“The wait is finally over,” says Spotify chairman Gustav Gyllenhammar. A sentence that sounds like something out of a PR handbook and at the same time conveys an unusual openness: Yes, it was actually a long wait. Lossless was supposed to expand the range in 2021, but the function only became a reality in September. As soon as the increase in subscription fees was implemented, this sound upgrade followed. Coincidence? Quite possible. Calculus? Not excluded. What seems certain, however, is that this is apparently still not enough for the streaming service – and especially its investors.

Spotify: How high can the price go?

Users have been adding up to four euros a month since August. Some responded quickly, canceling their subscriptions and migrating to alternative services. But Spotify headquarters now seems to have realized that the exodus remained manageable and that many subscribers willingly accepted the new prices. So there is room for improvement. At the same time, the pressure from the major record labels is increasing. For months they have been warning that Spotify, Apple Music and the rest of the streaming industry should raise their prices. Their argument: Everything is getting more expensive, except music. And a subscription is a bargain compared to Netflix & Co. anyway.

→ The Spotify alternative without a subscription: nostalgia to take with you

A single subscription currently costs 12.99 euros in Germany. At the start it was 9.99 euros – a lifetime ago. The discussion about further increases is no coincidence: the boom in the music industry that has lasted over a decade has noticeably lost momentum. Last year, global sales growth halved. At the recent earnings call, co-CEO designate Alex Norström put it matter-of-factly: “We will act when the timing is right for each individual market and we will set the appropriate price based on the respective market dynamics.” Translated, this means: When Spotify will become more expensive again – and by how much – remains to be seen. The only thing that is certain is that the end of the price spiral is far from being in sight.

Free alternatives? Yes, they have been around for a long time

Streaming services like Spotify have fundamentally changed the way we consume music. Where you used to pay ten euros or more for a single album, today you get access to almost the entire history of music for the price of a CD – anytime, anywhere. And yet, even 13 euros a month suddenly seems relevant to many people in times of high inflation. There are also savings on streaming. They have been around for a long time, the free alternatives to Spotify and its competitors – and even without any advertising.