Spotify might start limiting certain songs that its free users can listen to. Spotify would partner with artists and only allow its Premium subscribers to access certain albums and songs.

Spotify has a large amount of ad-supported subscribers that stream free music. The new idea from Spotify would block the large pool of free users from accessing these songs and albums, Tech Radar reports.

Wall Street Journal reports Spotify will begin testing a restricted service and see what happens to its free subscriber and Premium subscriber numbers.

Tech Radar noted back in August that Spotify was thinking of placing more restrictions on the free version of Spotify. Spotify was also considering putting a listening limit on new content for free users and delivering exclusives for the Premium subscribers.

Spotify wants to keep artists happy. Artists are realizing that digital and streaming music is now the way that most music listeners consume songs, and physical album sales are declining immensely. Spotify wants to offer something special to convince listeners to upgrade to the Premium version.

About 80 percent of Spotify's users currently just use the free version of the streaming music service. Spotify realizes that many people are hesitant to start paying for the service but wants to find a way to compromise.

"If we build the revenue model around 'freemium'," Spotify CEO Daniel Ek previously told The Guardian, "the music industry will be much larger than it's ever been before, more artists will be able to make a living by being artists and more people will listen in turn." 

Taylor Swift and Adele have refused to allow many of their songs to make it to the free listeners. Spotify has to find a way to strike a deal with artists and record labels that will please them, while still convincing listeners to pay for the service in some way.

Spotify has offered equal access to big name artists and small name and indie artists. If Spotify offers the big names for a fee and the smaller name artists are still free, some artists might start feeling ripped off.