Spotify recently limited access to lyrics for accounts without Spotify Premium, which seemed like an especially silly move to boost paid subscriptions. Thankfully, it doesn’t seem like it worked, because Spotify has now just reverted the measure.
Spotify has reversed its decision to restrict lyrics access for free users, reinstating unlimited viewing of song lyrics for everyone. The streaming giant had previously limited some free Spotify accounts to viewing lyrics for only three songs per month. That move, as you might imagine, wasn’t all that popular. It felt like an arbitrary, unnecessary crippling of Spotify’s in-app experience in an attempt to get more users to subscribe. Now, though, the measure has been reversed. The restriction was part of a test that will not roll out to everyone.
Responding to the criticism, a Spotify spokesperson stated, “At Spotify, we’re always testing and iterating. This means availability of our features can vary across tiers and between markets and devices. Over the coming weeks, we’ll be expanding Lyrics availability for Spotify Free users so more people can enjoy viewing more lyrics, globally.”
The decision to reinstate full lyrics access aligns with CEO Daniel Ek’s recent announcement during the company’s earnings call, where he emphasized plans to enhance the free user experience. Ek highlighted that upcoming improvements would be based on existing performance in certain markets, indicating a data-driven approach to optimizing the free tier.
This reversal suggests that Spotify has actually listened to user feedback and is prioritizing user satisfaction over pushing premium subscriptions. Another possibility is that the feature wasn’t really translating into new subscriptions, so there wasn’t a point in the added negative attention created by removing the feature for free accounts. Spotify also still has stiff competition from Apple Music and other similar services that it has to worry about.
Source: Engadget
