Spotify Brings Back Lyrics for Free Users
Credit: 9to5Mac
Toggle Dark Mode
While there are many compelling reasons for Apple fans to choose Apple Music over Spotify, from better ecosystem support to fairer compensation for artists, Spotify has one advantage that’s almost impossible to argue with: you can listen without paying for a subscription.
While we hate to say “never” in today’s business economy, especially with Apple seemingly exploring ad-supported Apple TV+ plans, there’s ample evidence it has no interest in a free tier for Apple Music. That makes Spotify a good alternative for folks who want a free on-demand listening experience.
Unfortunately, with free services, you get what you pay for, and Spotify has shown it won’t hesitate to remove features from its zero-cost tier to encourage people to pay for Spotify Premium. That’s what happened earlier this year when the streaming service locked its lyrics behind a paywall, denying free listeners the ability to read or sing along with their favorite tunes.
What began as a test last fall became the norm in May, restricting Spotify free users to viewing the lyrics for only three songs per month. After that, users were told that they’d need to “Enjoy lyrics on Spotify Premium.”
The move added insult to injury in light of Spotify’s recent price hike and the other limitations it already enforces for free users, such as six track skips per hour and forced shuffle. These limitations don’t exist on YouTube Music, which also provides lyrics and the ability to skip ads after the first five seconds of each.
Thankfully, it appears Spotify has seen the error of its ways and decided that these limitations were perhaps too draconian in light of the competition. As Engadget reported yesterday, Spotify is removing the restriction and bringing back full lyrics support for free users.
At Spotify, we’re always testing and iterating. This means availability of our features can vary across tiers and between markets and devices. Over the coming weeks, we’ll be expanding Lyrics availability for Spotify Free users so more people can enjoy viewing more lyrics, globally.Spotify spokesperson
A Spotify representative speaking with Engadget implied that the restriction may have been an expanded test, but it’s also likely that the intense backlash from free subscribers caused it to rethink its strategy, which would have been even more unpopular as Spotify Premium increased to $12 per month (unless you opt out of audiobook listening), despite still lacking higher-quality audio three years after Apple Music went lossless.
While Engadget initially said there was “no cap” on viewing lyrics for free users, the folks at 9to5Google confirmed with Spotify that there’s still a monthly limit. However, the company declined to say what that is, other than that it’s “higher than anyone would ever reach, and higher than any single user has ever neared.”
As TechCrunch notes, Spotify reported 626 million monthly active users in the second quarter of 2024, with 246 million of those being premium subscribers. The streamer hasn’t said whether the paywalling of lyrics increased signups for Spotify Premium, but it may just as easily encouraged defections to other services like YouTube Music. During that earnings call, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek also promised that “Further additional improvements will be integrated into our free experience in the coming months,” so the return of free lyrics may be the start of more things to come.
