Spotify expands Premium experience with customizable playlist transitions. Stock up 63% YTD. Analyst bullish on price hikes and non-music content.

The timing of the launch positions Spotify ahead of Apple Music’s AutoMix feature, currently in iOS 26 developer beta testing.

Spotify Technology’s (NYSE:SPOT) latest round of price hikes in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, ranging from 8% to 22%, has sparked renewed optimism among investors, as the changes strengthen the company’s margins and enhance its long-term growth outlook.

And for Apple fans, AutoMix arriving with iOS 26 means the days of clunky gaps or basic crossfades are gone. Even if Spotify took the lead in rollout, Apple’s solution will be sitting inside the default Music app on hundreds of millions of devices overnight.

To start, let's get a handle on how Spotify stock has performed. Since August 2020, five years ago, the company's stock has increased by 192%. That works out to a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 24%. It also compares favorably to the benchmark index, the S&P 500, which has increased by 91% over the same period, with a CAGR of 14%.

Following the December 15 th, 2022, stock price bottom of $72.36, Spotify has grown over ninefold to a current price of $732. Investors have pushed the stock higher following the promising turn from a money-losing enterprise to one that now generates substantial free cash flow.

Spotify is celebrating the sixth year of the partnership with Notting Hill Carnival. It has also launched Carnival Sounds, a dedicated hub where users can dive into Caribbean music, heritage and stories. For the first time, Spotify has partnered with The Black Curriculum to curate a bespoke selection of audiobooks and podcasts within the hub.