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What Do FREE Spotify Users Get? 9 Things (Checked)

Spotify has become a renowned music streaming service due to its incredible library of both music and podcasts.

Many users opt to pay a monthly subscription to Spotify Premium to ensure that they have access to all that Spotify has to offer.

However, Spotify also offers a ‘free’ plan too, and in this article, we’ll take a look at exactly what free Spotify users actually get so that you can decide whether it’s right for you.

Spotify app on iPhone SE screen close to a laptop. Spotify is one of the most popular music service app on the world.

Can Free Spotify Users Create Playlists?

Creating playlists is an essential facet of all music streaming platforms. The ability to choose your favorite tracks and add them to a personal playlist allows users to curate the perfect set of songs for any mood.

Spotify ensures that users can create playlists, name their playlists, and even share their best playlists with friends.

Read Also: Spotify Demographics – Facts & Numbers

Thankfully, the ‘create your own playlist’ feature is not exclusive to Premium members, meaning that Spotify users on a free plan can also build unique playlists too.

However, it is important to note that there will be some differences between what Premium and free users can do in relation to playlists on Spotify.

The main differences are:

  • Mobile users on a free plan will not be able to listen to their playlists in the order they choose.
  • Mobile users on Spotify free will only be able to shuffle their playlists.
  • Premium users can play their playlists from start to finish in the order they wish.
  • Premium users are not restricted to shuffle play but can choose to shuffle playlists at their discretion.
  • Free users will have a limit on the number of times they can skip tracks whilst listening to their playlists on mobile.

Despite the obvious differences and potential annoyances, free users can still build playlists and choose tracks from Spotify’s entire library – all without spending a penny.

If you’re not too happy about having to listen to your carefully curated playlist in shuffle, try switching to the desktop version of Spotify. HeadPhoneHonesty.com explains that:

“Despite not being stated explicitly on Spotify’s page, you can turn off shuffle play on the desktop app and web player – even with a free plan.”

Playing your playlists on a desktop computer means that you can enjoy your playlist in the order you think works the best.

But, remember, your listening will still be interrupted by ad breaks which is one of the major caveats of sticking to Spotify’s free plan.

Check also: Why is Spotify usernames random numbers and characters?

Can Free Spotify Users get the Wrapped Compilation?

Many Spotify users look forward to their ‘Wrapped’ compilation and the unique stats that Spotify provides at the end of the year.

Spotify Wrapped allows a user to look back at their listening habits and discover exactly what makes them a unique listener.

This year, Spotify went a step further and allowed users to find out what their musical personality is.

Whether you’re an ‘Adventurer’ or a ‘Specialist’, Spotify’s ability to track how you listen and provide you with a round-up of your personal journey on their platform excites and delights its user base.

Luckily, this yearly gift to the Spotify community is not restricted to its paying members, and even users on a free plan can enjoy this retrospective feature and share their findings with their friends.

Better yet, there are no additional features that are locked to Premium members, meaning that free users can be assured that they’re getting the most out of this year’s ‘Wrapped’.

Sometimes users experience glitches with this feature. If you are in this situation, check out our article Cannot See Spotify Wrapped, for some easy solutions.

Can Free Spotify Users Download Songs to Listen Offline?

The benefits of being able to take your music everywhere you go cannot be understated. Music streaming services, such as Spotify, have changed the way we listen to our songs and favorite artists.

By streaming music over the internet, users can access a vast library of tracks that their devices would never have the capacity for.

Streaming music ensures that you can listen to anything you want, anywhere you want, so long as you have a connection to the internet.

However, being dependent on a stable internet connection is not always ideal.

Sometimes it is not always possible to stream music because of limitations on internet data or being in a location that does not provide a connection.

It’s for these reasons that many users choose to download songs for offline listening.

Having a decent selection of music downloaded to your device means you never have to stop the music. If you don’t have access to the internet and you want to listen to your favorite album, simply ensure that it is downloaded to your device.

However, unfortunately, the ability to download songs for offline play is an exclusive feature for Spotify Premium members.

Spotify users on a free plan can only stream music and they will not find the option to download tracks, albums, or playlists.

Nevertheless, if you are a Spotify free user, this doesn’t mean that you cannot download anything for offline play, as Headphonehonesty.com points out:

“(…) you can download podcasts if you need something to help pass the time. There’s no hard limit on how many podcasts you can download; as long as your device has the storage, you can keep downloading them.” 

Occasionally, users have expressed frustration with Spotify downloading a song more than once. We’ve looked into this and have compiled a list of easy troubleshooting tips.

Check out our article about why Spotify downloads songs multiple times.

Can Free Spotify Users Listen to Joe Rogan?

It’s difficult not to mention Joe Rogan when writing about Spotify.

The controversy surrounding Joe Rogan’s podcast – The Joe Rogan Experience – and the outrage sparked because of Covid19 comments caused quite a stir across the internet.

