Spotify is a streaming service for music, podcasts and audiobooks. The app is free to download and use with ads; a Premium subscription removes the ads and adds features. One Spotify account works across phones, computers, tablets and the web player at open.spotify.com.
Who it suits
People who want a large streaming catalogue on every device and don’t mind either ads or a monthly fee. If you mainly play your own music files, a local player such as foobar2000 or MusicBee may suit you better.
Get the official version
- Windows: spotify.com/download/windows (“Download directly from Spotify”) or the Microsoft Store.
- Mac: spotify.com/download/mac.
- Android: Google Play.
- iPhone and iPad: only the App Store.
- Linux: spotify.com/download/linux explains the Snap (
snap install spotify) and Spotify’s Debian repository. Spotify says the Linux client is maintained by engineers in their spare time and is not a platform it actively supports.
Price, ads and subscription
The free tier plays with ads. Spotify’s US Premium page listed, at the time of checking:
- Premium Individual: $12.99 per month after a one-month $0 trial for people who haven’t tried Premium before.
- Premium Student: $6.99 per month for eligible students, also with a one-month trial.
- Premium Duo (2 accounts) and Premium Family (up to 6 accounts) are also offered.
Prices differ by country and change over time; check your country’s Premium page. Google Play marks the listing with “Contains ads” and “In-app purchases”.
System requirements
| Platform | Spotify’s supported versions |
|---|---|
| Windows | Windows 10 (64-bit), Windows 11 or above |
| Mac | macOS 13.0 or above |
| iOS | iOS 16.1 or above |
| Android | Android OS 7.0 or above |
Safety notes
“Premium unlocked” or modded Spotify APKs are widely advertised. They are not from Spotify, and you cannot see what code they run or what they do with your login. Use the official app, and the free tier if you don’t want to pay.
Questions
Is the Spotify app free?
Yes. Listening with ads is free; Premium is optional.
Should I use the Microsoft Store or the direct download?
Either is official. Both are published by Spotify AB.
Can I install Spotify with winget?
Yes: winget install Spotify.Spotify downloads Spotify’s full installer from its own CDN.
