why spotify mobile feels greedy nowadays, especially on the free version

i’ve been a big fan of spotify for years. if i remember correctly, i started using it around 2020 or 2021.

so why did i like spotify more than almost any other music app?

for me, it was simple: i could find everything i wanted in one place.

even if i didn’t remember the exact spelling of a song or only remembered a few words from the lyrics, spotify usually managed to find what i was looking for.

i recommended spotify to my friends and family, and pretty much everyone loved it.

the feature i loved the most: repeat

one of my favourite things about spotify was the repeat option.

if i found a song i really liked and went for a 10- or 15-minute walk, washed vessels, or cleaned the house, i’d put that song on repeat and listen to it over and over again.

it was such a simple feature, but i used it all the time.

spotify also had podcasts, playlists, music sharing, and so many other features that made it feel like the one app i needed for audio.

i could create a playlist, share it with friends, discover new songs, and listen to everything from one place.

that’s why i liked spotify so much.

then came the frustrating part

i understand that spotify needs to make money.

when i first started using the free version, there were ads between songs. honestly, i didn’t mind that much.

you listen to an ad for 30 seconds or so and then continue listening.

it’s not much different from what we grew up with on television. you watch a cartoon or tv show, an ad comes on, you wait for it to finish, and the show continues.

i was okay with that trade-off for a free service.

but over time, the free experience started becoming more frustrating.

the ads started getting longer

one of the biggest things i’ve noticed is the increasing amount of advertising.

it’s not just that there are ads. that’s expected with a free service.

it’s the frequency and duration that make the experience frustrating.

you’re listening to a few songs and suddenly you’re hit with a long advertising break.

and sometimes there are ads or promotional elements right inside the player as well.

at that point, it starts feeling less like a free version of spotify and more like a heavily restricted version of the app.

why was the repeat option removed?

this is probably one of the changes that annoyed me the most.

the repeat option was one of the features i used constantly.

so when features like this became restricted to premium users, it felt strange.

i understand putting advanced features behind a subscription.

but repeat?

that’s one of the basic features i’d expect from a music player.

maybe that’s just me, but this was one of the moments where i started feeling that the free version wasn’t as enjoyable as it used to be.

and then there’s skipping and forwarding

another thing that has frustrated me is the restriction around skipping songs.

there have been times when, after skipping a few songs, i couldn’t simply keep skipping and had to wait before i could do it again.

and the frustrating part is that the experience doesn’t always seem consistent.

sometimes i can skip more, sometimes i can’t.

maybe there are different restrictions depending on the account, playlist, region, or current spotify experience.

but as a user, i don’t want to figure out why i’m allowed to skip five songs today but not tomorrow.

i just want to listen to the music i choose.

shuffle is another story

the shuffle experience is another thing i’m not particularly happy with.

when i choose shuffle, i expect spotify to… well, shuffle my music.

but sometimes the experience doesn’t feel as straightforward as it used to.

there are additional recommendations and songs i didn’t specifically choose, and it feels like i’m not completely in control of what i’m listening to.

maybe spotify has good reasons for doing this.

but from a user’s perspective, it can be frustrating when you just want to listen to your own playlist.

and then there are the ads inside the player

take a look at the screenshot below.

you’ll notice promotional content inside the player itself.

and after listening to a few songs, you can sometimes get hit with another long advertising break.

if the free version becomes too frustrating, users don’t necessarily think:

“wow, spotify is a great service. i’ll upgrade.”

sometimes they simply think:

“maybe i’ll use another app.”

am i saying spotify should be completely free?

absolutely not.

spotify has every right to charge for its premium service.

and honestly, if someone uses spotify every day, paying for a subscription can make perfect sense.

my problem is with how much the free experience has changed compared to the spotify i originally loved.

i was perfectly happy to listen to a few ads in exchange for free music.

but when more and more basic features become restricted, ads become more intrusive, and the overall listening experience becomes frustrating, it starts to feel like the free version is designed more to push you toward premium than to simply provide a usable free service.

maybe that’s the whole point of a freemium business model. lol.

but as someone who has been using spotify for years, i can definitely feel the difference.

would i still recommend spotify?

yes, of course, but with a condition.

if you listen to music regularly and don’t mind paying for a subscription, spotify is still a great platform.

but if you’re using the free version, be prepared for more restrictions and a much more ad-heavy experience than what i remember from when i first started using it.

i’m not saying spotify is bad.

i’m saying the spotify i loved as a free user doesn’t feel like the same spotify anymore.

and honestly, that’s what bothers me the most.

i’ve been using it for years, so i remember how enjoyable the free experience used to be.

maybe i’m just getting old.

and yeah, this is true as well.