Some users and artists put pressure on Spotify to remove Joe Rogan from the Spotify library, with notable artists, such as Neil Young and Joni Mitchell, pulling their music from the platform in protest.

However, Spotify has not removed the Joe Rogan Experience and instead has issued warnings about the content that is included in his podcasts.

Moreover, if you’re a free Spotify user, you can easily listen to Joe Rogan by simply searching for his name in the search bar on either the mobile or desktop app.

Additionally, as previously mentioned, all podcasts, including the Joe Rogan Experience, can be downloaded for offline listening – even with a free account.

Can Free Spotify Users Listen on Playstation & Xbox?

Gaming and music are a perfect pairing, with many users preferring to listen to their own music whilst playing certain games.

It’s no surprise, therefore, that Spotify has ensured that its users can take the Spotify experience onto consoles.

Spotify has also understood that many people use their game consoles for far more than simply playing games.

Consoles such as the Playstation and Xbox have become media hubs in people’s homes, and users require easy access to their music from their console’s menu screen.

It is for this reason that Spotify is available as an app for both Playstation and Xbox consoles – specifically, the PS3, PS4, and Xbox One.

After downloading the app and connecting your account, you’ll be able to listen to the music you love on your console, and, to ensure nobody is left out, Spotify confirms that:

“Both Spotify Free and Premium users can stream Spotify through their PlayStation console and Xbox One.”

[Source:Newsroom.Spotify.com]

 

Can Free Spotify Users Listen on iPhones & Android Devices?

Spotify has excellent compatibility when it comes to the different devices that support it. Additionally, that compatibility is not limited to paying Premium users.

If you are a free Spotify user and want to listen to Spotify on your mobile device, whether it be an iPhone or an Android device, you can be assured that you won’t run into problems.

Spotify can be downloaded as an app from both the Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store. After that, simply sign in or sign up (if you haven’t already), and you can start enjoying Spotify for free.

Remember, there are limitations on what features are available when using a free account on a mobile device.

For example, you have a limited number of times you can skip tracks, you cannot download songs for offline play, you cannot turn off shuffle on almost all playlists, and you will have ad breaks between every 2-4 songs.

What about iPads & Tablets?

iPads and tablets will pose no problem for Spotify users with a free account. The only thing to keep in mind is whether you are running the minimum required version of the operating system on your device.

The OS needed for Spotify to work on your device is the same for both phones and tablets, and is as follows:

  • For iOS devices, you will need to be running iOS 14 or above.
  • For Android devices, you need to be running Android OS 5.0 or above.

Can Free Spotify Users Control the Music via Alexa & Siri?

Controlling our music streaming services with personal assistants such as Siri and Alexa has become essential, especially when using smart speakers and soundbars.

Using either Siri or Alexa as a free Spotify user has never been easier.

When it comes to Siri, simply say: “Hey Siri” then state your command, such as ‘Play’ or ‘Pause’, followed by “on Spotify”.

For Alexa, you’ll need to download the Alexa app on your smart device and then follow these steps:

  1. Select the ‘Menu’ found in the top-left.
  2. Choose ‘Settings’
  3. Select ‘Music & Podcasts’
  4. Pick ‘Spotify’ and then select ‘Link account to Alexa’
  5. Finally, log in with your Spotify account details.

Once you’ve completed the process above, you’ll be able to simply say “Alexa” followed by your command and the words “on Spotify”.

Do note, as of 2023, only select countries allow for listening on Amazon’s Echo Dot for both Free and Premium accounts.

Can Free Spotify Users Upload Music & Podcasts?

There’s no doubt that Spotify has an enormous library of content that its users can enjoy and listen to. However, the platform does not have every song that’s ever been released.

Some users will find that certain songs cannot be found on Spotify, but that they happen to own the track and have it stored on their device.

In a situation such as this, the user may want to upload that track to their Spotify account so that they can listen to it whilst using the Spotify app.

Spotify has ensured that its users can upload their own tracks to listen to them alongside those found in Spotify’s database. However, only Premium members can do this on the mobile app.

Despite this, free users can use the desktop version of the app to upload songs from their computer into Spotify by following these steps:

  1. Launch Spotify on your desktop computer.
  2. Open ‘Settings’ and find ‘Local Files’
  3. Ensure ‘Show Local Files’ is toggled to its ON position.
  4. You will now see all of the local tracks that are available in the default folder for Spotify.
    • If the content you are looking for is not saved in the default folder, click ‘Add a source’ and pick the correct folder.
  5. All songs in the folder selected will be added and uploaded to your Spotify.
  6. Restart Spotify and then open your ‘Library’
  7. You should now have a playlist entitled ‘Local Files’ that includes all of the content that you’ve uploaded.

Sources

Spotify Free vs. Premium: Should You Upgrade?

Do You Get Spotify Wrapped Without A Premium Account?

How to Stream Spotify From Your Xbox, PlayStation, or Discord

How to upload music to Spotify and sync it to your phone

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