Hold onto your headphones, Spotify fans, because your monthly bill is about to get a bump. For years, Spotify kept its subscription prices steady, with a Premium plan at UGX 10,000, student discounts at UGX 5,000, and Duo and Family plans at UGX 13,000 and UGX 16,000 respectively. But according to Bloomberg, an international price hike is coming – and much sooner than the last one.
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Get ready to shell out an extra $1 to $2 per month if you’re in the UK, Australia, Pakistan, or two other unnamed markets. This increase hits by the end of April, with US customers facing a similar price bump “later this year.”
There’s a twist, though. This price hike seems to be fueled by Spotify’s growing investment in audiobooks. They’ve become the second-largest player in the audiobook market after Audible, and they’re expanding aggressively. So, if you’re not interested in audiobooks, there’s good news: Spotify will introduce a new “basic” plan at the current UGX 10,000 Premium price. This plan will stick to music and podcasts, minus the audiobooks. Here’s hoping this doesn’t mean sacrificing audio quality for the lower price point.
Speaking of quality, rumors of a “Supremium” plan with lossless streaming are still swirling. Some eagle-eyed users have even spotted a Dolby Atmos logo in the app, hinting at spatial audio as a potential Supremium perk.
While Spotify hasn’t officially confirmed the price increase, it seems a bump is on the horizon. Stay tuned for official announcements, and decide if you’re willing to pay more for audiobooks or if the new basic plan is the way to go.