Whenever I hear the term “Spotify” I immediately think of a popular, free music streaming service. However, this service is not just free. It comes in various flavors, such as premium, student, and family. If you’re interested in finding out more about this service, keep reading.
Free
Getting a free Spotify Premium account can be difficult. You may be asked to download a Spotify app or provide your credit card information. If you aren’t willing to provide these details, you may be left out in the cold.
However, there are ways to bypass this. You can use cash back apps or discount gift cards to get a free Spotify membership. You can also sign up using a different email address. You may also find a free Spotify subscription code in a phishing email.
There is also a free Spotify Premium account available to AT&T Unlimited & More Premium subscribers. They get a free account, but only for the first three months. If you don’t plan on paying for the subscription, you should cancel before the trial period ends.
It’s not uncommon for Spotify to run promotions throughout the year. These promotions are meant to compete with Apple Music, which also offers a free Premium subscription. The premium version offers more features, such as better streaming quality, unlimited skips, and the ability to download tracks for offline listening.
In addition, Spotify has a free version for desktop. This allows you to listen to unlimited songs. However, it is ad-supported, so you’ll hear an advertisement every few songs. It’s also limited in other ways, such as the amount of skips you’re allowed.
Spotify’s ad-supported free version is not the best option. You may not get as many skips as you would with the Premium version, and you may experience excessive data and battery usage. Plus, you can’t listen to music offline.
However, the free version does have the most impressive feature, which is the ability to listen to playlists on demand. This feature isn’t available to all Spotify users, but it’s worth a look.
Premium
Among other things, Spotify’s 99 cents Premium plan includes offline listening, ad-free listening, and higher bitrate playback. All three features are not available on the free tier.
Spotify’s 99 cents Premium plan comes in two flavors. The first, the Premium, is a full featured service that is available only to new users. The second is the Student version, which allows students to get a taste of what Premium has to offer for free.
If you are considering signing up for the Premium plan, you’ll need to provide your credit card and personal information. You can also opt for a PayPal payment method. The service doesn’t offer an E-card option, however.
While the new Premium tier is free, you’ll have to pay if you want to skip songs or download music to your phone. The service also has a lot of other cool features, such as ad-free listening and the ability to play specific songs directly. The Premium also comes with Hulu and Showtime.
The best part is that you can cancel your Premium subscription at any time. Spotify will let you know before terminating your account. If you’re not sure what to expect from the service, you may want to start out with the Premium and work your way up. Alternatively, you can sign up with a different email address and test the waters with the Premium.
The three month trial of the Premium tier is a great way to test the waters. The service is currently offering a three month Premium plan for just 99 cents. The deal is only available until June 30, but there’s a chance that this may become permanent.
Compared to its competitors, Spotify’s 99 cent Premium tier is the only one offering the following features.
Student
Those looking for a student discount on Spotify may want to consider the Premium Student Plan. This plan is offered by Spotify for $4.99 per month, which is half of the usual Premium subscription fee. It includes access to Hulu in the United States, SHOWTIME, and on-demand music playback. It is available for four years.
To sign up for this plan, you will need to verify your student status. This is done through a third-party identity verification service called SheerID. It’s the same service that’s used by Amazon, Nike, and other companies.
You will also need a student ID and your current class schedule. You can get these two items by going to your school’s website and logging into their Wi-Fi network.
Spotify will then query SheerID to verify your student status. Once you’re verified, you will have access to the Premium Student plan.
It’s important to note that the student discount is only available to students who are enrolled in an accredited higher education institution. You must also be enrolled in college for a minimum of two years. Students who leave school before their two years are up lose their student discount.
The Premium Student plan will also give you access to Hulu in the United States, as well as SHOWTIME. The SHOWTIME library includes movies, television shows, music, and sports programming. You’ll also have commercial-free access to all of SHOWTIME’s shows. You’ll also have access to the East and West Coast feeds of SHOWTIME.
The Premium Student plan also allows you to listen to your music in Very High quality, equated to 320 kbps. This makes the music sound better. You can also download songs from your library and listen to them offline.
Family
Unlike other family music subscription services, Spotify’s Family Plan allows multiple users to operate separate accounts. You can also share playlists, playlist recommendations, and listen to music offline. It is a good option for families and friend groups.
While you’re there, you can also turn on explicit music blocking for kids. This is especially useful if you have a teenager or young teen in your home.
Spotify recently introduced a shared family music playlist. They’re calling it the “Family Mix” and it’s a constantly updated playlist of your favorite songs.
They’re also the first service to offer the feature. Unlike Apple’s One, Spotify will not require you to enter your home address.
However, Spotify will still require you to enter your location periodically. If they find that you’re living in a geographic area that’s not covered by the family plan, they’ll cancel your account.
Spotify’s Family Plan also has a few other features that are worth noting, including a personalized playlist of recommended songs for you and your family, ad-free listening, and the ability to save songs to your library.
In addition, you can also get a free 30-day trial of the Premium version. This is a good way to try out the service before committing to a monthly subscription.
The company also rolled out a new Family Plan in August. This feature will let you add up to six users. In order to do so, you’ll need to sign up for an account, and you’ll need to verify your address. It’s easy, and you can even do it with your Facebook credentials. You may also receive an email or text message with an invitation to join.
Alternatives
Whether you’re looking for a music streaming service or a free one, there are plenty of Spotify alternatives to choose from. Some of them offer free service, while others are paid. Some are available on Android and iOS. Others are open source. Some of them offer ad-free service and others offer audiophile experiences.
One of the best music streaming services out there is Spotify, which has over 165 million users. It offers a free tier that allows users to listen to songs, but they cannot download them. There is also a Premium version that costs $9.99 per month. The Premium version includes ad-free service, the ability to skip tracks, and offline access. It also offers access to a larger music library.
Another music streaming service that is growing is Pandora. Pandora has over 80 million active users. They boast a library of over 40 million songs. They use intelligence based on user selection to create a personalized music experience. They also focus on traits to predict a song’s likability. They are able to detect a song’s popularity through the title and rating.
Another popular streaming service is Amazon Music. Amazon Prime members have access to thousands of stations and millions of songs. It’s also a great way to get free ad-supported playlists. It’s compatible with Alexa voice assistant.
Another alternative to Spotify is Tidal. Tidal is a subscription service that offers over 250,000 music videos. It also gives users access to over 250,000 full-length documentaries.
Another free music streaming service is SoundCloud. It allows users to create playlists, subscribe to songs, and follow other users. SoundCloud also lets users receive notifications when a song is liked.