Spotify To Put Monthly Limit On Lyrics For Free Users

The popular music streaming app, Spotify, has been testing a new change to its service that might not go down well with users, especially the ones using the app without a subscription.

After initially rolling out the change to select users, Spotify has now made a change to the lyrics features in the app. Now, the feature will be fully available to paid users only. There have been a plethora of reports from free Spotify users claiming that they are no longer able to access lyrics to songs or have a monthly limit. Many users have taken to social media platforms showing their anger towards the change.

For years, Spotify has allowed users, including the ones using the free version, to access song lyrics while streaming music on the app. However, the new move seems like an attempt to force more users into buying the subscription. 

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Spotify Wants More Users To Opt For Paid Model

Spotify started testing this change in September last year and going by the number of reports in the past few days, it seems the test has either expanded to a wider audience or is finally applicable for all free Spotify users.

As per the reports, free-tier users will now get only a limited number of chances to view the lyrics for songs. Every time they tap the ‘Show lyrics’ button, it’ll be counted towards a monthly limit. Once the monthly cap has been hit, users won’t be able to access lyrics unless to buy the subscription.

Spotify’s decision to restrict lyrics for free tier users has been met with a lot of criticism. Many users argue that the service has taken it too far in limiting functionality for free users. While the company’s free tier service has always been ad-supported, the monthly limitation of lyrics feels like a significant hit to the user experience.

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Will Spotify Keep This Change Permanently?

While there’s no clarity on whether the company will make the lyrics restriction permanent or if it’s just a temporary test, the move has certainly sent ripples across the free user base. It remains to be seen how will this change the service’s user growth and retention, particularly at a time when there are several music streaming platforms available.

Spotify’s lyrics are powered by Musixmatch, and users can use this service with Spotify to get lyrics of the songs they like. However, the whole process will be a big hassle and not the best alternative to having the lyrics in the Spotify app.