Spotify has announced that it has resolved a peculiar glitch that was causing ads to be shown to Premium users.

      Spotify users are encountering a peculiar issue where they are being served ads despite holding a Premium subscription. Many users have taken to the Spotify community forum, Reddit, and X to express their frustration about ads that are unskippable. Spotify's support team has acknowledged the problem and stated that their engineering team is investigating it. In a forum post, Spotify recommended that if the issue persists, users should try logging in and out of their accounts 2-3 times to ensure normal synchronization.

      Additionally, Spotify has advised users to clear the app's cache on their devices and restart the app. They have even suggested that users might consider uninstalling and reinstalling the app, although it is uncertain if this workaround will be effective.

      Despite these suggestions, many users have reported that the workaround has not resolved the issue. The ads seem to affect users subscribed to individual, Duo, and Family premium plans. One user commented on the frustration, stating, "I am having the same problem today, have checked all settings and logged in and out multiple times. This is driving me insane. They need to fix this soon." Another user added, "I started experiencing the same issue just a couple of hours ago. I've logged in and out, tried multiple devices, and confirmed that my payment is up to date."

      Some users are experiencing an overwhelming number of ads back-to-back. One Reddit user lamented, "I just had three ads in a row. If ads are going to play on Spotify despite the subscription, I’ll switch to Apple Music."

      This ad issue does not appear to be limited to the mobile app; numerous reports indicate similar problems on the web player and when streaming through smart home devices. Additionally, some users have noted that skipping songs and using the shuffle feature is also malfunctioning.

      Spotify has not yet provided a detailed explanation of what caused these internal problems, and no single solution has proven effective for all affected users.

      In other news, Spotify plans to launch its hi-fi streaming tier later this year and has opened its platform for AI-generated audiobooks. Meanwhile, YouTube has introduced a Premium Lite subscription in the US this week, which does not include access to YouTube Music Premium or features like background play.

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      Spotify CEO Daniel Ek discussed the long-anticipated HiFi service, stating it “has value” but is primarily for “aficionados.” If you're still eagerly awaiting the much-delayed Spotify HiFi service, you may want to avoid holding your breath, as it's been over two years since the announcement. During an earnings call for the second quarter of 2023, Ek didn't provide significant new information about the "lossless CD-quality" streaming option, which was announced in February 2021, but he did respond to inquiries about potential higher audio quality.

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      Spotify has confirmed that it will raise the prices of its Premium subscriptions across the board, not just for individual accounts. This confirmation follows a Friday afternoon report by The Wall Street Journal, signaling a price increase for the first time. Account holders will receive a notification email about the change, which will take effect one month later. This price hike will align Spotify with its competitors, several of whom have recently raised their rates.

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      The Wall Street Journal reported that Spotify is preparing to announce a monthly subscription fee increase for the first time. According to this unconfirmed report, Spotify Premium will rise by $1 a month to $11. The company has yet to officially announce any price changes. For a long time, Spotify has resisted price hikes, but this shift would bring it in line with major competitors, many of whom have also raised their prices to the $11 level.