how does it work and is it worth it?

Spotify is the largest music service for paid subscribers in the world, but the app also comes with a free variant: Spotify Free. You can listen to unlimited music and create your own playlists. We explain how it works.

Spotify Free

When we talk about Spotify, most people automatically think of a music streaming service with a subscription. However, you can do a lot with a free account. For example, you get access to the same music offering that consists of millions of songs, and you can simply play it on your phone, smart speaker or in the car.

New users start with Spotify Premium, the paid variant that you can try for free for three months before functions are purchased. A classic trick, because the music service naturally hopes that you get used to Premium during that period and just start paying. But is that what you should do? Well, you can decide that for yourself after reading this article.

Your own radio station

You can best regard Spotify Free as your own personalized radio station in which you choose what is played with playlists. Like a radio station, but without the talk shows and news moments.

In Spotify Free you create your own playlists and listen to the playlists of others. For free users, the music service only limits the way you can skip songs, because that can only be done six times per hour. Playlists are played with the shuffle function, so with all songs mixed up, but there are a select number of playlists in which you can choose which specific songs you play. Be aware that you will occasionally hear advertisements between songs. It is also not possible to store music offline on your phone for on the go, because that is only possible with premium.

Lesser quality

So far the limitations of user experience and convenience, now on to sound quality. Not everyone will lose sleep over it, but Free users will hear songs with a lower streaming quality. This is up to 160 kbps compared to the 320 kbps, or CD quality, for Premium subscribers.

Still, you could say that those who really want the highest quality should look at another alternative than Spotify. Several competitors offer lossless music, that is music without compression, or with such a method of compression that preserves the original quality. Apple Music has recently started doing it on Android and Tidal has been offering it for some time. You do need the right audio equipment to hear the difference between lossless and 320 kbps.

How much does Spotify Premium cost?

Now that we’ve listed the limitations of Spotify Free, look at them relative to the monthly price you pay for Premium. With Premium you can play unlimited music without shuffle or skip restrictions, there is offline download, CD quality and you can listen to music without ads.

Is the cost of a subscription worth it? These are the four variants of Spotify Premium:

• Individual – 1 account for 9.99 euros per month
• Duo – 2 accounts for 12.99 euros per month
• family – up to 6 accounts for 15.99 euros per month. Only for families
• Student – 1 account for 4.99 euros per month. Only for eligible university students

What do you think, are you going to get started with the free version or can’t you do without Spotify premium? Perhaps there is another music service that you prefer? Let us know in the comments at the bottom of this article.

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