Spotify Free vs. Premium: Is it worth buying?

The difference in content between Spotify's free and premium platforms once again raises the question of whether the premium price is really worth it for the extras offered or whether the free version is better simply because it is free.

In addition, other streaming platforms such as Apple Music have updated their services. The decision between Spotify and another streaming service, or even between Spotify Free and Spotify Premium, is proving to be a heated one.

Listen offline

An important difference between Spotify Premium and Spotify Free is the ability to download music to a device and listen to it anytime, anywhere, even without a Wi-Fi or data connection, which is only available to Premium users. Spotify Free users can only play and listen to music over a Wi-Fi or data connection as long as they are connected.

Announcements

Probably the biggest difference between Spotify Free and Premium, apart from the price, is the complete ad blocking on Premium. Both the visual ads that appear when scrolling through the app and the short video clips that play between songs are completely blocked. Spotify Free has no ad blockers. Since Spotify can only be used online, an ad-free experience is not possible in Spotify Free.

Library and availability

Both the free and premium versions of Spotify offer full access to the catalogue of over 70 million songs and podcast tracks. There are no songs or albums exclusive to the premium version.
However, Spotify has made it possible for artists to restrict access to a release for a period of 2 weeks, so that it is only available to Premium users. For those who want to hear the latest releases as soon as they come out, this can be a problem. The restriction is optional, so only a few artists use it.
Both Spotify Premium and Free are available on smartphones, PCs, connected devices, smart TVs, PS4 and PS5, Xbox Series, Apple Carplay and Android Auto. All these devices are compatible with both versions. But only te premium plan has access to Spotify's in-car voice-controlled connectivity device, called Car Thing.

Special features

Spotify Premium users have access to some unique features not available to users of the free version.
The playback control in the free version is limited to random playback of albums. There is no option to select a specific song from the beginning, only a random order of selection.
In the free version, only 6 tracks per hour can be skipped. Only on Spotify curated playlists, which are identified by the absence of a shuffle icon, can users skip tracks without restrictions. Premium users can skip unlimited tracks.
Spotify HiFi is also expected, and although there is no information yet on pricing, release or availability of lossless tracks, Spotify is expected to follow the trend of integrating the feature into Premium.

Social functions

Spotify is the market leader in social networking between friends and between social platforms. Regarding this, there is really no difference between free and premium.
Creating shareable links, posting songs to Twitter and Instagram, connecting with other music apps like Shazam and collaborating with other users on playlists are features available to both free and premium Spotify users.
Both versions also offer several Daily Mix collections that combine recently played tracks and similar tracks not yet heard that might also appeal. The Discover Weekly feature focuses on new songs and artists in the most popular genres.
The Duo and Family packages offered in the Premium version have an additional feature called Duo Mix and Family Mix that recommends songs based on the music listened to by each account.

Sound quality

Through headphones, a Bluetooth speaker or even the car radio, Spotify Premium has the advantage of higher audio quality. You can stream at 320kbps, compared to 160kbps in the free version of the mobile app. In the desktop app, the bit rate drops to 128kbps.
The audio quality argument will probably be revisited when Spotify HiFi is launched, but for now, premium users have a clear advantage in audio quality.
In conclusion, the decision between Spotify Free and Premium really depends on what you are willing to give up. After all, both Free and Premium have full access to over 70 million songs and podcasts, social connectivity and accessibility via social platforms, and the full range of dedicated discovery features that Spotify has developed.
However, the premium plan has better sound quality, is completely ad-free and offers some special unlimited features that are limited in the free version.
In addition, Spotify Premium can be purchased in some very affordable packages that significantly reduce the price difference to the cost-free version. Free trials, for example a month completely free of charge, are included in some of these offers.
The fact that Spotify Free is completely free remains its biggest advantage. When Spotify HiFi becomes a premium package, the price of the latter is likely to rise.
If, on the other hand, Spotify HiFi is introduced as a separate and more expensive third tier, Premium would be an attractively priced middle ground.

Price

The free Spotify is good, you just have to sign up and then you can access the music and podcasts in your Spotify library, but the premium version of the platform offers even more benefits. Licendi offers an annual package around €99, which brings the monthly price down to €8.25 - a very attractive price. It's also worth noting that Spotify Free is completely free, although of course it doesn't have the same benefits as the Premium version.
A summary of the similarities and differences between Spotify Free and Premium would help to get an idea of what the €9.99 per month for Spotify Premium is worth. For artists, it is important to understand how the platform will develop and whether it is worth investing resources in promoting music on Spotify.

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