Spotify is removing one of the barriers for users in the U.K. who choose to use the streaming service’s free option.

Starting today, users in the U.K. are no longer limited to 5 plays – the cap has been removed. Until now, Spotify Free users in the U.K. could only stream a specific track 5 times before it was removed from their available options – forever. This 5-play cap kicked in 6 months after users signed up for the free service.

Spotify first installed the 5-play cap back in 2011, when they also cut the total listening time (after 6 months) in half, from 20 hours per month to 10 hours per month.

Here’s what Spotify had to say:

We’ve got some mighty fine news for all Spotify Free users. From today, there’s no more 5 play-per-song limit. You can listen to your favourite songs as many times as you like.

That’s right, no more greyed-out songs. The tracks that you couldn’t listen to before will once again be available for your listening pleasure.

Give it a try.

This move means that free users in the U.K. can now experience Spotify in a way similar to most everyone else in the world – unlimited track streaming with a monthly total hours cap that is supported by ads. U.S. users have never had to deal with a specific track cap.

France is currently the only country that still has the 5-play-per-track cap.

Earlier this month, Spotify expanded its web player beta in the U.K., giving users another way to use the service. Spotify’s web player, first announced last year, is set to hit the U.S. later this year.

[Spotify UK via TechCrunch]