How Much Is Spotify Premium? Every Plan, Price & Perk Explained (2026)

Spotify Premium costs $12.99 per month for an Individual plan in 2026. Other tiers include Duo at $18.99/month, Family at $21.99/month for up to six accounts, and Student at $6.99/month. Prices went up in early 2026, so here is a full breakdown of every plan, what you get, and whether the upgrade makes sense for you.

What Is Spotify Premium?

Quick answer: Spotify Premium is the paid version of Spotify that removes ads, adds offline downloads, gives you on-demand playback on mobile, and streams music in lossless quality. It starts at $6.99/month for students and $12.99/month for everyone else.

Spotify offers two tiers: a free, ad-supported plan and the paid Premium service. The free tier lets you stream music with ads, shuffle-only playback on mobile, and limited skips. Premium removes all of those limits and adds features like offline listening and higher audio quality.

With over 100 million tracks and 6 million podcast titles, Spotify has one of the largest music libraries available. Premium subscribers get full access to this catalog without interruptions, plus 15 hours of audiobook listening each month at no extra charge.

If you want to explore Spotify without installing anything first, check out our guide to the Spotify Web Player. It works in any browser and gives you a quick way to test the platform.

How Much Does Spotify Premium Cost in 2026?

Quick answer: Individual costs $12.99/month, Duo is $18.99/month, Family is $21.99/month (up to 6 people), and Student is $6.99/month. Spotify raised every tier by $1 to $2 compared to 2025.

Here is a side-by-side look at all four plans:

Individual Plan

The Individual plan is the standard Premium option. For $12.99/month, you get ad-free music, unlimited skips, offline downloads, and lossless audio streaming. Spotify also includes 15 hours of audiobook listening each month.

You can stream on any device: phone, tablet, desktop, smart speaker, or gaming console. Offline downloads support up to 10,000 songs across five devices. New subscribers can often grab a free trial (usually one to three months) before paying full price.

Duo Plan

The Duo plan covers two people at the same address for $18.99/month. That works out to roughly $9.50 per person. Both listeners get separate accounts with their own playlists, saved songs, and personalized recommendations.

A bonus feature is the Duo Mix playlist, which blends both users' listening habits into one shared queue. Compared to two Individual plans, Duo saves you about $7 every month.

Family Plan

The Family plan offers the best per-person value at $21.99/month for up to six accounts. With three members, each person pays about $7.33. Fill all six spots and the cost drops to around $3.67 per person.

Every member gets their own login, library, and recommendations. Parents also get access to Spotify Kids, a separate app with curated, age-appropriate content and parental controls. All Family plan members must live at the same address, and Spotify may verify this periodically.

Student Plan

Students pay just $6.99/month after verifying enrollment through SheerID. The Student plan includes every feature of the Individual plan, plus a bundled Hulu (With Ads) subscription at no extra cost.

You need to attend an accredited higher education institution. Community colleges, universities, and graduate programs all qualify. Verification takes less than a minute and needs to renew once a year. After graduation or failed verification, the plan converts to the standard Individual plan at $12.99/month. Spotify sends a reminder email before this change happens.

Spotify Free vs Premium: What Do You Actually Get?

Quick answer: Free gives you ad-supported, shuffle-only mobile playback at standard quality. Premium removes ads, adds on-demand playback, offline downloads, lossless audio, and audiobook access.

The free plan works fine for casual listeners who don't mind ads and shuffle mode. But if you listen for more than a few hours a week, Premium removes enough friction to justify the cost.

Mobile playback is where the gap is most obvious. Free users can only shuffle within playlists and albums on phones. Premium lets you tap any song and play it instantly. Combined with unlimited skips, this changes how you interact with your music.

Audio quality is the other major difference. The free tier caps at 160 kbps in Ogg Vorbis format. Premium opens up 320 kbps streaming and lossless playback. On quality headphones or a home speaker setup, the difference is clear: crisper vocals, better instrument separation, and deeper bass.

Want to see how Spotify stacks up feature-by-feature against other platforms? Read our Spotify vs Apple Music comparison or our broader music streaming services guide.

Is Spotify Premium Worth It?

Quick answer: For daily listeners, yes. At $12.99/month (about $0.43 per day), you get ad-free playback, lossless audio, offline downloads, and audiobooks. The value increases if you split a Family or Duo plan.

Here is what matters most when deciding:

Lossless audio makes a real difference. Spotify now supports lossless streaming for all Premium subscribers. If you own wired headphones, a DAC, or a high-quality Bluetooth speaker, you will hear the upgrade. Vocals sound crisper, instruments have more separation, and bass has real depth instead of sounding muddy.

Offline downloads save you data and keep music available anywhere. Download playlists and albums for flights, commutes, or areas with spotty reception. You can store up to 10,000 tracks across five devices. Free users have no offline option at all.

The ad-free experience changes how you listen. No interruptions between songs, no banner ads, no audio spots breaking your focus during work or exercise. If you use Spotify as background music while studying, working, or sleeping, the difference is significant.

