Spotify has unveiled a major overhaul to its free tier, eliminating longstanding restrictions that previously confined non-paying users to shuffle-only playback for specific tracks.
Announced on Monday, the update coincides with the ongoing rollout of lossless audio—delivering up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz FLAC quality—for Premium subscribers, which began on September 10 in over 50 markets at no extra cost. This dual push highlights Spotify's strategy to enhance both its ad-supported and paid experiences amid fierce competition in the streaming industry.
The new features, branded as "Pick & Play," "Search & Play," and "Share & Play," empower free users worldwide to directly search for, select, and play any song they desire without the frustration of randomized queues. Previously, one of the most criticized aspects of Spotify's free service was its shuffle mandate: when a user tapped on a specific track within an album or playlist, the app would default to playing songs in random order, compelling listeners to burn through limited skips—capped at just six per hour—to reach their intended selection.
This often led to a disjointed experience, pushing many users toward alternatives like YouTube Music for seamless on-demand access.
However, the freedom isn't entirely unrestricted. According to reports from CNET and clarifications from Spotify spokesperson Luke Mackay to The Verge, mobile free users will encounter ads between tracks and can only enjoy one consecutive on-demand song before the app reverts to shuffling.
Additionally, each user receives a daily allocation of on-demand listening time; once exhausted, the service limits skips to six per hour, maintaining an incentive for upgrading to Premium.
"Only Spotify Premium users have complete control to play and skip music without restrictions," Mackay explained.