Spotify and other streaming services keep raising prices

August 2024 · 4 minute read

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Spotify is changing its tune.

On Monday, Spotify announced it would be raising the price on it US plans by $1.

A student plan will now cost $5.99 per month, a single premium plan will star at $10.99 and families can expect to pay $16.99.

The music and podcast streaming app has embarked on a number of drastic cost cutting moves in recent months.

In January, it cut 800 jobs, and it laid off additional 200 people in June.

A pricey $20 million deal with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was axed in June after the couple failed to deliver enough content.

Spotify is just the latest of many streamers to announce price hikes. Have a look.

Streaming giant Spotify boasts over 210 million Premium members and 515 million monthly streamers total. Getty Images for Spotify

Apple Music

Apple announced at the end of 2022 that its premium monthly rate would be raised to $10.99 from $9.99. This coincided with a raise in its Family plan from $14.99 to $16.99.

Amazon Music

It increased prices at the end of 2022. The Individual Plan was raised to $10.99 while its Student plan increased to $5.99/month, representing a hike of $1 for both plans.

YouTube Music & YouTube TV

The Premium Music plan was raised by $1 to $10.99/month a few days ago, with a three-month grace period for members who subscribed at least five years ago.

YouTube TV, which offers subscribers sports and news from 100+ channels, also announced an $8 uptick to $72.99/month.

Netflix

Netflix is home to fan-favorite series “The Witcher,” starring Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia. Netflix

The popular movie and TV streamer recently eliminated its lowest ad-free tier — formerly $9.99/month — in favor of a $15.49/month Standard, ad-free plan.

(Those already on the $9.99 plan will have their rate unchanged, for now.)

New subccribers who want to save some dough can opt for Netflix’s new “Standard with ads” plan. It allows subscribers to watch “all but a few” of the movies and TV shows in the streamer’s library for the price of $6.99/month.

Peacock

Another recent development has seen price hikes for NBCUniversal’s Peacock, home of beloved shows such as “The Office.” Peacock just raised its ad-supported rates from $4.99 to $5.99. The ad-free tier has also become more expensive, going from $9.99 to $11.99/month.

Hulu

“The Bear” is a Hulu hit featuring Jeremy Allen-White as a tough-as-nails chef who returns to Chicago to whip his family’s restaurant into shape. HULU

Hulu’s ad-free plan was raised from $12.99 to $14.99 back in October, at the same time its ad-supported tier was raised from $6.99 to $7.99/month.

Max

Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal earned acclaim for their hit series “The Last of Us,” a Max original. AP

The new fusion of HBO Max and Discovery+, unveiled earlier this year, has raised its ad-free tier from $14.99 to $15.99.

Max’s “ultimate ad-free” tier, at $19.99/month, offers streaming on 4 devices simultaneously, while its ad-supported tier is $9.99/month.

Amazon Prime

Michael Sheen and David Tennant star in Amazon Prime original series “Good Omens,” whose second season premieres July 28.

Amazon Prime Video is bundled with the benefits of Amazon Prime for $14.99/month. This was increased in early February 2022 fro $12.99/month.

Amazon has not announced plans to increase prices again, and offers a solo Prime Video subscription for $8.99/month.

Paramount+

Zoe Saldana stars in the Paramount+ series “Special Ops: Lioness.” Lynsey Addario/Paramount+

Formerly $9.99/month, Paramount+ raised its Premium plan to $11.99 earlier this year, following the integration of Showtime into its platform.

Its ad-supported option was simultaneously increased from $4.99/month to $5.99.

Apple TV+

Apple TV+ is one of the most inexpensive streamers out there, perhaps owing to its smaller library of offerings, which are all Apple originals.

The streamer raised its rate from $4.99 to $6.99 in late 2022 and has remained the same since, with no known plans to join fellow streamers in 2023 price hikes.

Starz

Like many other streamers, Starz is raising its subscription fee by $1, from $8.99 to $9.99/month. This is the first time that the platform has raised prices since its inauguration in 2016.

The platform is also offering a promotion wherein subscribers can get 3 months for $4.99/month, before being charged the typical $9.99.

Disney+

Cobie Smulders and Samuel L. Jackson play the leads in Marvel Studios’ “Secret Invasion,” streaming exclusively on Disney+. Des Willie

Disney+ currently offers an ad-free tier of $10.99 (up from $7.99 last year) and an ad-supported option at $7.99/month.

Disney+ also offers multiple “Disney Bundle” plans, including: Duo Basic, which offers Hulu and Disney+ with ads for $9.99/month; Trio Basic, which offers Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+ with ads for $12.99; and Trio Premium, which offers Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+ without ads for $19.99.

While no concrete price hikes have been announced, Disney CEO Bob Iger has intimated that subscribers can expect to see an increase in price later this year.

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