Spotify increases Premium prices by 28% in India: Here's how much you will pay now

Spotify has increased the prices of its Premium subscription plans in India, marking the first revision since the company launched in the country in 2019. The change, which came into effect this week, is part of a broader global price update that affects multiple regions including South Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Latin America, and the Asia-Pacific. The company cites rising operational costs and its continued investment in new features as key reasons for the price adjustment.

New Spotify Premium Prices (per month):

Existing subscribers will be notified of the new pricing via email in the coming weeks.

The price revision comes amid Spotify’s ongoing effort to convert more free-tier users into paying subscribers. In October 2023, the company restricted several features from its free plan in India, including repeat playback and in-app lyrics access, pushing more functionality behind the paywall.

India remains a critical growth market for Spotify. CEO Daniel Ek has previously highlighted the region's potential to contribute significantly to the company’s future revenue. That focus has only sharpened as local competitors like Wynk, Resso, and Gaana have either exited the space or scaled down, leaving Spotify to battle it out with platforms like YouTube Music, Apple Music, Amazon Music, JioSaavn, and Hungama.

Spotify’s global pricing update follows its latest earnings report, which showed a 10% year-over-year rise in revenue, but also an operating loss of €86 million for the quarter. The company attributed this to increasing employee-related expenses and “social charges” tied to its share price.

Meanwhile, the company has yet to launch its long-awaited Hi-Fi streaming tier, which has been anticipated since it was first announced more than two years ago.

As digital content platforms look to monetise better in emerging markets, India appears to be at the centre of Spotify’s strategy, even if that means a heavier price tag for users.