Spotify rejigs premium plans in India and four other markets, adds new lossless audio tier

India is a key market for Spotify's future growth

Audio streaming service Spotify on November 13 announced a rejig of its subscription tiers in five markets including India, moving away from a one-size-fits-all model to plans that better reflect users' listening habits, from first time streamers to audiophiles.

For now, new subscribers will see only the updated plans, while existing users stay on their legacy tiers unless they choose to upgrade, though the changes may feel less compelling for some listeners.

Spotify is introducing three new premium plans, Premium Lite, Premium Standard, and Premium Platinum.

Priced at Rs 139 per month, Premium Lite offers consumers an ad-free music listening experience, 160kbps audio quality, and control over what song plays next.

Listeners who want offline downloads will have to move up to the Premium Standard plan, which costs Rs 199 per month. The plan will also offer high quality audio of up to 320kpbs.

Spotify Premium Platinum is a new, higher priced plan at Rs 299 per month, offering advanced features aimed at audiophiles.

A look at Spotify's new subscription tiers

This includes long awaited lossless audio streaming along with AI powered features like AI DJ, AI playlist creation, mixing tools, and third party DJ integrations. People will also be able share this subscription with two additional household members.

Audiobooks are however still not available for subscribers in India at present.

"Every listener is different, so we’re offering more choice, flexibility, and control from Lite to Platinum, ensuring everyone can experience Spotify in a way that fits their lifestyle and deepens their connection to the music and creators they love," said Amarjit Singh Batra, General Manager - South Asia, Middle East & Africa and Managing Director - Spotify India.

Spotify's existing tiers include Individual, Duo, and Family with prices ranging from Rs 139 to Rs 229. The company had hiked prices of its premium subscription plans in India by 17 to 28 percent in August, its first increase since entering the market in 2019.

Spotify stated that legacy Premium Individual, Duo, and Family subscribers will remain on their current plans and continue to receive the same benefits at the same price.

Legacy Premium Duo and Family plan managers can upgrade to Premium Platinum within the app. They can also choose which subaccounts move with them to the new plan. New users will however not be able to access these old tiers.

Spotify will also continue to offer a dedicated plan for Students, although its price has been hiked to Rs 99 per month.

The new subscription tiers come as India, one of Spotify’s top five markets by users, becomes an increasingly important part of the company's growth strategy, and Spotify looks to expand its subscription base in the country.

It also comes amid the company's broader efforts to improve margins and drive profitability.

Earlier this year, Spotify founder Daniel Ek had expressed confidence that India and other emerging markets will become substantial businesses for the audio streaming service over the longer term.

The company is also gearing up for its next chapter, with founder Ek set to transition from CEO to executive chairman on January 1, 2026. Spotify Co-Presidents Alex Norström and Gustav Söderström have been named co-CEOs.

In September, these executives stated that they see strong growth potential for the audio streaming service in populous countries such as India, which are home to a large digital user base.

"Today, at Spotify, we see 3 percent of the world's population paying us on a recurring basis for a product that they're loving... It's not unimaginable that we'll be at 10 percent or 15 percent, just because of the geographical opportunity that we see out there with countries like India," said co-president Alex Norström.

Apart from India, these plans will be available in Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates as part of a pilot programme.

Globally, Spotify has 713 million users, of which 281 million were paid subscribers as of the third quarter of 2025.