Spotify has slashed the price of its Premium Standard subscription in India by 30% – and discontinued its entry-level Premium Lite tier entirely.
The Premium Standard plan in the territory – including ad-free listening, offline downloads, and audio quality of up to 320 kbps – has been reduced from ₹199 (approx. $2.24) per month to ₹139 (approx. $1.57) per month.
The move comes just six months after Spotify launched a revamped three-tier subscription structure in the market in November 2025.
According to Moneycontrol, Spotify‘s Student plan has also been cut, from ₹99 per month to ₹69 (approx. $0.78) per month – likewise a 30% reduction.
The ₹139 price point for the Standard tier is the same amount that Spotify‘s now-discontinued Premium Lite tier had been charging – meaning Indian subscribers are now getting the full Standard feature set for what they were previously paying for the stripped-back Lite product.
“We occasionally adapt the plans we offer, based on market opportunity and to provide choice and value to users… In India, the Lite plan is no longer available.”
spotify spokesperson
The Premium Platinum tier, priced at ₹299 per month and offering lossless audio and AI-powered features, remains unchanged, Moneycontrol reported.
“Spotify Lite users are being offered to move to Spotify Standard at the same price. Users have already been informed about this transition.”
spotify spokesperson
A Spotify spokesperson told local media: “We occasionally adapt the plans we offer, based on market opportunity and to provide choice to and value to users. In India, the Lite plan is no longer available.
“Spotify Lite users are being offered to move to Spotify Standard at the same price.”
The pricing changes represent a reversal of the trajectory Spotify had been pursuing in India.
In August 2025, the company raised its India subscription prices for the first time since launching in the market in February 2019. The individual Premium plan went from ₹119 to ₹139 per month at that time.
Then, in November 2025, Spotify overhauled its subscription structure in India and four other markets – Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the UAE – introducing three distinct Premium tiers: Lite, Standard, and Platinum.
That restructuring pushed the equivalent of a standard subscription from ₹139 to ₹199 per month – a 43% increase – while slotting the Lite tier in at ₹139 for users who did not need offline downloads or higher audio quality.
With this latest change, Spotify has effectively collapsed two of those three tiers into one, returning the full-feature Premium experience to a ₹139 monthly price point – the same level it sat at after the August 2025 hike and before the November restructuring.
India is one of Spotify‘s largest markets by user count, with the vast majority of its users remaining on the platform’s free, ad-supported tier.
According to a joint report from EY and FICCI published in March, 178 million people streamed music online in India in 2025, but only around 8% – or 14.4 million – were paying for it.
The number of paid subscriptions grew 37% year-over-year, however – a shift the report attributed to “measures by music streaming platforms to discourage free usage.”
The EY and FICCI report also noted that Wynk, Resso, and Hungama all ceased operations in India over the previous 18 months, concentrating the market among a smaller number of players.
Converting free users to paying subscribers in the market has been a long-running challenge for Spotify, which competes with local rivals including JioSaavn and Gaana, as well as YouTube Music and Apple Music.
Spotify‘s revised ₹139 price point positions it competitively but not cheaply.
Apple Music charges ₹119 per month in India – including lossless audio and Spatial Audio as standard – making it ₹20 cheaper than Spotify‘s Standard tier.
YouTube Premium, which bundles ad-free YouTube video with YouTube Music, costs ₹149 per month – a proposition that carries weight in a market where YouTube is the dominant video platform.
In October 2023, Spotify restricted features for free-tier users in India in an effort to push more listeners towards paid plans.
Globally, Spotify‘s Premium subscriber base stood at 293 million at the end of Q1 2026, up 9% year-over-year, with total monthly active users reaching 761 million, according to the company’s most recent earnings report.
While Spotify has been raising prices in developed markets – hiking its US Premium tier from $11.99 to $12.99 per month in early 2026 – its strategy in India now appears to be tilting in the opposite direction: lowering the barrier to entry in pursuit of subscriber volume.
Spotify paid out over $11 billion to the music industry in 2025, the company said – the largest annual payment to music creators in its history.Music Business Worldwide
Spotify has made significant changes to its pricing structure in India, reducing the cost of its Premium Standard subscription by 30% and discontinuing its entry-level Premium Lite tier. The Premium Standard plan, which offers ad-free listening, offline downloads, and high audio quality (up to 320 kbps), has been lowered from ₹199 (approximately $2.24) to ₹139 (approximately $1.57) per month. This adjustment comes just six months after Spotify introduced a new three-tier subscription model in India in November 2025.
Additionally, the Student plan has also seen a price cut, dropping from ₹99 to ₹69 (around $0.78), reflecting a similar 30% reduction. Notably, the new price for the Standard tier matches the previous cost of the now-discontinued Premium Lite tier, which means users are now able to access the full feature set of the Standard plan for the same price they were paying for the more limited Lite version.
A Spotify spokesperson explained that the company occasionally adapts its offerings based on market opportunities to provide better choices and value to users. They confirmed that Spotify Lite users are being transitioned to the Standard plan at the same price, marking the end of the Lite tier in India.
The recent price changes represent a shift from Spotify’s earlier strategy in India. In August 2025, the company had raised its subscription prices for the first time since its entry into the market in February 2019, increasing the individual Premium plan price from ₹119 to ₹139. The November 2025 restructuring introduced three tiers: Lite, Standard, and Platinum, effectively raising the price for a standard subscription from ₹139 to ₹199 per month, a 43% increase. The Lite tier was positioned at ₹139 but offered fewer features, catering to users who did not require offline downloads or high-quality audio. With this latest adjustment, Spotify has effectively condensed the three tiers into one, reinstating the full-feature Premium experience at ₹139—reverting to its pricing level prior to the November restructuring.
India is a significant market for Spotify, boasting a large user base with a majority on the free, ad-supported tier. A report by EY and FICCI revealed that in 2025, 178 million people streamed music online in India, but only about 8%, or 14.4 million, were paying subscribers. Despite the challenges of converting free users to paid plans, there was a 37% year-over-year growth in paid subscriptions, attributed to measures taken by streaming platforms to discourage free usage. The report also noted that several competitors, including Wynk, Resso, and Hungama, had ceased operations in India, resulting in a more concentrated market.
Spotify faces stiff competition from local rivals such as JioSaavn and Gaana, as well as global players like YouTube Music and Apple Music. The revised ₹139 price point is competitive, though not the cheapest—Apple Music charges ₹119 per month, while YouTube Premium, which includes ad-free video content along with YouTube Music, costs ₹149 per month. In October 2023, Spotify further restricted features for its free-tier users in India to encourage more listeners to switch to paid plans.
Globally, Spotify had 293 million Premium subscribers by the end of Q1 2026, reflecting a 9% increase year-over-year, with total monthly active users reaching 761 million. While Spotify has been raising prices in more developed markets—such as increasing its U.S. Premium tier from $11.99 to $12.99 per month in early 2026—its recent strategy in India signifies a shift towards lowering barriers to entry in an effort to enhance subscriber volume.
In 2025, Spotify paid out over $11 billion to the music industry, marking its largest annual payment to music creators in history. This emphasis on fostering growth in emerging markets like India, through reduced pricing and expanded offerings, showcases Spotify’s commitment to increasing its subscriber base while navigating the complexities of a competitive landscape.
