New York, Jan 17, 2026, 05:34 EST — Market closed.
- Spotify shares fell 0.7% on Friday, following a steep decline the previous day.
- Starting in February, the company will raise Premium pricing to $12.99 a month in the U.S. and two Baltic countries.
- Benchmark cut its price target for Spotify, flagging concerns over margins.
Shares of Spotify Technology S.A. dipped 0.7% on Friday, ending at $504.50. This capped a two-day decline following a 3.95% drop the previous session. 1
The pullback is significant now as Spotify turns back to pricing—the quickest tool in its arsenal—just when investors are intensifying pressure on margin gains and the ad segment. If the price increase holds steady without a surge in cancellations, it will directly boost revenue.
The trade ahead of SPOT next week boils down to pricing power versus churn risk. In industry terms, churn refers to customers who leave.
Spotify announced Thursday it will increase the price of its monthly Premium subscription by $1 to $12.99 in the U.S., Estonia, and Latvia. The hike takes effect on users’ billing dates beginning in February. The company described the move as necessary to “keep delivering a great experience” and noted premium subscribers grew 12% to 281 million in the third quarter. 2
Spotify announced in a separate post that Premium subscribers in the impacted regions will receive an email within the next month outlining how the changes affect their plans. “Occasional updates to pricing across our markets reflect the value that Spotify delivers,” the company stated. 3
Benchmark slashed its Spotify price target to $760 from $860 but kept its buy rating, according to a Reuters report on Friday. The downgrade stems from “margin concerns,” the note said. (A price target reflects where an analyst expects a stock to trade.) 4
Traders face a tricky situation with U.S. markets shut on Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. That leaves a shorter window to process the pricing shift and any broker responses. 5
There’s a risk, though. As monthly bills climb, some users may cut back or drop services entirely, especially if budgets get squeezed and streaming platforms continue hiking prices. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, highlighted by Axios, reveal a 19.5% inflation spike in “Subscription and rental of video and video games” last December, compared to just 1.1% for “Recorded music and music subscriptions.”
Spotify is set to release its fourth-quarter results on Feb. 10, with investors focused on subscriber numbers, churn rates, and ad revenue following the recent price adjustment. The company will host a Q&A session at 8:00 a.m. ET that morning, according to a press release. 6
