Spotify Is Testing a Super Cheap $0.99 Subscription, But It Comes With Ads

In an effort to increasing its choices and doubtlessly give prospects extra versatile pricing, Spotify has begun testing out a brand new super-cheap subscription that begins at simply $0.99 a month.

Positioned simply above the essential free tier, Spotify Plus represents a big price saving over Spotify’s present $10-a-month Premium plan and contains perks like no observe or skip limits and the liberty to take heed to particular songs at will as an alternative of being restricted to playlists. However, the draw back is that in change for that tremendous inexpensive pricing, you’ll should take heed to adverts.

While Spotify Plus is just not but extensively accessible, Spotify has begun testing its new subscription within the wild as noticed by a reader who despatched screenshots of the new trial offers to the Verge. After the brand new Spotify Plus plan was found, Spotify later confirmed that the corporate was testing out new performs in a press release saying “We’re always working to enhance the Spotify experience and we routinely conduct tests to inform our decisions. We’re currently conducting a test of an ad-supported subscription plan with a limited number of our users.”

However, a Spotify spokesperson was fast to level out that at the moment the tremendous low-cost Spotify Plus plans are nonetheless within the testing section, so there’s an opportunity Spotify Plus is perhaps tweaked or probably even canceled earlier than getting an official launch. “Some tests end up paving the way for new offerings or enhancements while others may only provide learnings. We don’t have any additional information to share at this time.”

With Spotify dealing with continued strain from rival streaming music companies (most notably Apple Music), its new take a look at suggests the corporate is in search of a option to broaden its userbase whereas additionally producing elevated advert income—an revenue stream that’s additionally bolstered by its aggressive push into podcasting.

During its most recent earnings report in June, Spotify claimed the full variety of lively Spotify subscribers reached 158 million, representing a 21% enhance year-over-year. Unfortunately, Apple hasn’t been fairly as forthcoming on the subject of offering subscriber numbers for Apple Music, as Apple hasn’t launched an official subscriber depend since June 2019. However, based mostly on estimates from MIDiA Research, after getting off to a powerful begin again in 2015, it appears the rise in Apple Music subscribers has begun to degree out, with Apple estimated to have 72 million subs as of March 2020.

That stated, regardless of having introduced its personal HiFi tier earlier this 12 months, Spotify nonetheless hasn’t formally launched its high-quality audio streaming tier, in contrast to Apple, which launched assist for Spatial Audio and lossless streaming again in June (or July for Android customers).