You can get Spotify Premium for free by starting the official Try 1 month for $0 trial on spotify.com/premium, as long as you have never had Premium before.
This guide covers every legitimate route Spotify lists, including Premium Student, Family and Duo invites and partner plans, plus how to avoid the first charge and what to do when the trial does not appear.
How to start the Spotify Premium free trial
In the US, Spotify offers Premium Individual at $0 for 1 month, then $12.99 per month. The offer only applies if you have not tried Premium before.
- Open spotify.com/premium in a web browser on your phone or computer.
- Select Try 1 month for $0 under Premium Individual.
- Log in to your Spotify account, or sign up for a new free account.
- Choose a payment method from the list shown for your country.
- Confirm the order to start Premium straight away.
On an iPhone or iPad, use the browser rather than the Spotify app. Apple restrictions stop you from subscribing to Premium inside the iOS app.
Current legitimate ways to get Spotify Premium for free
Every route below comes from Spotify's own plan and support pages. Prices are the US list prices shown on spotify.com/premium.
| Your situation | Use this route | What it costs you |
|---|---|---|
| Never had Premium on this account | 1-month Premium Individual trial | $0 for 1 month, then $12.99 per month |
| Enrolled at an eligible college or university | Premium Student trial, verified by SheerID | $0 for 1 month, then $6.99 per month with Hulu (With Ads) included |
| You live with someone who pays for Premium Family | Accept their Family plan invite | Nothing for members; the plan manager pays $21.99 per month |
| You live with one person who pays for Premium Duo | Accept their Duo plan invite | Nothing for the member; the plan manager pays $18.99 per month |
| Your phone or internet provider includes Spotify | Activate Premium through that partner | Billed or bundled by the provider, not Spotify |
| You are a Starbucks partner (employee) | Premium through the Starbucks Partner Hub | Managed by Starbucks, not Spotify |
| You hold an unused Spotify gift card | Redeem it at spotify.com/account/redeem | Already paid for; new gift cards are no longer sold |
| None of these apply | Spotify Free | $0 with ads, no card required |
Earlier Spotify promotions offered three free months. The current US offer for both Individual and Student is one month, and the length shown when you sign up is what applies.
If you have an old card, you can redeem a Spotify Premium code on an Individual plan. Gift cards cannot be applied to Student, Family, Duo or trial offers.
How to get Spotify Premium for students
Premium Student gives eligible college and university students discounted Premium for up to 4 years. You renew and reverify every 12 months, and Hulu (With Ads) is included at no extra cost.
- Open the Premium Student page on spotify.com and fill out the SheerID verification form.
- Pick your school from the list. If it is not listed, you are not eligible at this time.
- Log in to your school portal, or upload an official enrollment document from the current term.
- Wait for the SheerID confirmation email, which can take several days.
- Use the link in that email to apply the discount to a new or existing Spotify account.
- Return to your Spotify account and subscribe to Premium Student with an eligible payment method.
- Activate Hulu (With Ads) from your Spotify services page.
You cannot pay for Premium Student through mobile billing or a phone or internet provider. SheerID accepts an enrollment letter, current class schedule, registration or tuition receipt, or a transcript showing current classes; acceptance letters are refused.
Accept a legitimate Family or Duo invitation
Premium Family covers up to 6 people who live together, and Premium Duo covers 2. Each member keeps a separate account, and only the plan manager pays.
- Log in to your own Spotify account.
- Open the invite link the plan manager sent to your email.
- Click Accept invite.
- Select Yes, continue to confirm the account, or Change account to pick another one.
- Enter the same home address as the plan manager and click Confirm.
You must live at the plan manager's address, and members can switch plans only once every 12 months. Joining a Family or Duo plan also counts as having had Premium, so it ends your eligibility for a later free trial.
How to stop a free trial from becoming a charge
When the trial ends, Premium renews at the advertised monthly price unless you cancel first. Cancelling during a $0 trial switches your account to Spotify Free immediately, and that trial cannot be reactivated.
- Note your trial end date at the top of your account page on spotify.com.
- Set a reminder for a day or two before that date if you want to use the full month.
