Spotify tests new ‘Duo’ plan that offers two Premium subscriptions at a discounted price
- ‘Duo’ plan is being tested in Ireland and it’s unclear if it will launch more broadly
- The new plan offers a Premium subscription for two users at a discounted price
- It costs €12.49 a month and gives subscribers access to a customized ‘Duo’ mix
Spotify wants to make it easier for roommates, romantic partners and family members to purchase a Premium subscription.
The streaming service is currently testing ‘Premium Duo,’ a new plan that offers access to Spotify’s ad-free subscription tier for two users at a discounted price.
Duo, which was first spotted by a Reddit user, offers two Premium subscriptions for €12.49 a month.
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The streaming service is currently testing ‘Premium Duo,’ a new plan that offers access to Spotify’s ad-free subscription tier for two users at a discounted price
It’s currently being tested in Ireland, but if it were to roll out to the U.S. and the U.K., it will likely be priced at $12.49 and £12.49 in those countries, respectively.
‘The pilot for Premium Duo is part of Spotify’s commitment to continuously explore new ways to improve the Premium experience,’ a Spotify spokesperson told Engadget.
‘We routinely run a number of pilots and programs to improve our user experience, which can pave the path for broader changes to our product or just give us important learnings.’
Duo is cheaper than Spotify’s Family plan, which is priced at $14.99 per month, as well as the standard Premium plan, which costs $9.99 each month.
Currently, many people choose to share a single Premium account in the interest of saving a few bucks, but there a few drawbacks.
For example, users can only listen to music on a Premium account on one device at a time.
Duo avoids that issue by giving each user their own account. Spotify only requires that the two Duo users share the same address.
‘With two separate accounts you can both enjoy your own music without having to take turns,’ according to Spotify’s website.
Spotify’s Duo plan operates similarly to its typical Family plans.
Every user creates a Spotify account and then the person responsible for paying the bill sends the other users a link to join their Duo plan.
Each member has their own Premium account, removing the need to share login details, Spotify’s website notes.
This also means that the owner of the Duo plan or the Duo subscriber can unlink their account from the shared plan at anytime.
Duo operates similarly to typical Family plans. Every user creates a Spotify account and then the person responsible for paying the bill sends the other users a link to join their Duo plan
If users already have a Premium account, they can switch over to a Duo plan without losing any of their playlists, saved music or recommendations, Spotify said.
Additionally, as part of the Duo subscription, users get access to Spotify’s ‘Duo Mix.’
Duo Mix is an ‘exclusive playlist’ only available to Duo members, according to Spotify.
It features curated recommendations based on each of the Duo members’ individual music tastes.
‘It’s regularly updated for the two of you, based on your shared listening history,’ the firm added.
Additionally, users can choose between a chill or upbeat mix of songs on their Duo playlist, as well as filter out explicit content.
The move comes as Spotify is set to roll out personalized versions of its most popular playlists.
It’ll include playlists that are catered to specific moods, activities and other themes, such as its cooking, running, bedtime and chill playlists, among others.
WHAT ARE THE TOP MUSIC STREAMING SERVICES?
Online streaming services such Spotify and Apple Music have become the music industry’s single biggest revenue source, overtaking physical sales and digital downloads for the first time.
The rapid growth in streaming music services in recent years has led to a recovery in the fortunes of the global recorded music industry, which enjoyed its third year of positive revenue growth, according to a report by industry trade group IFPI.
Online streaming services such Spotify and Apple Music have become the music industry’s single biggest revenue source
Last year, subscription-based streaming revenue accounted for 38 percent of all recorded music, up from 29 percent the year before, IFPI said.
Industry leaders say that the rise of music streaming is enabling the market to reach new regions of the world, while helping weaning a generation of music fans away from free or pirated music.
Latin America and China saw the biggest market growth, with a rise in overall music revenue of 17.7 percent and 35.3 percent respectively.
