Spotify Raises Prices in Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands — While Axing the ‘Mini’ Plan Worldwide

Luxembourg City. Photo Credit: Cedric Letsch

Is Spotify kicking off another major pricing recalibration? Possibly, as the service has nixed its “Mini” plan and rolled out across-the-board Benelux price increases.

Spotify just recently emailed the relevant customers with word of the price increases, which are also making a splash in local media. And the axed “Mini” tier, which had offered mobile-only Premium access on a week-to-week (and, in some countries, day-to-day) basis, is spurring discussion on Reddit and Spotify’s forums.

(According to Wayback Machine captures, the Mini phase-out might have started last year, when the daily option was quietly replaced with a week-long sub in India, for instance.)

Beginning with the Spotify price increases, Individual now costs €12.99 per month in Luxembourg and the Netherlands, compared to €11.99 in Belgium. Meanwhile, Student will set fans back €6.99 per month, compared to €17.99 monthly for Duo (except in Belgium, where the price is €16.99) and €21.99 monthly for Family (€20.99 in Belgium).

With price increases now common enough – and with on-demand platforms carrying more plans and “bundles” than ever – it’s difficult to track streaming packages’ costs, besides the precise timing of changes, across all markets.

But Spotify’s competitors are likewise opting for heightened prices in Benelux, where regional outlets have closely covered the increases from the outset.

Evidently, the Stockholm-based service is confident that it has price-ceiling space to spare. Against the backdrop of streaming-growth slowdowns in established markets, the increased prices may represent one component of a wider 2025 strategy.

More immediately, following not-so-subtle calls last year to begin charging for ad-supported tiers, Spotify is leaning harder than ever into advertising. Plus, earlier this week, the service went ahead and denied rumored plans to begin integrating adverts into Premium.

Despite Spotify’s current position, logic suggests that there’s still a long-term opportunity to (if so inclined) sneak a few ads into Premium. In theory, the forthcoming “Super-Premium” tier could fit into the possible strategy, which would presumably leverage new releases from commercially prominent acts.

Closer to the present, other plan changes are afoot at Spotify, which looks to have shelved the aforementioned Mini tier at April’s beginning.

That development came to light in updates provided by users themselves, who, far from thrilled with the change, are taking to Spotify’s help board to vent. Mini had been available in a variety of emerging markets, among them Egypt, India, and South Africa.

In general, these nations are achieving strong streaming-adoption and -volume improvements but comparatively limited revenue increases. It remains to be seen whether the demise of Mini will fuel accelerated conversions for monthly and annual subs.

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