Spotify has announced a price increase for its UK premium individual subscriptions, effective as of next month, per faroutmagazine.co.uk.
Premium subscribers have begun receiving notices that their monthly individual fee will rise by 8.3 per cent, moving from £11.99 to £12.99. Users will be given a one-month grace period before the new pricing takes effect.
The company justified the hike in an email to users, stating, “The price of Premium Individual is increasing so that we can invest in our product, develop new features and continue to bring you the best experience.”
Speaking to Moneyblog, the streaming giant further elaborated on the decision: “As we continue innovating and enhancing the value we deliver, we periodically update our pricing to reflect local market conditions and economic factors, ensuring our service remains unparalleled.”
Crucially, it appears that the student discount subscription, which remains at £5.99, will not be affected by this latest price adjustment.
The price increase comes during a tumultuous period for the platform, which has recently faced criticism on multiple fronts.
Earlier this week, US users on the free subscription tier reported hearing ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) adverts encouraging listeners to “join the mission to protect America.” Spotify defended the ads, stating they did not violate company policy, though they reminded users they could manage preferences using the thumbs-up or thumbs-down feature.
Adding to the platform’s challenges, several artists have recently withdrawn their music in a boycott over the investments of CEO Daniel Ek. The protest was notably led in July by Australian rockers King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, who publicly cited Ek’s investment in military technology as their reason for leaving.
Ek had previously faced increasing criticism after investing €600 million in Helsing, a German company that develops AI drones for potential military use.
In a significant leadership change announced shortly after this period of mounting pressure, Ek revealed his plans to step down as CEO in January, moving into a new position as executive chair.
