[ad_1]
At this point, I have been using Spotify for several years and cannot imagine switching to another service for my music streaming needs. The app is one of the most used on my call and portable. I had tried Pandora and Google Play Music back then, but I never felt pressured to invest in their premium features. When I finally gave Spotify a chance, I was quickly won over by the personalization – the curated playlists, the radio stations, and the fact that the app was constantly improving. My only qualms – the limit of songs in the library – was resolved earlier this year.
I am not alone. Since its launch in 2008, Spotify has grown into one of the most popular music streaming services, building on its features and expanding to over 70 million songs and podcasts and 356 million users. Spotify’s flexibility and free tier give it a competitive advantage on Apple Music. In the last year or so, the music streaming platform has added Spotify Connect for more listening options and Spotify Duo, another subscription offer between Spotify Premium and Spotify Family. Last month it also launched its own podcast subscription platform, a smart music player for your car and the ability to download songs to your phone and laptop.
However, these changes come at a cost: as of April 30, Spotify increases the price of its Family Premium plan from $ 1 to $ 16 per month.
For a while I used the free version of Spotify, but there are some restrictions. Thirty-second audio commercials are played regularly between songs. Sticking with the free version also meant seeing graphical ads. I couldn’t choose individual songs to play – each album, playlist, or radio station needs to be shuffled, and you can only skip songs six times in an hour. There is also no offline listening. Finally, I decided to upgrade to a premium account.
Upgrading your Spotify plan or swapping between plans is pretty easy. Open Spotify in a web browser or in the desktop app. Click on your profile icon and choose Account from the drop-down menu. In the sidebar click on Available Plans and from there you can select a new plan and switch. (And if you’re a student, you’re in luck: Spotify offers a $ 5 plan without advertising which includes both Hulu and Showtime.)
If you want to upgrade to Premium, here’s how to choose between Spotify’s three paid subscription plans.
Read more: Best Music Streaming Service for 2021: Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, Tidal and YouTube
Angela Lang / CNET
Spotify’s Premium subscription covers an account for $ 10 per month. There are no ads and you can skip songs as much as you want. If you listen in the mobile app, you can download content to listen to offline. If you use Spotify often, hate ads, and only need one account, this is your best option.
If you’re not sure how to change, you can try Premium free for 30 days before charging you for anything. The only downside is that the 30 days free doesn’t extend to the Family or Duo plan if you’ve already used it once.
- How much does it cost: $ 10 per month
- What you get: One account, no ads, skip songs, curated playlist, download songs
- Free try: 30 days
Angela Lang / CNET
Spotify Family supports up to six accounts, making it a good choice for roommates, groups of friends, and, lastly, families. As of April 2021, the subscription costs $ 16 per month (a price increase of $ 1) and offers ad-free on-demand and offline listening, as well as unlimited song skips. Spreading the cost of a Premium account among at least a few people will definitely save you money every month. Plus, a playlist called Family Mix picks up everyone’s listening choices, which might make long car journeys a bit more bearable.
If you share with your family, you can configure the app to block explicit music for young users. Check the settings on mobile, desktop or tablet and activate or deactivate the option. And if you share your account with younger users, you can check out Spotify Kids, an ad-free companion app for kids ages 3-12 and up with kid-friendly songs and playlists, songs, and books. audio. Spotify Kids is free, but only if you’ve already subscribed to the Family plan. Simply log in with your main Premium Family account. A child’s profile on the app counts as one of six in your primary account.
- How much does it cost: $ 16 per month
- What you get: Six accounts, skip songs, download songs, shared playlist, access to Spotify Kids app
- Free try: 30 days
Angela Lang / CNET
Spotify’s latest plan, Spotify Duo, allows two Premium accounts to merge for $ 13 per month. It’s a good option for couples, as well as roommates. You still have the option of keeping the premium features: no ads, on-demand play, offline listening, and unlimited song skipping. But you don’t have to pay $ 10 per month each for separate accounts, or upgrade to a full family plan for $ 15 per month.
Users also get a Duo Mix playlist – like the Family Mix on Spotify Family – which automatically generates music based on shared preferences.
- How much does it cost: $ 13 per month
- What you get: Two accounts, skip songs, download songs, share an organized playlist
- Free try: 30 days
Once you’ve picked the right plan for you, you can also find out how connect your Spotify account to your Google Home device, and how use Spotify Connect to bring your music to your home stereo system.
Check this out:
Spotify is still the biggest music streaming service
3:00 p.m.
Even more for audiophiles
Source link
