Streaming Just Got More Expensive… Again

Spotify and Max Prices Go Up

Consumers who want to save on streaming got some bad news recently. Spotify (SPOT) and Max (WBD) both announced price hikes.

And they’re not alone. Last month, Peacock (CMCSA) raised fees and Disney+ (DIS) cracked down on password sharing. Netflix (NFLX) and Apple TV+ announced price increases in October.

Those new, cost-saving streaming mega-bundles can’t come soon enough…

The Details

Starting in July, Spotify is increasing the price of its individual plan by $1 to $11.99 a month, its Duo plan by $2 to $16.99 a month, and its family plan by $3 to $19.99 a month.

And on Tuesday, in time for the June 16 premiere of Season 2 of House of the Dragon, Max raised the price of its ad-free tier by $1 to $16.99 a month.

It’s not enough that consumers are paying through the nose for orange juice and could face skyrocketing airline ticket prices this summer, apparently. Now they have to fork over more money to stream their favorite podcasts, music, and TV shows too. It’s not the first time prices have gone up, and odds are it won’t be the last.

How to Save

If you’re looking to listen and watch for less, you still have options. Spotify does offer a free plan, which is a good value if you don’t mind ads, and don’t care for offline listening too much. Pandora offers a free tier, too.

Podcast fans have plenty of ways to listen for free, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and more. In streaming, there are plenty of TV shows and movies available on free platforms such as Freevee, Tubi, Pluto TV, and The Roku Channel.

Other tips to save on streaming include paying annually instead of monthly, choosing bundles, and signing up for phone plans that include subscription deals. And, of course, you could always cancel the services that you don’t really need.

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