Spotify Free Users Gain On-Demand Playback in Personalized Playlists

Spotify has rolled out an update allowing free-tier users to play any track on-demand — but with a key caveat: this on-demand playback currently applies only within a set of personalized playlists (reported as 15 curated playlists tailored to each user). Previously, free accounts were limited to shuffle play for most content.

What changed

• Free users can select and play any song on-demand inside select personalized playlists.
• The feature is rolling out globally.

Limitations that remain

• Ads are still present on the free tier.
• Skip limits and other free-tier restrictions remain in place outside the specified playlists.
• High-fidelity audio, offline downloads and ad-free listening remain Premium features.

Sources & further reading

Major outlets reporting on the change include TIME and Music Business Worldwide. For details on Spotify’s free plan features, see Spotify Support: Spotify Basic.

Join the conversation

Have you seen the new playlists? Which song are you testing first? Share your picks in the comments below.