Spotify Introduces More Affordable “Basic” Premium Plan, Excludes Audiobooks

Just weeks after increasing the prices of its premium subscription plans, Spotify is making another change by launching a more affordable tier.

On Friday, the streaming music platform introduced the “Basic” premium plan, offering all streaming music benefits without any audiobooks. This new Basic plan will cost $10.99 per month, the same price as the former Premium Individual plan.

Earlier this month, Spotify raised prices across its subscription plans, with Premium Individual now costing $11.99 per month, the Duo plan increasing by $2 to $16.99, and the Family plan rising by $3 to $19.99. The Student plan remained at $5.99 per month.

Spotify attributed the price hikes to the addition of new offerings, including audiobooks. However, the introduction of the music-only Basic tier indicates Spotify’s strategy to maximize subscriber revenue by diversifying its offerings. For instance, users of the ad-supported tier can now add audiobooks for $9.99 per month, appealing to audiobook enthusiasts who prioritize audiobooks over music, similar to how the Basic plan targets music fans uninterested in audiobooks.