Spotify Launches $10.99/Month Basic Plan Without Audiobooks

Spotify is launching today a cheaper “Basic” tier in the US that just includes ad-free music and no audiobook listening. It’s priced at $10.99/month, which is just $1 cheaper than the regular Spotify Premium plan.

Overall, here’s Spotify’s new pricing structure in the US:

• Spotify Basic (ad-free music only): $10.99/month
• Spotify Premium Individual (ad-free music + 15 hours of audiobook listening per month): $11.99/month
• Spotify Premium Duo: $16.99/month
• Spotify Premium Family: $19.99/month
• Audiobook Access (15 hours of audiobook listening per month): $9.99/month

It’s not clear why anyone would pay for the Audiobook Access tier when Spotify Premium Individual, which also includes audiobook listening, is just $2 more expensive. However, the new Basic tier is probably a welcome option for Premium subscribers who don’t care about the monthly audiobook listening time in their current plan.

It’s worth noting that Spotify Basic still offers inferior audio quality compared to Apple Music or Amazon Music Unlimited, which are also priced at $10.99/month. Spotify is reportedly planning to charge Premium users an extra $5/month for better audio and new playlist tools. This paid add-on could launch later this year, three years after Spotify announced a new “HiFi” lossless audio tier.

If you’re in the US and you subscribe to Spotify Premium, do you plan to switch to this new Basic tier? Sound off in the comments below.