- On that day, go to Manage your plan on your account page.
- Select Cancel subscription.
- Keep going until you see the confirmation message.
- Check that the account page now shows the date your account switches to Spotify Free.
Your playlists and saved music stay on the account after it returns to Spotify Free. If Manage your plan has no option to change or cancel, a partner company bills you, so use the contact link under Payment instead.
Why the free trial may not appear
The page shows a price instead of Try 1 month for $0
Spotify trials are for accounts that have never had Premium in any form.
- Check whether this account has had a trial, has paid for Premium, or has been part of Premium Family or Duo; any of these ends eligibility.
- Log in with your other sign-in methods (email, phone number, Apple, Google) in case Premium was used on a different account.
- Choose a paid plan or Spotify Free if the account has already used its trial.
Why won't Spotify let me get Premium in the iPhone app?
Apple restrictions block Premium sign-up inside the iOS app.
- Open Safari or another browser on the iPhone or iPad.
- Go to spotify.com/premium and pick your plan there.
- Reopen the Spotify app once the order is confirmed.
Premium Student verification does not work
SheerID cannot match your details, or your school is not on its list.
- Try the SheerID form again in an incognito or private browser window.
- Upload a document dated within the current term or the last 3 months with your first name, last name and school name.
- Request a new upload link by signing up again if the old one is more than 7 days old.
- Contact SheerID support, because Spotify cannot help with student verification.
Mobile payment option is refused
The phone number, credit or connection failed during sign-up.
- Recheck the phone number you entered.
- Confirm your mobile account has enough credit.
- Wait a few days and try again in a private window, or choose a different payment method.
What to do if you were charged after canceling
A small charge appeared when the free trial started
Spotify places a temporary authorization hold to check your payment method.
- Wait for the hold to drop off; Spotify releases it immediately, but your bank can take longer.
- Check your receipts on your account page to confirm no subscription payment was taken.
The account page still shows a next payment date
The cancellation did not finish.
- Go to Manage your plan again.
- Select Cancel subscription and continue until the confirmation message appears.
The account page says Spotify Free but the charges continue
Premium is active on a different Spotify account.
- Log out of Spotify.
- Log back in with each of your other email addresses or sign-in methods.
- Cancel Premium on the account that shows a plan and payment.
There is no option to cancel or change the plan
A partner such as your phone or internet provider bills the plan.
- Go to Manage your plan and check Payment.
- Use the partner's contact link shown there to cancel or ask for a refund, because Spotify cannot refund partner payments.
A normal cancellation keeps Premium until the end of the paid period, and Spotify does not refund the rest of that month.
Why do I still get ads on Spotify Premium?
Ads play inside podcasts on Premium
Premium removes ads that interrupt music, but audio podcasts can still carry Spotify ads, host-read endorsements and sponsor messages.
- Check whether the ad is inside a podcast episode rather than between songs.
- Expect creator sponsorships to remain on video podcasts even on Premium.
Ads play between songs after you subscribed
The app is signed in to a free account, or it has not picked up the plan change.
- Log out of Spotify and log back in to force an update.
- Open Edit login methods on your account page to confirm you are using the account with Premium.
- Ask the plan manager to invite you again if you were on a Family or Duo plan and have been removed.
Why Premium APKs and account generators are not a solution
Modded Premium APKs, cracked desktop clients, ad blockers for Spotify, account generators and shared logins all break Spotify's terms. They are not a free version of Premium.
| Shortcut people try | What Spotify's rules say |
|---|---|
| Modded or cracked Spotify apps | The User Guidelines ban reverse-engineering, decompiling, modifying or creating derivative works of the service. |
| Ad blockers for Spotify | The User Guidelines ban circumventing or blocking ads and distributing tools built to block them. |
| Shared or generated logins | The User Guidelines ban giving your password to anyone or using someone else's username and password. |
| Bought or resold accounts | The User Guidelines ban selling a user account, and the Terms ban selling or transferring the service. |
| Any trick to skip payment | The Terms of Use require you not to access a paid subscription or trial without paying the applicable price. |
Spotify can suspend or terminate an account that breaks these rules, which removes your playlists and library along with it. A file from an unofficial source also has none of the protection of the official app.
