Apple Music raises monthly prices as licensing costs climb
Apple Music’s U.S. individual plan is moving to $11.99 a month, with family and student tiers also getting price increases.
By Poppy Nakagawa · Culture Writer
2 min read
Apple Music is turning up the price dial for subscribers, with its U.S. individual plan rising by $1 a month and its family plan jumping by $3, Variety reported.
The change is Apple’s first price increase for the music-streaming service since fall 2022, according to Variety. The new rates took effect Friday in many markets where Apple Music operates worldwide, including the United States.
Apple pointed to music rights costs as the reason for the move. In a statement reported by Variety, the company said Apple Music is raising subscription prices “as a result of rising licensing costs.”
What Apple Music will cost now
In the U.S., Apple Music’s individual subscription is increasing from $10.99 to $11.99 per month, according to Variety.
The family plan, which includes access for up to six accounts, is rising from $16.99 to $19.99 per month.
The student plan is also going up. Verified students enrolled at a degree-granting university will now pay $6.99 per month, up from $5.99.
- Individual plan: $11.99 per month, up from $10.99
- Family plan: $19.99 per month, up from $16.99
- Student plan: $6.99 per month, up from $5.99
The increases land as subscription prices across major entertainment platforms continue to creep higher. For Apple Music, the company is tying the change directly to the cost of licensing music rather than announcing new features or expanded plan benefits.
Still below Spotify on key plans
Even after the increase, Apple Music remains cheaper than Spotify on its main U.S. subscription tiers, Variety reported.
Spotify raised its own U.S. prices earlier this year. Its individual premium plan moved from $11.99 to $12.99 per month, according to Variety. Spotify’s family plan, which also covers up to six accounts, increased from $19.99 to $21.99 per month.
That leaves Apple Music’s new $11.99 individual price $1 below Spotify’s current individual premium rate. Apple’s new $19.99 family plan is $2 below Spotify’s family plan.
Apple Music is one of Apple’s major subscription services, sitting alongside the company’s broader paid-services business. The company did not announce a change to the number of accounts included in the family plan, and Variety reported the student tier remains available to verified university students.
The new prices are already in effect in many Apple Music markets, including the U.S., according to Variety.
This story draws on original reporting from Variety.