How to get cheaper Netflix, Spotify, OTT subscription

Streaming and music services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Spotify have become sort of essentials for the Millennials, Gen Z, and the rest of the younger generation, even as inflation pushes up the price of living. So, what can one do to cut corners? Turn to technical hacks of course!

Twitter user Kamil Choudhury tweeted how he gets the cheaper versions of Netflix and in the latest, Spotify premium subscription. 

Choudhury in a tweet said that whenever a Western streaming platform raises their subscription prices in the US, he just subscribes setting his location from Bangladesh, which costs much less. 

Every time a US company raises its streaming prices on me, I cancel and resubscribe from Bangladesh.

Today it's Spotify's turn; they used to get $12.99 a month from me, but will be getting ~$2.40 a month going forward. pic.twitter.com/p9hmkFGsnR

— Kamil Choudhury (@kchoudhu) July 24, 2023

Why 

• You see, the prices of Netflix, Amazon, Spotify, and several such streaming platform subscriptions differ from country to country. 
• For example, Netflix standard plan in the US costs $15.49 per month (Rs 1,270), but the Netflix standard in India costs Rs 500 per month; both of which are without ads. 
• So, there are several like Kamil Choudhury who make Netflix think they are subscribing from places with cheaper pricing like India or Bangladesh, while living in places like the US. 

Changing my Netflix country to Bangladesh to save $10 a month.

— Kamil Choudhury (@kchoudhu) May 27, 2023

Can you also do this? 

It's possible to use this hack, which has existed for a while. But whether it will be effective and for how long, depends on the policies of various platforms.

Here are a few ways in which you can try this hack:

• If you are someone like Kamil Choudhury who has an ID and a payment method from a different country, it works best. 
• Some say that they logged into their Netflix or other such platforms while travelling through a different country where prices were cheaper. They signed in using their local payment methods and even after they moved, it remained the same. 

Life hack: 8 years ago my wife and I spent ~5 wks in Kenya/surrounding area. We signed up for Netflix. Apparently we are still somehow getting charged in Kenyan shillings and it’s like $100/yr cheaper (~$800 so far!)

— Greg Kamstra (@gkamstra) April 2, 2023

• However, it is best to invest in a good VPN connection to be able to set your location in a different country. VPNs, of course, have several more advantages than just helping you connect your Netflix to Japan from the US. 
• Though, Netflix says that whenever subscribers are using VPN, the content they show is only those that are globally available and not any region specific. However, it may not be true if you are using an especially good VPN connection. 
• When it comes to Spotify, you can also use VPN to connect to a country with cheaper pricing. However, some Twitter users pointed out that you can use Spotify Premium from outside the logged-in country for more than 15 days. 

Changing my Netflix country to Bangladesh to save $10 a month.

— Kamil Choudhury (@kchoudhu) May 27, 2023

• Again, a good VPN can perhaps overcome the problem of geo-blocks. 
• Furthermore, you can also use Spotify or other platforms from regions where they are banned like Dubai or China, using a good VPN. 

What to expect 

• You should know that this hack comes in a bit of a legal gray area because content producers are very particular about distribution. 
• You should also expect the content to be different. You may not be able to watch some titles which are exclusively available in a specific country.