Spotify Restores Its Lyrics Feature For Free Users

Spotify is implementing a user-friendly feature.

This article was written by Sophie Atkinson and originally published by Read Write.

In an unusual twist, the people who don’t pay for a Spotify subscription will once again be able to see the lyrics for any song they choose to listen to.

While it’s usually the opposite, with restrictions often added for those on the free level, Spotify has done a reversal.

In May, the streaming service stopped people from seeing the lyrics to songs unless they paid for one of the plans.

The cheapest of which, reserved only for students, costs $5.99. The Premium Individual plan sets people back $11.99 a month.

In a conversation with publisher Engadget, a Spotify spokesperson put the brief lyric blackout down as a testing situation. These lyrics are supposed to pop up on the screen when a song is played, allowing users to sing along or simply see the words.

“At Spotify, we’re always testing and iterating. This means the availability of our features can vary across tiers and between markets and devices.

“Over the coming weeks, we’ll be expanding Lyrics availability for Spotify Free users so more people can enjoy viewing more lyrics, globally.”

Spotify faced backlash on social media after taking away the lyrics feature

The continued rollout of the once-free and now free-again lyrics has been met with happiness from users which was a contrast from the previous few months.

In July, a user called P4rttipoopr took to X to say: “Why is Spotify making people pay for lyrics I’m broke brah.”

Another, who goes by the moniker Merry Nation, said: “Spotify is broke asf like wdym I have to pay up to look at ready-made lyrics WHAT.”

Others have questioned why it was even removed in the first place: “Spotify is bringing back lyrics to their free users after removing it a couple of months ago. Why even remove it in the first place?”

In defiance, other social media users have reported refusing to pay for the upgrade. The feature can be easily accessed elsewhere as there are numerous dedicated websites for showing the lyrics of millions of songs.