What you can use for free without Premium
Spotify Free needs no credit card and lets you play millions of songs and podcasts with ads. You can install the Spotify app for Windows and Mac or use the web player on the free tier.
| Feature | Spotify Free | Spotify Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Music and podcasts | Yes, with ads | Ad-free music; some podcasts still carry ads |
| Playlists and recommendations | Yes | Yes |
| Play songs in any order and unlimited skips | Limited | Yes |
| Music downloads for offline listening | No | Up to 10,000 tracks on up to 5 devices |
| Lossless audio | No | Up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz FLAC |
| Uninterrupted music videos | No | Yes |
| Audiobook listening time | Not included | 15 hours a month from the subscriber catalog |
How to check your Spotify Premium plan is active
- Open the Spotify mobile app and tap your profile picture at the top.
- Tap Settings and privacy.
- Tap Account, then Billing.
- Confirm the plan name reads Premium and note the next billing date.
- Play a playlist and confirm no ads appear between songs and a download button works.
On a computer, the top of your account page on spotify.com shows the same plan and billing date.
Spotify Premium free trial FAQ
Can I try Spotify Premium for free?
Yes. Spotify offers Premium Individual at $0 for 1 month in the US if the account has never had Premium. Start it at spotify.com/premium, then it renews at $12.99 per month unless you cancel.
How do I get Spotify Premium for 3 months?
The current US offer on spotify.com/premium is one month free for Premium Individual and Premium Student. Spotify has run longer promotions in the past, and the trial length shown at sign-up is the one that applies to you.
Can you get Spotify Premium free as a student?
Yes, for the first month. Premium Student is $0 for 1 month, then $6.99 per month with Hulu (With Ads) included. You need SheerID to verify enrollment at an eligible college or university.
How do I get Spotify Premium for cheap?
Premium Student costs $6.99 per month in the US. Premium Duo at $18.99 and Premium Family at $21.99 cost less per person than separate Individual plans when the members share one home address.
Can I get Spotify Premium free forever?
No. The trial lasts a set period and then renews at the monthly price. The only lasting $0 options are Spotify Free with ads, or a Family or Duo plan where someone you live with pays.
How do I get Spotify Premium for a year?
No official route gives a free year. Premium Student lasts up to 4 years at a discount with reverification every 12 months. Old Spotify gift cards can stack up to 18 months of Premium, but new ones are no longer sold.
Can I cancel a Spotify free trial and keep Premium until it ends?
No. Cancelling during a $0 trial moves the account to Spotify Free immediately, and the trial cannot be reactivated. Cancel a day or two before the end date if you want the full month.
Why can't I get Spotify Premium?
On an iPhone or iPad, the app cannot sell Premium because of Apple restrictions, so subscribe at spotify.com/premium in a browser. If the trial is missing, the account has already had Premium, a trial or a Family or Duo plan.
Why did I randomly get Spotify Premium?
Check Manage your plan on your account page. A Family or Duo invite you accepted, a partner bundle from your phone or internet provider, or a redeemed gift card all show there with the plan type and payment source.
How do I pay for Spotify Premium?
Choose a plan at spotify.com/premium, and the next page lists the payment methods for your country. In some regions this includes paying through your mobile bill, which needs text message confirmation.
What are the benefits of Spotify Premium?
Premium adds ad-free music, offline downloads of up to 10,000 tracks on 5 devices, songs in any order with unlimited skips, lossless audio up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz, uninterrupted music videos and monthly audiobook listening time.
Are Spotify Premium APKs safe or legitimate?
No. Spotify's User Guidelines ban modified apps, ad blocking and shared logins, and an account that breaks them can be suspended or terminated. Modded APKs also come from unofficial sources with no security checks.
The bottom line: is there a free Spotify Premium that lasts?
Start the 1-month trial at spotify.com/premium, or Premium Student if you qualify, and cancel a day before the trial ends if you do not want to pay. These are the only free Premium routes Spotify offers directly. After that, joining a Family or Duo plan at your own address or staying on Spotify Free keeps the cost at $0 without risking the account.
