The Stockholm-based company is testing the price increase to see if it can raise prices in other parts of the world. (Bloomberg)

Talking point: Spotify has resisted pressure from record labels to raise prices for years. There are a few factors that could make things different this time around. First, the company’s revenue per listener is declining as it offers new users discounts to try and bring them in. Second, Spotify is growing faster than its closest competitor, Apple Music, giving it some leeway to experiment in a market in which it has a strong presence; the company is the dominant player in Northern Europe. Third, Spotify’s stock is largely flat from when it went public in April 2018. If it can pull off a price increase globally, that would significantly help its revenues. That said, Spotify is already expending serious resources on an expansion into Asia, where it’s discounting its services in an attempt to compete with local players. At least in the short term, higher prices in markets where it’s dominant and lower ones elsewhere could be in store.