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Journalism of Courage
If you love singing along to your favourite songs on Spotify, you might have to pay extra for that privilege. The streaming giant is currently testing a new feature that would make lyrics available only to Spotify Premium subscribers.
The test, which is being conducted in two undisclosed markets, has sparked outrage among Spotify users who are used to accessing lyrics for free. Some of them have taken to social media to vent their frustration and accuse Spotify of greed.
However, Spotify confirmed in a statement to The Verge that the change is “only a test” and that the company regularly conducts tests to improve its user experience and learn from feedback. It added that it “doesn’t have any further news to share at this time.”
The move to put lyrics behind a paywall comes at a time when Spotify is facing increasing competition from other music streaming services, such as Apple Music, which does not offer a free tier at all. It also follows a recent price hike that affected millions of Spotify subscribers around the world.
Spotify’s free tier allows users to listen to playlists and albums on shuffle mode, but with ads and limited skips. Spotify Premium, on the other hand, offers ad-free listening, unlimited skips, offline mode, and soon, possibly, lyrics.
