Spotify said on Monday it would increase the monthly price of its premium individual subscription in select markets from September, as the Swedish streaming giant looks to improve margins.
The subscription price will rise to €11.99 (R250) per month from €10.99 in markets including South Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Asia-Pacific region.
A local spokeswoman could not immediately be reached on her mobile phone for comment on how the price increases impact South Africa, where the service is priced in rands.
However, according to Spotify’s website, Spotify Premium now costs R69.99/month — R5 above its previous increase (to R64.99/month), which it announced in October 2023.
The new R69.99/month price puts Spotify’s pricing on par with other streaming music services available locally, including Apple Music (R69.99) and YouTube Music (R64.99).
The Spotify website suggests that the price of a Premium Family account in South Africa is also rising, from R99.99/month to R119.99/month, while the discounted Premium Student plan (aimed at students) is rising by R34.99/month to R37.99/month.
Shares rise
Over the next month, subscribers will receive an e-mail explaining the price increases, the company said.
Shares of Spotify rose about 5% in pre-market trading. They have risen about 40% so far this year.
Read: Spotify says it paid South African artists R400-million last year
Last month, the company forecast its quarterly profit below analysts’ estimates, as higher taxes related to employee salaries outweighed music streaming demand. — Jaspreet Singh, (c) 2025 Reuters with additional reporting (c) 2025 NewsCentral Media
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