Why can’t we have nice things.
Spotify have announced that one of its best features, Lyrics, may be going behind a paywall.
The lyrics feature became available to free and premium users of the app back in November 2021, with the company saying it was one of the “most requested features from listeners across the globe.”
The feature shows up on most songs and allows users access to the lyrics as they’re sung.
According to Billboard, the music streamer confirmed that they will be hiding the feature from users in some areas who are not subscribed, as a test.
In a statement to the publication, the Swedish company said:
“At Spotify, we routinely conduct a number of tests, some of those tests end up paving the way for our broader user experience and others serve only as an important learning.
“In keeping with our standard practices, we’re currently testing this with a limited number of users in a pair of markets. We don’t have any further news to share at this time.”
Spotify confirms to Billboard that they are testing a paywall on song lyrics, in an effort to turn free users into premium subscribers. pic.twitter.com/E7CWFMXcH8
— Pop Base (@PopBase) September 6, 2023
Spotify lyrics feature test latest in series of changes
The testing of putting lyrics behind a paywall to encourage people to sign up to premium subscriptions is the latest in many tweaks the company has made recently.
Earlier this year, Spotify AI DJ was launched in Ireland with the feature turning their app into a personalised radio station, which works surprisingly well.
Just last month, it was announced that monthly subscriptions in Ireland were increasing, citing the AI DJ, Blend and the introduction of podcasts and audiobooks to the service as a reason for the price hike.
“The market landscape has continued to evolve since we launched,” a spokesperson said at the time. “So that we can keep innovating, we are changing our Premium prices across a number of markets around the world. These updates will help us continue to deliver value to fans and artists on our platform.”
Premium for individuals rose from €9.99 to €10.99, Duo from €12.49 to €14.99 and family subscriptions went from €15.99 to €17.99.
Students also faced a hike, going from €4.99 to €5.99
It now looks like, with this latest test, that Spotify will continue to stick certain features behind a paywall, which could spell bad news going forward for free subscription users.
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