Spotify is once again raising prices in the US. After avoiding a hike throughout 2025, the music streaming service has kicked off 2026 with a price increase for American subscribers.
This is Spotify’s third price bump in four years. By comparison, Apple Music hasn’t raised its price since 2022.
Another year, another Spotify price hike
All popular streaming services have increased their prices multiple times in the last few years. Spotify is no exception, and it last raised its subscription fee in the US in June 2024. Back then, it bumped the Individual (now replaced by Premium) plan’s pricing by $1 to $11.99.
Now, 18 months later, it is doing the same thing again. In an announcement on January 15, 2026, the company says US subscribers will pay $12.99 per month from their next billing cycle. They will receive an email about the change in the coming days.
The higher fee will immediately apply to new users.
Spotify’s announcement did not provide a clear reason behind the price hike. It only mentions that “occasional updates to pricing” help it in delivering the “best possible experience and benefit artists.”
As of now, it appears Spotify is only raising the subscription fee for the Premium tier. But expect a price hike for the Family and Student plans to follow later this year.
Spotify’s price hikes are starting to feel annual
In 2025, Spotify’s paid tiers did not become more expensive for its US subscribers. But the company raised the subscription fees in other markets globally.
With the last round of price bump, an individual Spotify Premium subscription is now $2 more expensive than Apple Music. The latter’s monthly subscription costs $10.99.
Despite raising prices almost every year, Spotify continues to dominate the market with more than 281 million subscribers. Apple Music is estimated to trail behind with around 100 million users.
Rajesh has been writing about consumer technology for over a decade, with a strong focus on iPhones, Macs and Apple’s ecosystem. He enjoys digging into Apple software updates, hardware changes, and discovering new Mac apps that make work faster and more enjoyable.
