Spotify has apparently found a new way to encourage its free users to pay for a subscription: it puts the song lyrics behind a paywall. According to various reports citing frustrated posts from users on Reddit, the company is quietly confirming the change – but without a direct statement. Instead, the company simply told TechCrunch that Spotify’s features may vary over time, between markets and between devices. The response suggests that the lyric change may be more than just a test, but Spotify is not yet ready to make an official announcement regarding the affected markets.
However, there were some signs that Spotify was heading in that direction. Last fall, it was discovered that the company was blocking song lyrics from non-paying users. Free users who tried to access the feature saw a message that said, “Enjoy lyrics on Spotify Premium.”
However, a Spotify spokesperson clarified at the time that the changes were “just a test” being conducted with a limited number of users in a “pair of markets.” Spotify is no longer calling the changes a test, although it’s unclear why it doesn’t document access to lyrics as a premium feature somewhere on its website – such as the page where users can update plans or in the help documentation. This could be because the company is still testing the monthly lyrics limit for free accounts; free users report They’ll see messages telling them that every time they tap “Show Lyrics,” it will count toward the new limit.
Spotify hasn’t provided any details as to why it’s now paywalling lyrics, but it’s clearly an attempt to lure more people to the paid tier. Last quarter, the company reached more than 600 million monthly active users, exceeding estimates. Paid subscribers topped 236 million, representing 15% year-over-year growth. However, quarterly revenue had missed analyst expectations of 3.72 billion euros and instead came in at 3.67 billion ($3.94 billion).
Whether blocking song lyrics will get more people to subscribe remains to be seen. Song lyrics are easily and freely available on the Internet and in other apps that work alongside Spotify, such as Genius, Apple’s Shazam or Musixmatch.