It appears that practically every streaming app is putting more and more functionality behind paywalls. Following in the footsteps of Netflix, Spotify is now removing another popular free feature: lyrics.
A Premium Option
This isn’t a new shift; Spotify tested lyrics as a premium option in September 2023, but the test has now been expanded to include more customers worldwide.
This means that more users are now unable to use the lyrics feature on the free tier, and it is only a matter of time before this becomes an issue for others.
The story comes from multiple social media posts on Reddit and other platforms, complaining about how lyrics are now behind a paywall.
Spotify usually acquires lyrics directly from songwriters, publishers, and independent artists. In most other cases, the company works with MusixMatch to supply lyrics.
It’s probable that Spotify is hesitant to shoulder the costs involved with this relationship, which is why lyrics have been hidden behind a paywall. This adjustment makes the service less appealing to free-tier customers.
This means that Spotify Freemium is now a radio app that continuously plays songs on shuffle and can only be skipped six times per hour.
This instantly makes YouTube Music’s free tier a better option than free Spotify because users may skip songs as many times as they like, read song lyrics, skip commercials, and are not required to shuffle their songs like Spotify.
To read our blog on “Spotify allows you to create AI playlists with few words,” click here