How to manage your Spotify subscription from your account settings
You can change your Spotify plan, pause your subscription temporarily, or cancel it entirely from your account page on Spotify's website or through the Spotify app. The steps are the same whether you signed up directly with Spotify or through a third party like Apple, Google Play, or Amazon. Log into your account, go to your subscription or billing section, and you'll see your current plan and options to modify it.
If you signed up through a third-party platform — Apple, Google Play, Amazon Music Unlimited bundle, or another service — you'll need to manage your subscription through that platform instead, not through Spotify itself. Spotify's website will tell you where your subscription is managed and may provide a direct link to the right place.
Changes take effect immediately for downgrades and cancellations. Upgrades to a paid plan start right away, and you'll be charged a prorated amount if you're switching mid-billing cycle. Pausing your subscription freezes your billing until you resume it, which you can do anytime within a set window (usually up to six months, though this varies).
Key Takeaways
- Log into your Spotify account on the website or app, find your subscription settings, and you can downgrade, pause, or cancel from there.
- If you subscribed through Apple, Google Play, Amazon, or another third party, you must manage your subscription through that platform, not Spotify.
- Downgrades and cancellations take effect immediately; upgrades charge you a prorated amount for the remainder of your current billing cycle.
- Pausing your subscription stops billing but keeps your account and playlists intact; you can resume within the allowed window, which typically runs several months.
- Cancellation removes access to premium features but does not delete your account or playlists — you can reactivate anytime.
Downgrading from Premium to Free
Downgrading to Spotify Free removes your premium features — offline downloads, ad-free listening, higher audio quality, and the ability to skip unlimited tracks — but keeps your account, playlists, and saved songs intact. Your downgrade takes effect immediately, even if you're mid-billing cycle, and you won't be charged again.
To downgrade, go to your account settings, find your subscription or plan section, and select the Free plan option. Spotify will ask you to confirm. After downgrade, you'll see ads during playback and can skip only six times per hour on mobile. Your playlists remain saved and private, and you can upgrade back to Premium anytime.
Upgrading to Premium or a different paid plan
Spotify offers several paid tiers: Premium (standard individual plan), Premium Duo (two accounts), Premium Family (up to six accounts), and Premium Student (discounted rate for verified students). You can upgrade from Free to any of these, or switch between paid plans, directly from your account settings.
When you upgrade mid-cycle, Spotify charges you a prorated amount for the days remaining in your current billing period, then switches you to the new plan's regular price on your next renewal date. For example, if you upgrade from Premium to Premium Family on the 15th of a 30-day cycle, you'll pay a prorated amount for those 15 days plus the Family plan's full price starting on day 1 of your next cycle.
Student discounts require verification through Spotify's partner verification service. You'll need a valid student email or proof of enrollment. The discount applies only to Premium Student; if you lose student status, your plan reverts to standard Premium pricing.
Pausing your subscription temporarily
Pausing stops your billing without cancelling your account. Your playlists, saved songs, and listening history stay in place, and you can resume your subscription anytime within the pause window. Spotify typically allows you to pause for up to six months, though the exact window may vary by region or plan type.
To pause, go to your subscription settings and look for a pause or suspend option. You'll see how long you can pause and when your pause window expires. During the pause, you'll have access only to Spotify Free features — ads will play, and you can't download tracks. Once you resume, you return to your paid plan immediately and billing restarts on your next scheduled renewal date.
Pausing is useful if you're traveling, temporarily unable to pay, or simply not using the service for a few months. It's faster than cancelling and resubscribing, since you don't lose your account data or have to go through setup again.
Cancelling your Spotify subscription
Cancelling removes your access to premium features and stops all billing. Your account remains active, your playlists and saved songs stay saved, and you can reactivate your subscription anytime by upgrading back to a paid plan. Cancellation takes effect immediately, even if you're mid-billing cycle — Spotify does not issue refunds for unused time.
To cancel, go to your account settings, find your subscription section, and select the cancel or downgrade option. Spotify will ask you to confirm and may offer you a discounted rate to stay. After you confirm, you'll see a confirmation email, and your premium access ends right away. You can still log in and use Spotify Free.
If you cancel by mistake or change your mind, you can reactivate your subscription immediately from the same settings page. There's no waiting period or penalty for reactivating.
Managing subscriptions set up through third parties
If you signed up for Spotify through Apple, Google Play, Amazon, or another platform, your subscription is managed through that platform's billing system, not Spotify's. Changes you make in Spotify's app or website won't affect your subscription — you have to go to the platform where you signed up.
To find where your subscription is managed, log into Spotify on the web, go to your account settings, and look for a section labeled "Subscription" or "Billing." Spotify will tell you which platform manages your subscription and often provides a direct link to manage it there. For Apple subscriptions, go to your Apple ID settings on your device or at appleid.apple.com. For Google Play, go to your Google Play account on a web browser or in the Play Store app. For Amazon, log into your Amazon account and find your subscriptions in account settings.
Downgrading, pausing, or cancelling through the third-party platform works the same way as cancelling directly with Spotify — changes take effect immediately, your account stays active, and you can reactivate anytime.
What happens to your data when you cancel or pause
Cancelling or pausing does not delete your account, playlists, saved songs, or listening history. All of that stays in place as long as your account exists. If you reactivate your subscription within a reasonable time, everything will be exactly as you left it.
Spotify's policy on how long inactive accounts are kept varies, but generally your data persists for years after cancellation. If you're concerned about losing your playlists or data, you can export them before you cancel — Spotify allows you to download your data through your account settings under privacy or data export options.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I get a refund if I cancel mid-cycle?
No. Spotify does not issue refunds for unused time in your billing cycle. If you cancel on the 15th of a 30-day cycle, you lose access to premium features immediately, but you won't be refunded for the remaining 15 days. Your next billing date simply never comes.
Can I change my subscription plan without cancelling?
Yes. You can upgrade or downgrade to a different plan directly from your subscription settings without cancelling first. Upgrades charge you a prorated amount for the remainder of your cycle; downgrades take effect immediately with no refund.
What's the difference between pausing and cancelling?
Pausing stops your billing but keeps your premium features frozen in place — you can resume anytime within the pause window (usually six months). Cancelling removes premium access immediately and converts you to Free, but your account and playlists stay saved. Both let you reactivate later.
If I signed up through Apple or Google Play, can I cancel through Spotify's website?
No. You must cancel through the platform where you signed up. Spotify's website will tell you which platform manages your subscription and usually provides a link to manage it there. Changes made in Spotify's app or website won't affect a third-party subscription.
Do I lose my playlists if I downgrade to Free?
No. Your playlists, saved songs, and listening history all stay with your account when you downgrade to Free. You can still see and play them, but you'll hear ads and have other Free limitations. If you upgrade back to Premium later, everything is still there.