Spotify has seen a rise in Premium subscriptions after the music streaming service started cracking down on family plan subscribers who aren’t really family.
New data reveals 38 percent of Spotify users in the U.S. now pay for the Premium service — up from 36 percent last quarter. Apple Music remains the only platform that has presented Spotify with real competition, but it still has a lot of catching up to do.
Apple and Spotify together account for more than 80 percent of all music streaming subscriptions in the U.S., with 51 million paying users between them, according to a recent report. They’ve left Amazon and Google to fall behind, and they show no signs of slowing down.
In fact, Spotify is still seeing impressive growth — despite a controversial tactic against family plan subscribers.
Spotify sees rise in Premium subscriptions
Data from CIRP indicates that 38 percent of Spotify users now pay for a Premium subscription, which is typically priced at $9.99 a month without student discount. There has been an increase in individual subscriptions, in particular.
CIRP says that its data suggests Spotify’s recent move to verify family plan subscribers are really family has been successful in pushing some toward an individual plan.
Spotify started issuing emails to family plan subscribers last month, asking them to prove they are a family member by providing an address. Those who failed to comply were warned that they could lose access to their plan — and the Premium benefits that come with it.
The move sparked some criticism as fans defended families who don’t live under the same roof, and many believed Spotify would lose subscribers as a result. But it seems the move has actually had the opposite effect.
