Spotify confirm subscription price increases in 12 territories including the UK

Spotify has confirmed that it will increase the price of a number of its subscription options in 12 territories, including the UK and United States.

It comes as the streaming service and others like it come under continued pressure from artists around unfair royalty payouts.

• READ MORE: Streaming – what happens next? Artists demand “a shift in the way business is done”

In the UK, three of Spotify’s four subscription plans – Duo, Family and Student – will see an increase in their monthly price under the new changes, while Spotify Premium will remain priced at £9.99 a month.

Premium Student is being raised from £4.99 a month to £5.99 a month, while Premium Duo is going from £12.99 a month to £13.99 a month. Premium Family will cost £2 more a month, going from £14.99 to £16.99 per month.

The new price points are set to come into effect from this Friday (April 30).

Spotify CEO and founder Daniel Ek, who has recently launched a takeover bid to buy Arsenal football club, said of the news: “I’m pleased with the continuing momentum we are seeing across many aspects of our business this quarter, including our subscriber growth.

“2020 was a very strong year for Spotify and we believe Spotify is well positioned to continue to extend our leadership globally as we move forward.”

Ek has been widely criticised on social media and beyond for his potential takeover bid for Arsenal by those in the music industry.

One commenter referenced the tiny payout Spotify gives artists per stream, saying: “Don’t think they’d accept 0.000007p mate,” while another wrote: Pay the artists first.”

At the moment, MPs are currently examining the economic impact that music streaming is having on artists, record labels and the wider music industry in the inquiry.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Commons Select Committee have been examining the business model since last year and whether or not the model is fair to songwriters and performers via the ‘Economics Of Music Streaming’ inquiry.

The Committee’s inquiry into at “the business models” operated by streaming giants like Spotify is due to be published this spring.

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