Evidently, Spotify has developed a novel strategy to convert its free users to paying subscribers: Lyrics are being concealed behind a payment gateway
A Spotify representative at the time, however, clarified that the modifications were “merely a test” involving a restricted number of users in “two markets.”
Although Spotify no longer characterizes the modifications as a trial, it remains to be seen why it would not indicate that access to lyrics is a premium feature in some other section of its website, such as the page where users can upgrade plans or the assistance documentation.
This may result from the company’s ongoing testing of the monthly limit on lyrics for free accounts; messages informing free users that each “Show lyrics” tap counts toward the new limit have been.
Although Spotify did not elaborate on the rationale behind its decision to impose a paywall on lyrics, it is evident that the intention is to attract more users to its paid tier.
The organization surpassed initial projections by amassing over 600 million monthly active users in its most recent quarter. Furthermore, paid subscribers exceeded 236 million, representing a 15% year-over-year expansion.
In contrast, quarterly revenue of 3.67 billion euros ($3.94 billion) fell short of analyst expectations of 3.72 billion euros.
Whether barring lyrics will encourage more individuals to subscribe remains to be seen. Lyrics are readily accessible and provided at no cost through online platforms and applications that integrate with Spotify, such as Genius.