Second Time’s the Charm, Maybe
Affected users were told to log in and out of the Spotify app two or three times to “force a resync,” which apparently worked for some users but not others. Oddly, Spotify tellsTechCrunchthat the ongoing Premium bug is different from the one that was patched in February—this information was provided to TechCrunch a few hours before Spotify pushed a patch for the newer bug.
So, now we’re left to wait and see what happens. I suspect that it’ll take a few days to get an accurate grasp of the situation, as Spotify still suggests that affected users “log out of the app and back in again 2-3 times in a row.” Even if the problem is really fixed, we’ll probably continue to see bug reports from people who haven’t performed the login-logout dance.
However, I’ve noticed that a lot of users' bug reports center around smart speakers, such as Amazon Echo, Google Nest, and Sonos. Removing your Spotify account from your smart devices may be a necessary step in forcing a resync (although I honestly have no idea what a resync entails in this context). It’s also worth noting that some podcasts are not ad-free, even with a Premium account.
Remind Me, How Much Am I Paying for Premium?
Spotify increased its prices for the first time in July 2023. But it was a fairly mild price hike. The Premium plan, which sat at $9.99 for so many years, jumped to $10.99.
A subsequent price hike in July 2024 knocked the monthly fee to $11.99. Spotify doesn’t offer annual memberships (unless youbuy a gift card, for some reason), so the yearly price of a Premium membership is effectively $143.88. That’s a lot of money to pay for a service that, from February 5th to March 6th, struggled to fulfill the ad-free obligation that Premium customers deserve.
And if the last two years of price hikes are any indication, Spotify may raise its prices again this July. If it’s another $1 increase, Premium will cost $155.88 each year.
If you were affected by the Spotify Premium bug, I strongly suggest that youreach out to the company’s support channelsfor some kind of restitution. And as a longtime Spotify user myself, I hope that customers keep this bug in mind as we approach July. I certainly will.
For those wondering,Apple Musiccurrently costs $10.99 a month.TidalandYouTube Musicare the same price as Apple Music, whileDeezeris $11.99. If you want to provide direct financial support for musiciansand actually own the music you pay for, useBandCamp.
