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Is a Spotify Premium worth it?

Spotify Premium individual plan — billed monthly.

Sticker price /mo
$11.99
Hours of life @ $25/hr
0.5 hrs
% of working year
0.02%
Workdays
0.1 days

Less than one hour of work. If it brings you real value, it's worth it.

How long it takes to earn it

Below is what Spotify Premium costs in real working hours, depending on what you actually take home. The math is simple: $11.99 ÷ wage = hours.

If you take homeHours of workWorkdays% of year
$15/hr0.8 hrs0.10 days0.04%
$20/hr0.6 hrs0.07 days0.03%
$25/hr0.5 hrs0.06 days0.02%
$40/hr0.3 hrs0.04 days0.01%
$60/hr0.2 hrs0.02 days<0.01%
$100/hr0.1 hrs0.01 days<0.01%

If this keeps happening

Spotify Premium is a monthlycost. Here's what it adds up to over time at a $25/hr wage.

Per year
6 hrs
$143.88
Per 10 years
58 hrs
$1,438.80
Opportunity cost
6 hrs
if invested @ 7% real
Over a 40-year career
230 hrs
$5,755.20

Frequently asked

How much is Spotify in work hours?

$11.99/mo is about 28 minutes of work per month at $25/hr.

Is Spotify Premium worth it vs free?

If you listen 30+ hours/month, the cost works out to under 40¢/hour of audio — better than nearly any media subscription on a cost-per-hour basis.

Family plan — does it pay off?

Family is $19.99/mo for up to 6 accounts. Two paying users individually = $24/mo — worth it from 2 people up.

Spotify vs Apple Music vs YouTube Music?

All three are $11.99/mo. Spotify wins on social features and discovery; Apple Music on lossless audio; YouTube Music includes YouTube Premium video for $13.99/mo.

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