What is Ideal for You Between Spotify Premium and Free Version
When we want to listen to non-stop music for a virtually unlimited duration, then Spotify immediately comes to our end. It has a huge musical library that contains old and latest songs and albums. But is it free to access all the inventory and if not, what is suitable for me between free and premium plans?
The free version of Spotify allows access to the musical library but with certain limitations, including frequent ads, limited skip options, and access to limited library content. On the other hand, the premium plan provides access to the whole inventory without displaying ads but costs a sufficient price in return. Let us find out the differences in more detail and suggest what will suit you the most:
A Comparative Analysis of Features of Free and Premium Spotify
Ads Display
The most important difference between the two is the display of ads. Spotify displays ads regularly after a few intervals, and most of the ads cannot be skipped. So, it becomes difficult for the user to enjoy the music as ads distract their attention frequently.
The Premium plan does not display ads, so users can listen to nonstop music without worrying about ads. The premium plan is the winner regarding ads.
Quality of the Sound
Apart from other features, sound quality is also an important factor when choosing the subscription plan. The free version offers a very low sound quality, i.e. 160 Kbps. It degrades for desktop users and plays tracks at 128 Kbps. On the other hand, the Premium plan has an amazing sound quality of 320 Kbps.
Premium plan is the winner with respect to sound quality.
Listening to Music When Offline
Sometimes, we are not sitting in our homes, short on Mobile data packages, or out of stable signal range. Listening to music becomes more potent in an area without an internet connection. So, what can we do about it?
The free version of Spotify works when there is an active internet connection. Whereas Spotify Premium allows you to download 10,000 tracks and listen to them later whenever you want.
The Premium plan leads this competition of offline downloading and access.
Playlist Creation
Both plans offer the creation of a free playlist. You can add songs from your internet to a particular playlist, and listen to them in an order or randomly. The app also allows you to share the playlist with your loved ones on social media platforms.
Skips and Shuffle of the Songs
As we know, the free version allows us to use services but with certain limitations. The same is the case for playback control. While using the free plan, we can skip just 6 songs in an hour. We cannot play our favorite song directly or shuffle the tracks.
The Premium plan allows you to skip and shuffle songs unlimited times. So, the premium plan is the winner as far as the said feature is concerned.
Devices Compatibility
Spotify Connect allows users to connect Spotify to multiple devices. It works for both Premium and Freemium plans. Previously, it was available only to paid subscribers, but now it is available to every user, even those using the free version of the app.
Access to the Latest Content
Freemium users need to wait at least 14 days to get access to the latest songs and tracks released. Premium users are notified immediately whenever a new song or track becomes available. If you can wait for a certain duration, there is a tie between them.
Reasons to Upgrade to Premium Plan
Though Spotify Free plan offers many features and helps users listen to a lot of music, it comes with limitations. Spotify Premium is the best plan if you can afford to pay. Here are the summarized advantages and a comparative table for your better understanding of the differences between the two:
| Feature | Premium Plan | Free Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Display of Ads | No | Yes |
| Quality of the Sound | Better | Normal |
| Offline Music Play | Yes | No |
| Social Sharing | Yes | Yes |
| Connect to Devices | Yes | Yes |
| Skips and Shuffles | Unlimited | limited |
| Latest Content Access | Immediate | After 2 weeks |
Conclusion
The Spotify Premium plan is unmatched in terms of music listening services. It offers unlimited shuffles and skips, access to a huge media library, and notification of the latest released songs. However, the free plan provides limited services but does not charge a penny. So, you can choose according to your situation, but if you can afford it, the Premium plan is the best.
