US senators call for FTC probe into Spotify’s bundling practices

Spotify customers forced into bundled plans says David Israelite as Senators urge FTC to intervene

The US Federal Trade Commission has been formally asked to investigate Spotify’s decision, in 2023, to automatically opt its millions of premium subscribers into a new product that bundled audiobooks with music and podcasts. While the addition of audiobooks initially looked like a freebie, the extra content ultimately increased the cost of a subscription while also - in the US - reducing how much money flows to songwriters and music publishers. …

US senators call for FTC probe into Spotify’s bundling practices

Senators Marsha Blackburn and Ben Ray Luján said Spotify’s bundling practice “harm consumers and could deeply damage the marketplace.”