Spotify announce increase in UK subscription prices
As of next month, the UK subscription price will increase for Spotify users.
The news comes after premium subscribers have received notice that their individual subscription fee will rise 8.3 per cent, from £11.99 to £12.99 a month. Users will have a one-month grace period before the change kicks in.
The email read, in part, “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 service also said of the change, “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.”
However, it appears that Spotify’s student discount, on which a subscription is £5.99, will not change.
Earlier this week, Spotify users in the US utilising the free subscription reported ICE adverts encouraging them to “join the mission to protect America” and to “fulfil your mission” as an ICE agent.
In response, Spotify said that the adverts did not violate their company policies. In a statement, they shared, “The content does not violate our advertising policies. However, users can mark any ad with a thumbs up or thumbs down to help manage their ad preferences.”
This continues to be a tumultuous period for the platform, after several artists have recently withdrawn their music from the streaming platform. The boycott was led by Australian rockers King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard in July, who said of their decision, “A PSA to those unaware: Spotify CEO Daniel Ek invests millions in AI military drone technology. We just removed our music from the platform.”
Ek has since announced his plans to step down from his position at Spotify as CEO. Instead, he will take up a new position as executive chair in January. This came shortly after Ek faced a period of increasing criticism after he invested €600million in a German company called Helsing, which produces AI drones capable of being used in military warfare.
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