Spotify is adjusting its pricing, and for many users, this is prompting a look at alternatives. While the latest price increases primarily affect regions outside of North America (specifically South Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Latin America, and the Asia-Pacific region), the possibility of similar changes in the US is on many listeners’ minds. These adjustments put Spotify on par with, or even above, the cost of competing services like Apple Music, leading many to consider canceling their subscriptions. Fortunately, deactivating your Spotify Premium account is a straightforward process.
Understanding Spotify Subscription Costs
Currently, an individual Spotify Premium plan costs $12 per month. A two-person plan is $17, and a family plan is $20. Students can benefit from a discounted rate of $6 per month. However, with recurring price hikes—US listeners experienced an increase in 2024—it’s understandable why users are evaluating their options.
Canceling Your Paid Subscription: A Step-by-Step Guide
Unlike some services, you can’t cancel your Spotify Premium subscription directly within the Spotify app on iOS, Android, MacOS, or Windows. Instead, you’re required to access your account through a web browser on your smartphone, tablet, or computer. Here’s how to proceed:
- Access Your Account: Navigate to spotify.com/account and log in with your Spotify credentials.
- Manage Your Plan: In the Account Overview section, scroll down to “Your plan” and click “Change plan.”
- Cancel Premium: Scroll down to “Available plans” and click “Cancel Premium.”
- Confirm Cancellation: Finally, click “Yes, cancel” to complete the cancellation.
What Happens When You Cancel?
Canceling your Premium subscription won’t delete your Spotify account. Instead, you’re downgraded to the free tier, which still allows you to stream music, albeit with advertisements. Importantly, you’ll retain all of your playlists and saved music.
Subscription Complications
If you’re having trouble finding the plan change option, your subscription might be bundled with a service from another company like your mobile or internet provider, or through Apple. In these cases, you’ll need to contact that third party directly to cancel. For iPhone users, you can check your Apple Subscriptions by going to Settings, tapping your name at the top, and then selecting Subscriptions.
Family Plan Considerations
If you’re part of a Spotify family plan but are not the plan manager, you can leave the plan. However, you cannot cancel the entire subscription yourself. Only the plan owner has that ability.
Ultimately, Spotify’s price adjustments are leading many users to re-evaluate their streaming options. The cancellation process is relatively simple, allowing listeners to easily explore alternatives or temporarily revert to the free tier.
