“Explore new ways to tune into your music with Spotify Premium…tap the banner to learn more,” — you’ve heard this overly cheery voice randomly interrupt your ears practically every five seconds during your midnight study cram-sessions. You have probably found the infuriating yet simple words tempt you nearly enough to surrender and finally join the premium members club.
For years, countless complaints from Spotify free listeners have surfaced out of frustration, protesting against the constant ad interruptions that promote premium perks, making the free experience unenjoyable. The ads’ constant reminders of missing out on endless skips, having the AI DJ and having the power to pick what to listen to next (so your sad-song mood isn’t abruptly interrupted by “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter) has been widely disliked.
Recently, Spotify has reconsidered the free experience for listeners and made the barrier separating premium perks and no-cost streaming perks less extreme. On Sept. 15, Spotify announced that non-premium members are now in control of choosing their next song, finding tracks to listen to instantly and now have the ability to click on links to songs shared by artists or friends through social media.
“We’re rolling out updates globally, making it easier (and more fun) than ever to listen, connect, and share music for free,” Spotify For the Record’s website said. “[…] Our goal is to help you get the most out of your music. We’re continuing to invest in making Spotify the best place for fans and creators to meet—no matter how they listen.”
However, free members still have certain disadvantages, including continuing to receive ads in between tracks and not having access to the AI DJ, an artificial intelligence system that creates personalized playlists and commentary catered to the listener’s music taste.
Some students, like Olivia Trimuschat ’29, reflected as a former free member and expressed her support for listeners that are now receiving certain perks she already pays monthly for.
“When I didn’t have Spotify premium it was really annoying because I couldn’t choose any of my music and there were a bunch of ads. I think it’s [the new updates] nice for them [free members], but with premium I get a lot more advantages,” Trimuschat said.
Another student who uses premium believes that the new additional perks for free users would make their Spotify experience more enjoyable and fun.
“I have a family plan for Spotify premium so I personally don’t have to pay for it. But the fact that people don’t have to pay for it [some of the new benefits] anymore sounds like a great idea to me,” Chloe De Buck ’28 said. “I don’t mind it at all.”
