Survey indicates growing interest in Spotify’s higher-priced tier

Despite a decline in Spotify’s stock over the weekend, analyst Justin Patterson reportedly stated that comments from both the company and major record labels suggested the introduction of a higher-priced subscription tier was imminent. He said the rise in interest coincided with the expansion of the survey question to include priority ticket access as part of the potential offering.

“While Spotify has not officially announced a higher-priced tier, comments from the company and labels suggest one is on the way,” Patterson said. “The quarter-to-quarter uptick [in interest] coincides with this question expanding to highlight priority ticket access as part of the tier. With Spotify already having agreements with two major labels [UMG and Warner], we suspect this tier could launch in second-half 2025.”

According to the survey, 31% of respondents indicated that they used Spotify, compared with 22% for Pandora, 18% for Apple Music, and 17% for Amazon Music. While 37% of respondents reported listening to YouTube Music, KeyBanc attributed the higher figure to potential confusion between YouTube’s video platform and its music service.

Among Spotify users, 48% were found to use the platform’s free, ad-supported tier, while 47% subscribed to a paid service. The remaining 5% were reportedly uncertain about which tier they used.

Respondents were also asked whether they would be willing to pay an additional $5–6 per month for a “super fan” subscription, which would include enhanced audio quality, early access to new releases, AI-generated playlists, artist Q&A sessions, and priority access to concert tickets. Approximately 45% expressed interest in such a service, while 32% stated they were not interested. The remainder remained undecided.

The survey, which included responses from 2,045 US participants, also indicated growing interest in Spotify’s audiobook offerings, with 29% of respondents expressing interest, up from 25% in the previous quarter.

“We continue to view Spotify as being well positioned to achieve at least 15% annual revenue growth over the medium term, with potential to reach 20 growth if new initiatives and advertising ramp,” Patterson said.

Patterson said Spotify remained well-positioned to achieve at least 15% annual revenue growth in the medium term, with the potential to reach 20% if new initiatives and advertising efforts gained traction.

In the US, Spotify’s ad-free subscription is currently priced at $11.99 per month for an individual plan, $16.99 for a two-person plan, and $19.99 for a family plan. A student plan is also available for $5.99 per month.

Meanwhile, in South Africa, Spotify Premium costs vary depending on the plan. Premium Individual is R64.99 (about $3.54) per month, Premium Duo is R84.99 per month, Premium Family is R99.99 per month, and Premium Student is R34.99 per month. In Nigeria, Spotify Premium costs N1 300 (about $0.84) per month for the Individual plan, N1 700 for Duo, N2 000 for Family, and N650 for Student. In Kenya, Spotify offers various Premium plans: Individual (KES 299 [about $2.31]/month), Student (KES 149/month), and Duo (KES 389/month).