Missing Spotify lyrics? They’re coming back for free users, with no restrictions
It was one of the biggest music streaming stories of 2024. After launching its popular real-time lyrics feature in 2020, the big green streaming machine unceremoniously put it behind a paywall in May 2024 (after trialing an “Enjoy Lyrics on Premium” idea for certain subscribers in September 2023).
And to say the least, users were not happy.
In a remarkable turnaround that could almost be compared to Sonos finally apologizing for its May 7 app update, Spotify has now added lyrics back to the free, ad-supported version, just two months after removing them.
In a statement reported by Digital Music NewsSpotify said of the change: “At Spotify, we’re always testing and iterating. This means the availability of our features may vary between tiers and across markets and devices. In the coming weeks, we’ll be expanding the availability of lyrics to Spotify Free users, so more people can see more lyrics globally.”
A change would do you good…
The point is, we assumed Spotify would take lyrics — along with some of its other most beloved features — and package them up and present them in a rumored $5 (or £5; about AU$6) Hi-Fi add-on tier (which I predicted would be a hit, even as Apple Music offers hi-res music within its basic tier). So the move to reintroduce them suggests that plan has been tested and is a dead letter for now, even though Spotify CEO Daniel Ek confirmed last week that Supremium is coming (at some point).
When Spotify rolled out its no-free-lyrics change in May, it offered free users up to three lyrics looks per month. As reported by Digital Music News, Spotify won’t disclose exactly how many lyrics looks free users will now receive, but the in-app experience has changed slightly. Tapping on the lyrics preview now presents a pop-up ad with the option to dismiss it. Once dismissed, users will once again see real-time lyrics scrolling through the song as it progresses.
It appears that Spotify’s new tactic for now is to simply show banner ads before revealing lyrics to free users. While it still doesn’t offer High-Resolution Audio, it remains one of the best music streaming sites due to its social nature, massive song catalog, and ease of use.
