Most Spotify leavers had no observed rival paid-music subscription
Share of established U.S. panelists with no captured Apple Music, YouTube Music or Premium, Amazon Music, or Pandora subscription within 90 days after leaving Spotify
Share with no observed rival subscription
Source: YipitData U.S. e-receipt panel. February–April 2026 leavers n=4,552; February–April 2025 leavers n=1,880. Rival detection is a lower bound. Analysis completed August 18, 2026.
Chart data
| Series | Share with no observed rival subscription |
|---|---|
| February–April 2026 leavers | 86.9% |
| February–April 2025 leavers | 84.5% |
How often did Spotify leavers start a new rival subscription?
A small minority did. Among February–April 2026 leavers, 5.4% started a rival subscription that was absent during the prior 180 days, compared with 6.4% of February–April 2025 leavers. These percentages show where observed leavers went; they do not measure whether Spotify’s overall churn rate rose or fell.
Paid Spotify return rates ranged from 23.7% to 31.1% within a year among 2025 leavers
Only the 2025 cohort had a full year of follow-up; share with captured evidence of a paid Spotify subscription 90–365 days after cancellation, by 90-day destination
Share returning to paid Spotify
Source: YipitData U.S. e-receipt panel. Started a new rival n=132; no observed rival n=1,789; already had a rival n=177. The smaller started-new-rival and already-had-rival groups yield less precise estimates. Analysis completed August 18, 2026.
Chart data
| Series | Share returning to paid Spotify |
|---|---|
| Started a new rival | 31.1% |
| No observed rival | 25% |
| Already had a rival | 23.7% |
Assumptions & Methodologies
We analyzed established U.S. e-receipt panelists with Spotify cancellation emails and no paid Spotify return within 90 days: 4,552 who canceled in February–April 2026 and 1,880 who canceled in the same months of 2025. We checked captured Apple Music, YouTube Music or Premium, Amazon Music, and Pandora receipts 180 days before and 90 days after cancellation. No observed rival means no captured rival receipt; it can include Spotify free-tier use or uncaptured services. Twelve-month reactivation uses fully observed 2025 leavers. Competitor detection is a lower bound, and the comparison does not measure churn rates.