re not a student? Opt for the standard Premium plan. With ad-free listening, unlimited skips, the ability to bookmark and keep playlists and of course download tracks, you can keep this account all to yourself.
If you’re thinking of sharing your Premium benefits with a friend, think again. Spotify detects when someone is connected to two devices and will disconnect you if you try to listen simultaneously.
If you can coordinate your music time, it’s worth a try. But if not, consider other alternatives.
Is Spotify Premium Duo right for me?
Cost: £14.99/$14.99 per month (equivalent to £179.88 or $179.88 per year)
Best for: Couples or a pair of roommates – excluding students
Spotify Premium Duo is primarily for two people living at the same address, such as couples or close friends. Not only do you get a profile each for your own personalized tastes, but you also get access to Duo Mix, a regularly updated curated playlist that incorporates the musical tastes of both individuals.
Premium Duo only works for two people living at the same address, so don’t share an account with someone you don’t live with. Spotify performs random GPS checks, and if it finds you’re breaking the rules, you could be banned from your account.
Spotify Premium Duo is the natural budget choice if you and someone else you live with both want Premium, as it’ll only cost you £7.99/$7.99 per month each instead of £10.99/$10.99 each. The exception to this rule are students, who always do better with their own dedicated Premium student subscriptions.
Is Spotify Premium Family right for me?
Cost: £17.99/US$16.99 per month (adds up to £215.88 or US$203.88 per year)
Best for: Families and between three and six roommates – including students
If you’re under one roof with up to five other people, the Premium Family option is by far the most cost-effective Spotify subscription. Like Spotify Duo, you get plenty of accounts (up to six), an automatic Family Mix with curated tracks, and access to Spotify Kids. Spotify Kids is aimed at children up to 12 years old and includes an extensive family-friendly library with no expletive music.
It’s only worth getting Premium if you plan to split the account between three or more people, or if you desperately want access to Spotify Kids. Otherwise, Spotify Duo is the most economical alternative between two people. Again, like Duo, this account is only for people living at the same address – not for friends outside of it.
If you split this account equally, you’ll pay a maximum of £5.99/$5.66 if you’re in a team of three, and at least £2.99/$2.81 in a group of six. Therefore, the more sharers you can get on a family plan, the more profitable it will be. This plan is also a cheaper option for groups of three to six college roommates rather than individual student accounts.
Is Spotify Premium Student right for me?
Cost: £5.99/$5.99 per month (equivalent to £71.88 or $71.88 per year)
Best for: Individual college students
Take advantage of this student discount while you can. Spotify Premium Student offers all the benefits of Spotify Premium Individual at nearly half the price, if you’re in college. Again, this isn’t really the account you want if you plan on sharing – except for playing music together, like at parties.
If you want to share, assess how many people you plan to split up with. If there are more than two other people, go for Spotify Premium Family. Spotify Premium Duo isn’t worth it if you’re both students.
To get a student account you will need to verify your status with your university email address and a document with proof of your enrollment status – see more in Spotify’s terms and conditions.
Which Spotify account is the best?
Well, it all depends on your situation. If you are an individual or a student who is not interested in sharing, then Spotify Premium Individual or Spotify Premium Student will be perfect for you.
If you are in a group, it depends on the number of you. For three to six people in the same household (students or not), the Spotify Premium Family account is by far the most economical option. If you’re in a relationship, you should only opt for Spotify Duo if you’re not a student, otherwise two individual student accounts always cost slightly less.
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