Review
Spotify Review 2026 — Still the Default, But Should It Be?
Spotify is still where most people stream music, and its discovery algorithm remains the best in the business. But at $11.99/month with a pro-rata royalty model that pays artists $0.003–0.005 per stream, the gap between product quality and ethical economics keeps widening.
Updated 2026-03-27
Key takeaways
- •The discovery algorithm and personalised playlists are still best-in-class.
- •Pro-rata royalties pay artists roughly $0.003–0.005 per stream — among the lowest.
- •The podcast and audiobook pivot has diluted the music-first experience.
- •At $11.99/month, it is no longer the cheapest or most compelling option.
Pros
- •Best discovery algorithm and personalised playlist generation in streaming.
- •Largest active user base creates strong social and sharing features.
- •Massive catalog of over 100 million songs with strong coverage across genres.
Cons
- •Pro-rata royalties are among the worst per-stream rates for artists.
- •Increasing focus on podcasts and audiobooks dilutes the music experience.
- •$11.99/month is standard pricing with no fan-centric differentiation.
What Spotify gets right
Spotify's recommendation engine is genuinely excellent. Discover Weekly, Release Radar, and the personalised Daily Mixes consistently surface music you did not know you wanted. No competitor has matched this at scale.
The social layer — shared playlists, listening activity, Wrapped — creates network effects that keep users locked in. Spotify is not just an app; it is a social graph built around music.
Where it falls short
The royalty model is the elephant in the room. Spotify pays roughly $0.003–0.005 per stream through a pooled pro-rata system. Your subscription does not go to the artists you listen to — it goes into a pool and gets distributed by market share.
The pivot toward podcasts and audiobooks has made Spotify a less focused music product. Home screen real estate increasingly goes to non-music content, and the company's investments suggest music is becoming one vertical among many rather than the core mission.
FAQ
Is Spotify still the best streaming service in 2026?
It is the best at discovery and social features. It is among the worst at paying artists fairly. Whether it is "best" depends entirely on what you prioritise.
Why do artists complain about Spotify payouts?
Spotify uses a pro-rata model where all subscription revenue is pooled and split by market share. This means your money subsidises artists you never listen to, and per-stream rates for smaller artists are extremely low.
Want the head-to-head version?
Use the comparison library to see how each service stacks up against Lissen on price, discovery, catalog depth, and where your money actually goes.