Spotify is arguably the most widely used music streaming platform in the world. But, in recent years, more and more Premium and Free Spotify users have wanted to cancel their subscriptions. In some cases, total deletion of the profile as well.
Whatever their reason for wanting to cancel a Spotify subscription is irrelevant, what is relevant to these users is that Spotify makes it a tad more difficult to unsubscribe than it ought to be.
Shocking, I know…
And, believe it or not, Spotify doesn’t even make it possible for you to unsubscribe from Spotify Premium using the mobile app or desktop software.
But fear not, for I have spent my weekend traversing the dark and shady land of unsubscribing from Spotify for good. So, allow me to share the wisdom I gained and explain how to cancel your Spotify Premium account.
Unsubscribing from Spotify Premium
Did you use the mobile app or the Spotify website when you created your account and signed up? If so, follow these steps to unsubscribe from Spotify Premium:
- Open your web browser and go to the Spotify website. Log in to your account and then open account settings.
- While viewing the “account overview page,” scroll down till you find the “Your Plan” area.
- Click on the “Change Plan” button at the bottom of the window.
- Scroll down once more, and you will find the “Cancel Premium” button. Click on it.
- Congrats, you have just unsubscribed.
Note that you can still access your Premium perks until the end of your current payment cycle. If you wish to use your phone or tablet’s web browser to cancel your premium subscription, the steps are the same as above.
Unsubscribe from Spotify Premium via a Third-Party Service
Some mobile service providers like AT&T and Verizon offer free Spotify Premium membership access for their users. The offer is only for a limited time, but it’s a great way to test out Spotify Premium before you decide to subscribe.
If you subscribed to Spotify via a third party (like the examples above), then you will likely have to go through that same third party to cancel your Spotify Premium.
Here’s what you need to do…
The steps may vary slightly depending on the service provider, but generally, the process will go something like this:
- Log in to your account via the third-party provider’s website or the mobile app if they have one.
- Look for a menu about or highlighting add-ons for streaming services or something similar.
- Find the relevant entry or section for Spotify and click on the unsubscribe or cancel subscription option.
- If you encounter problems, you’ll have to consult the third-party provider for assistance in canceling your Spotify membership.
If you are unsure as to the third party you need to phone up, then Spotify should also be able to point you in the right direction.
Just make sure you have your account details handy when you call customer support. You might also be able to unsubscribe by filling out a cancellation form on their website.
How to Cancel Your Spotify Premium – FAQs
Service providers like Spotify can often be confusing or misleading when it comes to what happens after you stop paying for the service. So, here are some of the most commonly asked questions about canceling Spotify Premium.
How do I delete my Spotify Premium account?
To completely delete your Spotify account, it needs to be a free account. If you have just canceled your Premium account using the steps above, then you need to wait until your premium membership benefits expire at the end of your current payment cycle.
Once you have been downgraded to a Free Spotify subscription…
Follow these steps to completely delete your account:
- Open a web browser and navigate to the Spotify website. Log into your account and then go to the support page.
- The home page of the Spotify support section should have two sections for account settings. The first will be “Got Premium?”; just below that will be an area with the heading “Don’t have Premium.” Click on the “close your account” link just below this heading.
- Use the message feature to request an account deletion via customer service. Then click on the green “Send Message” button.
If you wish to close and delete a Spotify account straight from a premium subscription, then you need to follow the same steps to contact customer support. They will be able to assist you with the deletion of the account.
How do I unsubscribe from a Spotify Family Plan?
If you have one of Spotify’s family plan subscriptions, here are the steps for unsubscribing:
- Use a browser to log into your account via the Spotify website and navigate to your account settings.
- Under the “Your plan” section, click on “change plan.”
- Click on the “cancel Premium” button at the bottom of the page.
Once you have unsubscribed, the subscription should automatically be downgraded to a standard free plan. If you wish, you can then delete this account and re-subscribe for a new individual account.
If one user decides to leave a family Spotify plan, it will not adversely affect the other users still subscribed to that family plan. That means they will still be able to enjoy the premium benefits.
Likewise, the unsubscribed user will still have access to their likes and playlists even after the account has been downgraded to a standard free plan.
Does canceling a Spotify Premium account result in immediate termination of benefits?
As mentioned, you retain your Premium membership benefits when you cancel your Spotify Premium membership.
The benefits will remain active until your current payment cycle finishes. Once the final payment date has passed, the membership will automatically be downgraded to a free plan.
Can I cancel Spotify Premium after I finish the free trial?
Spotify offers several payment plans for its premium subscriptions. One of these is a 3-month free-to-use plan. You can explore and use the program for three months without any cost. And you will only start getting billed in the fourth month should you decide to go forward with the subscription.
The three-month plan gets set up through your PayPal account. Just remember to cancel the subscription before the payment date on the fourth month to avoid getting billed.
Major Differences Between Free and Premium Spotify
Some users have paid up their Spotify for a few months in advance. Then the subscription runs out, and they’re left flabbergasted at how many restrictions they experience.
The major difference between Free and Premium Spotify subscriptions is the inability to control your playback. With Spotify’s free version, you only get six skips per hour, whereas, with Premium, you can skip away to your heart’s content.
With the free version of Spotify…
You will also receive a lot of ads interrupting your listening. Additionally, there will be limited access to offline listening capabilities. You will, however, retain the data linked to your Spotify account. This includes:
- Spotify Wrapped.
- Playlists.
- Followings/followers.
- Liked songs.
Do you still want the features you had when you were a Premium subscriber? Well, you can easily renew your subscription by following the same steps you followed when you initially signed up for Spotify premium.
Are there any good alternatives available to me after I’ve canceled my Spotify subscription?
There are way too many music streaming services out there to name them all here. If you do some googling, you will see that the options are endless.
The price of your average streaming service is around $10 a month. There are options varying in taste, format, and fidelity. If you are into high-quality lossless audio, then something like Tidal might be for you. Since I only have space for one option in this list, I will be recommending Apple music.
Here’s why…
Apple Music is available in more than 160 countries. They offer a wide selection and excellent quality. With Apple Music, you can stream up to 24-bit/192khz, and there are more than 90 million songs to choose from.
There is no free subscription for Apple Music available right now. But, the premium plan does let you try the platform for three months at no cost, with billing only starting in the fourth month.
Have Other Questions About Spotify?
If so, take a look at our detailed on How to Turn Off Shuffle on Spotify, How to Download Songs on Spotify, Spotify Lyrics Not Working, Why Spotify Logged Me Out, and Can You See Who Liked Your Playlist on Spotify for more useful tips and advice.
You may also like our in-depth articles on the Best Headphones for Music, the Best Headphones For Rock & Metal Music, the Best Headphones for Hip-Hop, the Best Sound Quality Earbuds, the Best Bass Earbuds, and the Best Noise Cancelling Earbuds that you can buy in 2023.
How to Cancel Your Spotify Premium – Final Thoughts
Spotify Premium holds a lot of appeal to many users. The extra features make it hard to resist the temptation to pay and get access to tens of millions of songs.
The thing is that recently there’s been an increase in users who want to unsubscribe from the Premium version of Spotify, and/or delete their account altogether.
Whether you are unhappy with the service or you are exploring alternatives, unsubscribing from Spotify isn’t as simple as you might think. And, if you are trying out the software for a free trial period, be sure to unsubscribe before you get billed for something you don’t want.
Until next time, good luck, and happy listening.