Spotify is reportedly going to raise prices again. This news from A recent Bloomberg report that quotes anonymous sources who told the publication about the streaming giant’s future plans.
According to the insiders, Spotify plans to increase “prices by approximately $1 to $2 per month” in five markets by April 30. These include the United Kingdom, Australia and Pakistan. The other two regions were not mentioned. Users in the United States are expected to see the same changes, but they won’t happen until later this year.
The reason the company is increasing subscriptions again is to “help cover the cost of audiobooks,” a new type of content introduced in November. Bloomberg explains that Spotify must pay publishers for the books, but the platform only has a limited amount. Apparently they have to charge more to keep them.
New levels
Although audiobooks have proven popular on Spotify, not everyone listens to them. For those who don’t, the company will add a new subscription “that only offers music and podcasts,” removing audiobooks as an option. This keeps the current price individual premium plans. People who purchase the new tier will have to pay for audiobooks separately.
No updates were given on the highly anticipated Supremium plan. It’s probably still a work in progress, and the level’s launch may be just around the corner. A user on the truespotify subreddit has shared a screenshot of what appears to be the Dolby Atmos logo appearing on the official player, indicating that spatial audio may be an upcoming feature.
Hearing the news of yet another price hike will likely elicit audible groans, especially if Spotify charges more for content you might not like. If you’re not happy with the direction Spotify is taking and want an alternative, below are the top three recommendations.
Tides – Best Overall Alternative
- $10.99 / £10.99 / AU$12.99 for HiFi level
- $19.99 / £19.99 / AU$23.99 for HiFi Plus
Tidal is the best alternative to Spotify for music fans. It offers great audio quality thanks to high-resolution streaming, offers an easy-to-navigate user interface, millions of songs and thousands of music videos; all for the same cost as a standard Spotify subscription. You can get CD-quality audio through your headphones by opting for HiFi Plus, although it’s quite expensive at $20 per month.
It’s important to mention that Tidal doesn’t have many podcasts available. There are a few, but the selection pales in comparison to what Spotify has. This is okay, you are someone who doesn’t care for podcasts and prefers music. The service is once again aimed at music lovers who want to hear their favorite artists in impeccable quality.
Qobuz – Best alternative for audiophiles
- $12.99 / £12.99 / AU$24.99 for the Studio level
- $17.99 / £17.99 / AU$29.99 for the Sublime subscription
If you want a service with the best audio quality around, check out Qobuz.
You can stream music in the 24-bit FLAC format up to 192 kHz. In plain English, this means that songs from Qobuz are better than CD quality songs. It blows what Spotify has out of the water. The great thing about the service is that you don’t have to pay extra for hi-res audio. The 24-bit FLAC format is part of the base layer. And if you don’t want to commit to a subscription, that’s no problem because you can purchase individual albums.
It is the most expensive alternative. However, at the time of writing, the platform is offering a discount for people who do buy the annual subscription. The cost comes to $10.83 per month for a single person. Like Tidal, Quboz lacks podcasts. Again, it’s aimed at music fans.
YouTube Music – Best Content Alternative
- $10.99 / £10.99 for YouTube Music Premium.
- In Australia it is part of YouTube Premium, which costs $16.99
YouTube Music is an underrated service. Not enough people give it the credit it deserves as a music streaming platform. It lacks hi-res audio. The stream quality on YouTube Music is the same as on Spotify, but excels in other areas.
The content library on YouTube Music eclipses what you’ll find on its rival. You get millions of songs, tons of podcasts, and a wide range of audiobooks, all for free. Plus, you can control what you listen to at any time. You are not forced to listen to a radio playlist.
Speaking of which, the platform has tons of playlists on a variety of topics, from favorite artists to Swimming bumps for adults. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. We haven’t even mentioned other notable features like the ability to upload your own files, the download feature, and the ability to find rare releases like early demos.
You can’t listen to music without good headphones. For recommendations, check out Ny Breaking’s list of the best headphones for 2024.