In this economy, how many worthwhile things can you buy for $11.99 or less? A couple of cans of unhealthy soda, maybe a quarter tank of gas, a slice of pizza, four rides on the New York City subway, an extortionately priced cup of fancy coffee… or a month-long subscription to the biggest (licensed) music library in the world.

Which is the best deal by far? Music might not prevent you from starving from hunger, but it will keep you alive in other ways. And the long-rumored news that Spotify will soon raise subscription prices in the U.S. by a whopping dollar per month to $12.99 could not be more welcome for the music economy — as long as that estimated $500 million lift in annual revenue is being used in a way that helps musicians and songwriters as well as music companies, Spotify and its investors.

Related Stories

'Anatomy of Murder' Podcast Creators Sue Ashley Flowers' Audiochuck, Alleging They Weren't Paid Fair Share of SiriusXM Ad Deal Amounting to Millions of Dollars

The gramophone, the transistor radio, the cassette player, MTV, the Walkman and discman, the iPod and Spotify — those are the greatest inventions in the past century of music listening, because they revolutionized how and where we listen........

© Variety