Spotify reverses paywall decision, restores lyrics for free users

Update: TechCrunch reported that a Spotify spokesperson mentioned that the company is working to increase the availability of lyrics for free users. Although Spotify did not reveal the exact number of lyrics non-premium users will be able to access in the future, it is expected to be more than the previous limit of three songs per month.

Spotify has quietly reinstated lyrics for non-premium users, reversing a controversial move made earlier this year to place lyrics behind a paywall. The change, which was implemented in May, was met with widespread backlash from the listener community.

The Verge in 2023 reported that Spotify started testing making lyrics a Premium-only feature, a move perceived as an effort to push more users toward its Premium subscription service. While the company did not issue an official announcement at the time, it confirmed to TechCrunch that features on the platform can vary over time, between markets, and across devices. This statement hinted at a potentially broader implementation rather than a limited test.

The restriction drew immediate criticism from users who encountered messages indicating a limit on how many lyrics they could view. Despite the criticism, the paywall was seen by some as a strategic move to increase the number of Premium subscribers. According to a report by Music Business World, Spotify had added 10 million net subscribers by the end of 2023, up 15% year over year, reaching 236 million paying users. However, the effectiveness of restricting lyrics as a strategy remained questionable, given the availability of lyrics on alternative platforms like Genius, Apple's Shazam, and Musixmatch.

Since early Tuesday, it has been observed (and UNXIGNED confirms) that the music streaming giant has lifted its restriction on lyrics, with reports from Redditors indicating that lyrics are once again accessible without a Premium subscription.

Spotify has not issued an official statement regarding the apparent reversal. However, the return of lyrics to the free tier has been widely noted and welcomed by users who rely on the feature to enhance their listening experience.

Sam Corrazza

Sam is a mediocre artist, musician, and the founder and editor in chief of UNXIGNED. He is a Juris Doctor who leads an excitingly boring life in the confines of his room juggling studies with passion and dreams. He is terrible at finding balance but gets by anyhow. He wants you to follow his artist pages and channels for when he decides to up his game. Pretty open for collabs and will mix your would-be hit song for cheap.