Spotify is testing the removal of a popular feature from its free tier

3 weeks ago

If you usage Spotify’s free ad-supported tier and emotion utilizing nan app to cheque retired nan lyrics of nan songs you perceive to, an unpleasant astonishment could beryllium coming your way.

Why? Because nan institution is experimenting pinch making lyrics exclusive to its Premium subscribers.

Some Spotify users connected nan advertisement tier person precocious noticed that they’ve mislaid nan expertise to spot nan in-app lyrics, which usually look astatine nan bottommost of nan show erstwhile a opus starts. Instead, a connection appears suggesting they “enjoy lyrics connected Premium,” together pinch a nexus to subscribe to nan service.

In a wide reported statement, nan euphony streaming elephantine has confirmed that it’s presently testing nan thought pinch a constricted number of Spotify users successful respective markets. If it sees an uptick successful sign-ups among those who’ve mislaid entree to lyrics, nan institution will beryllium encouraged to rotation it retired much widely. However, if there’s immoderate benignant of backlash among users of nan free tier, Spotify whitethorn ditch nan idea.

The trial is an effort to nudge group toward paying for a monthly subscription arsenic Spotify useful to move a profit aft reporting a nonaccomplishment successful its past quarter. Its equilibrium expanse has travel nether unit partially owed to immense investments successful podcasts, which, according to a Wall Street Journal report connected Tuesday, hasn’t gone astatine each good for nan company. It besides spent large connected severance payments aft laying disconnected 6% of its workforce earlier successful nan year.

There’s nary guarantee that Spotify will permanently region lyrics from nan free tier, but hopefully, it won’t beryllium excessively agelong earlier we cognize for sure.

For users successful nan U.S., Spotify Premium presently costs $10.99 per period for an Individual relationship and $14.99 per period for nan Duo action that offers a mates of Premium accounts for 2 group who unrecorded together. A Family relationship for up to six group costs $16.99 per month, while students tin motion up to Premium for $5.99 per month. The free, ad-supported tier comes pinch various restrictions connected nan mobile app (eg. shuffle mode only, maximum of six skips per hour), though nan desktop type offers a much complete acquisition — on pinch intermittent ads.

Spotify routinely offers free tests and different deals, for example, caller Individual accounts presently costs $10.99 for nan first 3 months, thereby getting you 2 months for free.

Interested successful uncovering retired much astir nan 2 astir celebrated euphony streaming services? Digital Trends has compared Spotify pinch Apple Music to find retired which 1 is best.

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Trevor Mogg

Not truthful galore moons ago, Trevor moved from 1 tea-loving land federation that drives connected nan near (Britain) to different (Japan)…

Spotify yet adds real-time lyrics support to its mobile apps

Spotify app icon connected iPhone.

Spotify is yet joining up pinch Apple and Google successful offering lyrics support successful its euphony streaming app. After conscionable complete a twelvemonth of testing successful a fistful of world markets, nan institution coming announced nan world rollout of lyrics support to each of its apps for some free and premium subscribers.

"Lyrics are 1 of nan astir requested features from listeners crossed nan globe. So aft iterating and testing, we’ve created an acquisition that’s elemental and interactive -- and moreover shareable. By partnering pinch Musixmatch, we’re bringing opus lyrics to life done in-app entree crossed nan mostly of our extended room of tracks," Spotify announced connected Thursday.

Tidal launches free subscription tier and much ways for artists to get paid

Smart telephone pinch nan Tidal logo

Tidal, nan streaming euphony work erstwhile co-owned by Jay Z, now has a free subscription tier, bringing it successful statement pinch Spotify and Amazon Music, some of which connection free listening options. Known arsenic Tidal Free, it's only disposable successful nan U.S. for now. The institution says that nan free tier will connection entree to its full euphony catalog and playlists, pinch "limited interruptions." It did not specify if those interruptions would beryllium ads from 3rd parties, aliases simply promotions for Tidal's paid subscription options.

Tidal Free joins nan $10 per period Tidal HiFi tier, which was antecedently named Tidal Premium, and nan $20 per period Tidal HiFi Plus (previously Tidal HiFi). The $10 per period tier now includes lossless, CD-quality tracks, which was antecedently only disposable astatine nan much costly $20 per period price. This was apt done to support gait pinch Apple Music, which added lossless audio and Dolby Atmos Music to its modular $10 per period offering earlier successful 2021. Amazon Music besides includes lossless, Dolby Atmos Music, and Sony 360 Reality Audio (360RA) successful its modular $10 per period plan.

Spotify’s services are slow returning to normal aft Google Cloud problem

Spotify app icon connected iPhone.

If you for illustration listening to Spotify utilizing nan company's web interface, you mightiness still beryllium among those who are without euphony astatine nan moment. An Apparent problem pinch Google Cloud has been responsible for interrupting entree to respective awesome web services including Snapchat, Discord, Fitbit, and Nest apps.

Downdetector.com indicates that location were much than 50,000 reports of Spotify problem starting astir noon Eastern Time, but these numbers person been steadily declining since then. Spotify is alert of nan problem and has reported it connected its organization site. It still says that nan rumor is nether investigation. According to nan article, some nan web and nan mobile subordinate are affected.