The Student and Family plans offer strong savings. Students get all Individual features for roughly half price, plus Hulu. Family plan members can pay under $4/month each if six people share the plan. These tiers make Premium accessible at almost any budget.

If you are already paying for a streaming service and considering your options, Free Your Music lets you transfer your playlists between 40+ services in minutes, so you can test any platform without rebuilding your library from scratch.

How to Sign Up for Spotify Premium

Quick answer: Visit spotify.com or open the Spotify app, pick a plan, create an account (or log in), add a payment method, and start listening. Free trials are often available for new subscribers.

1. Visit the Spotify website or open the Spotify app
2. Go to the Premium section and browse available plans
3. Select Individual, Duo, Family, or Student
4. Log in to your existing account or create a new one
5. Enter your payment method (credit card, debit card, PayPal, or carrier billing)
6. Confirm your subscription and start listening right away

If a free trial is available, you will not be charged until the trial period ends. Cancel anytime before the trial expires to avoid charges.

How to Cancel or Change Your Spotify Plan

Quick answer: Open your account settings on the Spotify website, go to your subscription section, and choose to cancel or switch plans. Downgrades take effect at the start of your next billing cycle.

Canceling Your Plan

1. Go to your Spotify account page in a web browser
2. Scroll to the "Your plan" section
3. Click "Change plan" and then "Cancel Premium"
4. Follow the confirmation prompts

Your Premium features stay active until the end of your current billing period. After that, your account reverts to the free tier. You keep all your playlists, saved songs, and followers.

Switching Plans

Want to move from Individual to Family, or downgrade from Family to Duo? Head to your account page, click "Change plan," and pick a different tier.

• Upgrades take effect right away. You pay a prorated amount for the rest of your billing cycle.
• Downgrades apply at the start of your next billing period. You keep your current plan's features until then.

Take Your Playlists Anywhere

Quick answer: Free Your Music transfers your entire Spotify library (playlists, liked songs, albums, and artists) to 40+ other music services in minutes, with zero manual rebuilding.

Switching streaming services does not mean starting over. Free Your Music moves your entire library between platforms automatically.

Here is how it works:

1. Download Free Your Music on your phone, tablet, or desktop
2. Select Spotify as your source service
3. Choose your destination (Apple Music, YouTube Music, Tidal, Amazon Music, Deezer, and dozens more)
4. Pick the playlists and songs you want to move
5. Hit transfer and let the app handle the rest

Your original Spotify library stays completely untouched, so there is zero risk in trying a new platform. The transfer runs in the background while you go about your day.

Check all supported music services to see where you can move your music.

FAQ

How much does Spotify Premium cost per month in 2026?

Spotify Premium Individual costs $12.99/month. The Duo plan is $18.99/month, the Family plan is $21.99/month for up to six accounts, and the Student plan is $6.99/month. These prices took effect in early 2026.

Did Spotify raise its prices in 2026?

Yes. Spotify increased prices across all Premium tiers in early 2026. The Individual plan went from $11.99 to $12.99, the Duo from $16.99 to $18.99, the Family from $19.99 to $21.99, and the Student from $5.99 to $6.99.

Is there a free version of Spotify?

Yes. Spotify offers a free, ad-supported tier with shuffle-only mobile playback, limited skips (six per hour), and standard audio quality. You can use it indefinitely without paying, but it lacks offline downloads and on-demand song selection on mobile.

What is the cheapest Spotify Premium plan?

The Student plan at $6.99/month is the cheapest option for eligible users. It includes all Individual plan features plus Hulu (With Ads). If you are not a student, splitting a Family plan among six people brings the per-person cost down to about $3.67/month.

Can I try Spotify Premium for free?

Spotify frequently offers free trials for new Premium subscribers, typically one to three months. Check the Spotify Premium page for current trial availability in your region.

Does Spotify Premium include lossless audio?

Yes. All Premium plans in 2026 include lossless audio streaming at no extra cost. Free-tier users are limited to standard quality (up to 160 kbps).

How do I cancel Spotify Premium?

Open the Spotify website, go to your account page, find the subscription section, and select "Cancel Premium." Your Premium features stay active until the end of your current billing period.

Can I transfer my Spotify playlists to another music service?

Yes. Use Free Your Music to transfer playlists, liked songs, and albums from Spotify to 40+ other streaming services. The process takes just a few minutes and keeps your original Spotify library intact.

How many devices can I use with Spotify Premium?

You can download music for offline listening on up to five devices with a limit of 10,000 songs per device. For streaming, you can use Spotify on as many devices as you want, but only one device can play at a time on a single account (Duo and Family plans allow simultaneous playback on separate accounts).

Is Spotify Premium worth the price increase in 2026?

For daily listeners, yes. Even at $12.99/month, that works out to about $0.43/day for unlimited, ad-free, lossless music with offline downloads and 15 hours of monthly audiobook access. The Family and Student plans lower the per-person cost even further.

Ready to take control of your music? Transfer your playlists in minutes with Free Your Music.