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Spotify quietly moves lyrics behind a paywall

Spotify didn't offer any more detail about why it's now paywalling lyrics, but clearly, it's a bid to push more people to its paid tier.

The response indicates the change to lyrics may be more than just a test but that Spotify isn’t yet prepared to make an official announcement about affected markets. However, at that time, a Spotify spokesperson clarified that the changes were “only a test” that was taking place with a limited number of users in a “pair of markets.” Spotify is no longer referring to the changes as a test, though it’s unclear why it wouldn’t document access to lyrics as being a premium feature somewhere on its website — like on the page where users can upgrade plans or within its help documentation. In its most recent quarter, the company reached m ore than 600 million monthly active users, ahead of estimates, and paid subscribers were up to 236 million+, representing 15% year-over-year growth.

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