Spotify to increase Premium, Duo and Family subscription prices by £12 a year - here's what's happening

Below we round-up everything you need to know, including ways to save on music streaming. For further cost-cutting tips and info on how Spotify works, see our Free and cheap music guide. You can also keep an eye on our Spotify deals page for discounts and offers. 

Spotify is increasing the price of three of its plans

Spotify is upping prices across three of its packages. This will impact both new and existing subscribers. Spotify says it will email existing users giving them one-month's notice of the change – so you'll get at least one more month at your existing price before being charged the new amount. Most users will see the change from their September billing date, though this could be late August for some. 

The streaming service adds that it's upping prices in order to "keep innovating" and to "continue to deliver value to fans and artists on our platform".

Here's a rundown of how much Spotify's packages cost:

This increase is the first time Spotify has upped Premium prices since the service launched in 2008. It currently has 200 million-plus Premium subscribers worldwide. Spotify wouldn't tell us how many UK users it has. 

Spotify last upped the price of its Duo, Student and Family plans in 2021; Duo and Student prices rose by £1 a month, while the Family plan increased by £2 a month.  

How to cut costs if you want to stick with Spotify

If you're unhappy about Spotify prices rising but still want access to the music streaming service, there are a number of options to consider to cut costs: 

• Downgrade your Spotify package. If you're on the Family subscription for six people, yet only two of you use the service, you can save £3 a month (both now and once the price hikes have taken force) by switching to Duo. Equally, if your Duo account is only used by one person, you can switch to an Individual account to save £4 a month (both now and after the hikes).

• Consider the free version of Spotify. Spotify has confirmed that it will continue to offer free access to those who don't mind ads and limited control over what they listen to. Just be aware that this service is very limited; most songs, for example, will be played on shuffle, and you'll have to listen to adverts. 

How to cut music streaming costs if you're happy to leave Spotify

If you're unhappy about the changes and want to leave Spotify, you have a few options: 

• Cancel Spotify. As Spotify is offered on a one-month rolling contract, you can simply cancel your subscription penalty-free at any point. You'll continue to get the service until your next billing date - then your account will be switched to a limited, free one. You just need to complete the following steps, so long as you signed up directly via Spotify: 

  - Log in to your Spotify account.

  - Under 'Your plan', click 'Change plan'.

  - Scroll to 'Spotify Free' and click 'Cancel Premium'.

  Contact your service provider if you signed up to Spotify via your mobile or broadband provider, or follow Apple's steps to cancel if you pay via iTunes. 

• On Spotify Premium? Amazon Music Unlimited is cheaper if you also pay for Amazon Prime. Amazon Music Unlimited is the online giant's music streaming service, which normally costs £10.99 a month. However, if you already subscribe to Amazon Prime, you can get Music Unlimited on top for £8.99 a month – a monthly saving of £2 compared to Spotify Premium.

• On Spotify's family plan? Apple Music and Amazon Music Unlimited are cheaper. Apple and Amazon currently charge £16.99 a month for their respective music streaming family plans – a saving of £1 a month compared to Spotify. And they both support six listeners, just like Spotify.

• Alternatively, use free trials from Apple, Amazon and others. While Spotify is one of the best-known, there are a wide range of other music streaming services to consider. Both Amazon Music Unlimited and Apple Music (as well as Spotify) offer free trials to new users, in some cases of up to three months. Just remember to cancel any trials before they end if you don't want to actually pay for the service.