Spotify Premium Price Increase 2026: Subscriptions Climb to $12.99

Spotify's testing your loyalty once again. The world's largest music streaming platform is raising its prices in the U.S., Estonia, and Latvia. This move comes just weeks after a major leadership shakeup, signaling a sharp pivot toward aggressive monetization under a new executive guard.

The Timeline of Spotify Premium Price Increase 2026

According to CNBC, Spotify will hike the monthly cost of its Premium tier from $11.99 to $12.99 starting with the February 2026 billing cycle. This marks a surprisingly quick follow-up to the $1 increase implemented in June 2025. In less than three years, the entry price for ad-free listening has jumped by nearly 20%.

New Leadership, New Priorities

The price hike arrives as Daniel Ek steps down, handing the reins to co-CEOs Gustav Söderström and Alex Norström. While the company reported healthy earnings in November 2025, its forward-looking guidance for Q4 missed analyst targets. By squeezing more revenue from its existing Premium base, the platform aims to offset cooling subscriber growth.

However, it's not just about the numbers. The platform is facing a cultural backlash. Artists like Massive Attack and King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard have pulled their music in protest of Ek’s personal investment in the defense tech firm Helsing. This friction between corporate expansion into AI/Defense and the creative community continues to haunt the brand.