Spotify is overhauling its paid subscription lineup in five markets — India, Indonesia, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa — by introducing three new plans: Premium Lite, Premium Standard, and Premium Platinum.
Before this shift, countries like India had access to Premium Standard, Duo for two people, and the Family plan for up to six users. These plans included ad-free playback, downloads, and higher audio quality. The new structure retains these features but organises them differently, depending on the tier.
New Pricing and Features
- Premium Lite (₹139 per month, about $1.57): ad-free listening with audio capped at 160 kbps.
- Premium Standard (₹199 per month, about $2.25): offline downloads and 320 kbps audio.
- Premium Platinum (₹299 per month, about $3.37): access to Spotify’s new Lossless tier and support for two additional account seats.
Platinum subscribers also get Spotify’s AI DJ, which offers spoken commentary and takes music requests, along with the platform’s AI playlist creator. The plan includes integration with DJ software like rekordbox, Serato, and djay, a partnership Spotify first announced in September.
Many of these features have already been available in North America and Europe, but this is the first time they are appearing in several of the newly added markets.
Reports over the years have suggested Spotify was preparing a “super premium” tier centred around lossless audio. Currently, the Platinum plan is available in a limited number of regions, although it may expand to include more countries in the future. Currently, Premium users in over 50 markets can already stream FLAC at 24-bit / 44.1 kHz.
Impact on Existing and New Users
Current subscribers will keep their plans for now, but new customers can no longer sign up for the old Duo or Family options. They must select from the new tiered system instead.
In India, the change means higher prices and fewer benefits for users who were on the previous Standard plan. The old individual plan cost ₹139 per month — the same price as the new Lite tier — but offered more features.
Meanwhile, the old Family plan allowed six members for ₹229 per month, compared to the new Platinum tier’s three-seat limit for ₹299 per month. This leaves users who do not care about lossless audio or AI tools with fewer choices.
Spotify has been adjusting its prices in other regions as well. In the United States, its monthly Premium rate has risen from $9.99 to $11.99 over the past two years, in two one-dollar increases.
