Is Spotify Premium worth it in 2025? All you need to know
Spotify is one of the most widely used music streaming services in the world and can be used for free by anyone who wants to — just create an account. In addition to this option, the platform also offers some paid plans that allow for a complete experience. Spotify Premium allows you to listen to music without ads, better sound quality, download songs or podcast episodes, among other features.
These differences transform the Spotify experience and the usability of the tool, and therefore it is interesting for the user to compare both versions to understand which one makes more sense for him/her before choosing one.
What does Spotify Free offer?
The main difference between paid and free Spotify is the ads. Every so often, there is some type of advertisement between one track and another, which can be annoying for those who listen to music streaming and/or podcasts frequently.
In May, the features of this version, although limited, are satisfactory and allow the application to be used without many problems. The user has full access to the music library, Discovery tools, access to Spotify Wrapped (an annual retrospective carried out by the streaming service), and viewing of song lyrics. In addition, there is also access to some social features, such as viewing friends’ activity and creating collaborative playlists.
Control over songs is limited: the tool offers a pre-selected mix and there is no way to choose which track will be played next. However, it is possible to decide which songs you don’t like in the playlist. Even on the free plan, the personalized lists generated by Spotify have songs similar to the user’s tastes, which is a great advantage for those who like to listen to less popular songs.
What does Spotify Premium offer?
The big difference with Spotify Premium is the ad-free user experience. The subscription also provides some features that improve the use of the platform and even the quality of the music session. For example, while the sound quality reaches 160kbit/s on the free plan, on Spotify Premium it can reach 320kbit/s. In addition, the tool offers the user greater control over their playlists and songs: it is possible to choose to listen to shuffle or not, select the next song to play, download to listen offline, customize the recommended songs in a playlist, and listen in real time with another Spotify user.
With the paid version, you can skip songs unlimitedly, while in the free version, you can only skip six times per hour on your mobile device, with the exception of playlists generated by the tool. In addition, you can also have immediate access to new releases, while in the free version, there may be a waiting time. In general, the Premium version offers more flexibility and freedom when using the platform, giving the user complete control over their music library.
How much does Spotify Premium cost?
There are four plans available for Spotify subscriptions: Individual, Students, Duo, and Family.
Currently, the Individual plan costs $11.99 per month and allows you to upgrade an account to Premium. The University plan, the cheapest among the options, costs $5.99 per month, an offer for students of approved higher education institutions. To sign up for this plan, you must prove that you are a student.
The other two plans are designed for more than one person. Duo allows the creation of two accounts and costs $15.99 per month, $8 for each. The Family plan costs $19.99 per month and offers additional features. In addition to allowing six Premium accounts, it allows you to control explicit content and offers access to Spotify Kids. Payment can be made by credit or debit card.
All subscriptions, with the exception of the University plan, allow you to choose between an automatically renewing subscription or a one-month, three-month, six-month, or 12-month one-time payment plan. You can cancel your plan at any time without incurring any additional charges.
What to consider when choosing between Spotify Free and Spotify Premium?
1. Is listening to music part of your routine?
Think about how much time you spend listening to music during the day or week. If this is an activity you do frequently, it may make sense to purchase a paid plan for a music streaming service, especially if the excessive ads negatively impact your experience. However, if you only use the tool to have ambient sound while you perform other tasks and don’t mind listening to specific songs or being interrupted, the free plan already offers the necessary features for this.
2. Frequency of Spotify usage
There are many music streaming platforms available today, but many people still prefer to consume specific radio stations as part of their music listening habits, making Spotify an app that is of little or no use. In this case, purchasing a subscription plan may not be of much use. Before you go down this route, try Spotify for free for a while and see if it makes more sense for you than the music platforms you currently use.
3. Do you already have a paid music streaming service?
If you already use a music streaming service, such as Deezer or Apple Music, it’s worth considering the benefits that Spotify offers that these platforms don’t. Ask yourself whether these features are important to you or whether they have little or no impact on your music listening experience. Also consider whether it’s worth spending a monthly amount on yet another music app or if there’s a better way to spend that money.
4. Is there another service that offers better value for money?
While Spotify is one of the most popular music apps, there are other streaming services that offer different benefits and features. Apple Music currently has individual and university plans for the same price as Spotify, with the added bonus of a free one-month trial of the platform. Deezer is a little more expensive, but has partnerships with carriers, such as TIM. The Premium package can be purchased from $11.99 per month (students pay half this amount), and there is also the possibility of a free one-month trial. Despite this, the platform remains a strong option for users who value its curated content and user-friendly interface.
5. Consider the features Spotify doesn’t have
Spotify releases updates frequently, but some users may miss certain features. Some may want a night and day mode feature, the option to shuffle all of a user’s playlists, the ability to comment, and more. While these features don’t necessarily impact the way you listen to music, it’s worth considering how important they are to you and whether Spotify can offer something similar.
Is Spotify Premium worth it? Final Verdicts
As is always the case, the definitive answer to the biggest question we’re asking today depends on how you listen to music. If you only listen to music casually, always on your PC, and aren’t one of those who listen to music on your mobile phone, you can probably get by without paying for the service, albeit with occasional ads.
However, if you’re a regular music listener, it’s definitely worth the $11.99 Premium service. In fact, if you get together with friends and family, things get even better, as for $15 you get their famous Family Plan, which can be used by up to six different users—an offer currently almost unmatched by other competing services.
Personally, I have to say that Spotify has changed the way I listen to music. You don’t appreciate some of the benefits of Premium until you use them, but once you do, it’s impossible to go back to the basic model, especially thanks to the world of possibilities opened up by the offline mode with high-quality music.
