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Spotify is testing the removal of a popular feature from its free tier

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If you use Spotify’s free ad-supported tier and love using the app to check out the lyrics of the songs you listen to, an unpleasant surprise could be coming your way.

Spotify sing along with lyrics.
Spotify

Why? Because the company is experimenting with making lyrics exclusive to its Premium subscribers.

Some Spotify users on the ad tier have recently noticed that they’ve lost the ability to see the in-app lyrics, which usually appear at the bottom of the display when a song starts. Instead, a message appears suggesting they “enjoy lyrics on Premium,” together with a link to subscribe to the service.

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In a widely reported statement, the music streaming giant has confirmed that it’s currently testing the idea with a limited number of Spotify users in several markets. If it sees an uptick in sign-ups among those who’ve lost access to lyrics, the company will be encouraged to roll it out more widely. However, if there’s any kind of backlash among users of the free tier, Spotify may ditch the idea.

The test is an effort to nudge people toward paying for a monthly subscription as Spotify works to turn a profit after reporting a loss in its last quarter. Its balance sheet has come under pressure partly due to huge investments in podcasts, which, according to a Wall Street Journal report on Tuesday, hasn’t gone at all well for the company. It also spent big on severance payments after laying off 6% of its workforce earlier in the year.

There’s no guarantee that Spotify will permanently remove lyrics from the free tier, but hopefully, it won’t be too long before we know for sure.

For users in the U.S., Spotify Premium currently costs $10.99 per month for an Individual account and $14.99 per month for the Duo option that offers a couple of Premium accounts for two people who live together. A Family account for up to six people costs $16.99 per month, while students can sign up to Premium for $5.99 per month. The free, ad-supported tier comes with various restrictions on the mobile app (eg. shuffle mode only, maximum of six skips per hour), though the desktop version offers a more complete experience — along with intermittent ads.

Spotify routinely offers free trials and other deals, for example, new Individual accounts currently cost $10.99 for the first three months, thereby getting you two months for free.

Interested in finding out more about the two most popular music streaming services? Digital Trends has compared Spotify with Apple Music to find out which one is best.

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Trevor Mogg
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