Dear Spotify Team,
We need to talk about the potential move to lock lyrics behind a premium paywall. I understand the need for profitability, and believe me, user frustration isn’t directed at that fundamental aspect of running a business. However, this particular change feels misjudged, and I wanted to articulate why many users, myself included, are concerned.
Locking Features Feels Like a Step Backwards
Taking away a feature that was previously freely available, especially one that enhances user experience like lyrics, feels incredibly unfair. It’s a classic case of diminishing user value. Imagine a car manufacturer suddenly charging extra for seatbelts – something previously standard. Even if this is just an “experiment,” it’s alienating users who have come to rely on and appreciate lyrics as part of the Spotify experience. Opt-in beta tests for new features are understandable, but removing existing quality-of-life aspects without user choice is likely to breed resentment.
Lyrics: A Core Feature, Not a Luxury Upcharge
The proposition of paying extra for lyrics is particularly jarring when a significant portion of Spotify’s library already lacks accurate or any lyrics at all. While lyric accuracy has improved, inconsistencies persist. Asking users to pay for a feature that isn’t consistently available across the platform feels like a misallocation of resources and a devaluation of the core listening experience. If the focus was on improving lyric availability and accuracy as a premium feature, the proposition might be more palatable. But paywalling the current, sometimes incomplete, lyric feature seems premature and frankly, a bit greedy.
The Cobra Effect: Paywalls May Backfire
There’s a real risk of a “cobra effect” scenario here. This refers to solutions that inadvertently worsen the problem they intend to solve. Paywalling lyrics could incentivize users to seek out alternative lyric sources outside of Spotify. We’ve seen this with YouTube’s aggressive ad-blocking measures, which ironically drove more users to ad-blockers, even paid ones. While some might just Google lyrics, this change sets a worrying precedent. Once features are deemed “premium,” where does it end?
Brand Damage: Is Short-Term Gain Worth Long-Term Pain?
In the short and long term, this kind of decision risks tarnishing Spotify’s reputation as a user-friendly and genuinely good company. Negative PR and user backlash are almost guaranteed when changes are perceived as purely profit-driven and against user interests. Is the potential revenue from lyric subscriptions worth the damage to Spotify’s brand image and user trust?
Innovation Stagnation: Focus on the Future, Not Feature Paywalls
Ultimately, making existing features premium instead of innovating and introducing new valuable features risks Spotify’s market leadership. Spotify is widely considered a top-tier music platform because of its comprehensive library and overall user experience. Users want Spotify to continue to evolve and innovate, not to nickel and dime existing functionalities. We want the best for Spotify, and we believe focusing on genuine innovation, not paywalling core features, is the path to long-term success.
Sincerely,
A music lover who hopes Spotify is listening, and believes it’s Not About The Money Lyrics, but about user experience and long-term value.
