Is the free version of Spotify still worth it?
For years, Spotify’s ad-supported tier has been the easiest way to access an enormous catalog of free music on the internet. Now it’s the last of its kind — if you don’t count YouTube — and it’s not getting better.
As part of its new licensing agreement with Universal Music Group, Spotify will allow artists to limit their new releases to its premium service for up to two weeks at their request. Similar deals with Sony Music Group and Warner Music Group will likely follow in the coming weeks.
That means an artist like Drake or Beyoncé could release a project on Apple Music or Tidal, respectively as an exclusive for a week or two, and then make it available to Spotify Premium users for two...