Spotify does not feel expensive in the moment. It feels expensive over the year, especially after the latest round of price increases, and especially when you realize you are also paying for audiobooks, a podcast app and maybe a radio service on the side. If Spotify has started to feel like too much, here is the honest math and a cheaper way to get more.
Key facts
- Spotify Premium
- ~$11.99/month (~$143/year)
- Plus audiobooks
- Capped, or extra
- Plus radio / movies / sport
- Not included
- Spinn Pro
- $29.99/year, all of the above
- You could save
- $100+ per year
Why Spotify feels expensive
Two reasons. First, the price has gone up more than once, so the plan you signed up for is not the plan you are paying for now. Second, it is still essentially a music and podcast app, so everything else, audiobooks beyond the monthly cap, live radio, movies, sport, is a separate spend. The bill grows, but the app does not.
The real yearly cost
At around $11.99 a month, Spotify Premium is roughly $143 a year for one person. Add an audiobook membership and a movie service and the typical entertainment stack clears $400 to $600 a year. The frustrating part is that most of that spend overlaps, you are paying several companies to do pieces of the same job.
“The problem is not that Spotify is bad. It is that it is one app at the price of several.”
The cheaper all-in-one: Spinn Radio
Spinn Radio is $29.99 for a whole year, less than three months of Spotify, and it includes music, 50,000+ live radio stations, podcasts and live news, audiobooks with no credits, free movies and live sport. There is also a free plan with every radio station, so you can spend nothing and still listen.
Key facts
- Live radio
- 50,000+ stations, 200+ countries
- Music & videos
- Tracks, albums, artist performances
- Podcasts & news
- Talk shows and live news
- Audiobooks
- Classics, originals and new listens
- Movies
- Free films and documentaries
- Live sports
- Leagues, teams and athletes
The cost comparison
| Feature | Spinn | Spotify (+ add-ons) |
|---|---|---|
| Music streaming | Yes | Yes |
| Audiobooks | Yes | Capped / extra cost |
| Live radio (50,000+ stations) | Yes | No |
| Movies & live sport | Yes | No |
| Yearly cost | $29.99 | ~$143 music only |
| Cost for the same breadth | $29.99 | $400+ across apps |
What it costs
Here is where the math changes. Spinn Pro is $29.99 a year (about $2.50 a month) or $3.99 monthly, and every plan starts with a 7-day free trial. Right now there is also a limited-time deal: 3 months of Spinn Pro free, with no credit card and no auto-renewal. One subscription replaces the stack you are paying for today, and there is a generous free tier with 50,000+ stations if you want to start without paying at all. You can see exactly what Pro unlocks on the pricing page.
Spinn Radio
Switch and save: get 3 months free
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Why is Spotify so expensive now?
Spotify has raised its Premium price more than once in recent years, so many subscribers now pay around $11.99 a month, roughly $143 a year, for what is still mainly a music and podcast service. Anything beyond that, like audiobooks, radio, movies or sport, is a separate cost.
What is the cheapest way to get music plus more?
Spinn Radio is $29.99 a year for music plus live radio, podcasts, audiobooks, movies and sport, and it has a free plan with all 50,000+ stations. Right now you can also get 3 months of Pro free with no credit card.
How much can I save by switching?
If you only replace Spotify, you save roughly $100 a year. If you also drop a separate audiobook or radio subscription, the savings can be several hundred dollars a year.
Read next on Spinn Radio: Spinn Pro vs Multiple Subscriptions - Spotify vs Spinn - See Pro pricing - Get 3 months free
