Spotify is poised to raise subscription prices in US in 2026
Following a series of increases across other territories, Spotify plans to raise its prices in the US next year.
Spotify is reportedly preparing to increase the price of its US subscription plans in early 2026, marking the first rise in almost two years. The move would follow a series of global adjustments made throughout 2025 and comes at a time when streaming companies are being pushed to show stronger financial results. According to sources cited by the Financial Times, the decision is driven by a mix of market strategy, industry pressure, and long-term growth planning.
Unlike previous increases that focused on international territories such as the UK, Switzerland, Australia, South Asia and parts of Latin America, this planned change targets Spotify’s largest market. The current price for a US Premium subscription is $11.99 per month. Analysts suggest that if Spotify were to add just $1 to that figure, the company could generate an estimated $500 million in additional annual revenue. Other major platforms, such as Apple Music, currently sit slightly lower in price at $10.99. Spotify has chosen not to comment publicly on the reports.
While price increases might not be popular with listeners, there’s another side to this story. Higher subscription fees could lead to a larger revenue pool, which may improve payouts to songwriters and rights holders over time. David Israelite, President & CEO of the National Music Publishers Association (NMPA), has repeatedly pushed for streaming platforms to raise their prices “to ensure artists, publishers, and rights holders are fairly compensated.” As Digital Music News reports, with mechanical royalty rates set to rise incrementally from 15.1% in 2023 to 15.35% by 2027, that additional income could be meaningful – but only if subscription revenue grows alongside it.
The timing of the increase could also be linked to Spotify’s push into video. Spotify is increasingly investing in video podcasts, a format where YouTube has seen huge engagement – claiming over 1 billion monthly podcast viewers and hosting around 60% of podcast simulcast streams. This shows just how important video content has become in the streaming landscape.
If Spotify can offer more features, it may use that to justify the higher price to subscribers. For artists, this could mean future opportunities to showcase content in new ways, especially if video tools become accessible to wider creators and not just big names.
Spotify is also going through a leadership change. Founder Daniel Ek will step down as CEO and move to executive chair, with Alex Norström and Gustav Söderström taking over next year. On pricing, Norström said: “We will act when the time is right for each specific market, and we’ll do it at the appropriate price based on those market dynamics.”
There’s still some uncertainty in the streaming market. Global revenue growth slowed last year, signalling that the rapid expansion of recent years may be levelling off. Rising platform costs, along with competition from social-based music discovery tools like TikTok, are prompting services to rethink how they price access to music. History shows that when one major market sees a price increase, others often follow, which could affect subscriptions worldwide.
For artists, this news is a reminder that the streaming landscape is always changing. Higher subscription fees could lead to better royalties, but only if platforms pass on that extra value to creators. Keeping track of industry shifts like these can help you plan releases, adjust your strategy, and make sure your music benefits from any future changes in streaming economics.