While physical media has made a bit of a comeback in recent times, streaming remains the most popular method of music consumption. Streaming is certainly more convenient and cost-effective than traditional media, but many streaming platforms operate on a subscription basis, and some have increased their prices of late. An individual Spotify Premium subscription, for instance, went up to £13 in the UK in late 2025, while its US prices are set to rise from February.
Typically, a paid subscription allows access to more features, higher audio quality, and gets rid of pesky ads. As you go up to a more expensive tier of paid subscription, you often get access to even more features, although the downside is having to fork over more money to access them.
