Spotify is reportedly being pressured to raise prices in the United States by some major record labels, as the price of subscriptions is going up again.
If you need music or podcasts to get you through the day, then Spotify is one of the platforms that you pretty much have to have a subscription for. Well, especially if you don’t want your listening experience interrupted by adverts.
However, the cost of having a Premium subscription on Spotify has risen a few times over the last few years in different markets. Solo subscribers in the United Kingdom are now having to pay £12.99/month, which is up £1 from the previous cost.
A price rise for the United States has been speculated on a few times over the last few months, with analysts predicting a raise as soon as the calendar turns over to 2026.
Record labels are reportedly pressuring Spotify
Well, according to a new report from the Financial Times, the cost of a Spotify subscription in the US is going up in the new year following pressure on the platform from record labels.
As per the FT’s report, “major record labels have been pressing Spotify, Apple Music and other music-streaming platforms to increase their fees.” They claim that “prices have lagged inflation and subscriptions remain cheap compared to video services such as Netflix.”
The FT’s report doesn’t mention what the price will rise to, but notes that a freeze has been in place since July 2024, when sub prices rose to $11.99 a month.
That 2024 price rise followed a similar increase from 2023. Those were the first changes since 2011, when a subscription to Spotify Premium would set you back $9.99 a month.
As noted, analysts from JP Morgan have predicted that 2026 would mark another rise, suggesting it could be $12.99 a month – similar to the UK pricing.
They said this could come by “early 2026,” which has also been suggested by the Financial Times.
