- Prices are rising on almost all Apple Music tiers
- There are also some price increases for Apple Music
- These are the first price increases we have seen since October 2022
Apple Music is the latest subscription package to increase in price, leaving users the option of paying more or losing access to the streaming portion of their library. The bundled Apple One bundle that includes Apple Music now costs more, too.
As reported by Music Business Worldwide (via Engadget), the reason cited by Apple is “increased licensing costs.” It’s the first price increase for this particular subscription that we’ve seen since October 2022. The new monthly prices are below:
| Header cell: column 0 |
US |
United Kingdom |
Australia |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Individual |
$11.99 (up to $1) |
£11.99 (up to £1) |
AU$14.99 (up to AU$2) |
|
Family |
$19.99 (up to $3) |
£19.99 (up from £3) |
23.99 AUD (up to 4 AUD) |
|
Student |
$6.99 (up to $1) |
£5.99 (no change) |
AU$7.99 (up to $1) |
The price increases for the Apple One are less clear, as they are not as readily available on Apple’s website. It appears that the Apple One Family plan is now $27.95 per month (up from $2) and the Apple One Premier plan is now $39.95 (also up from $2), although the Apple One Individual plan has remained at $19.95. Internationally, similar price increases are likely.
This comes at a time when everything tech-related is becoming more expensive, from laptops to streaming services. The explosion in demand for AI resources has skyrocketed the price of memory and storage, and that continues to have a knock-on effect everywhere.
Loss of control
Apple raises prices for Apple Music and Apple One subscriptions
from r/apple
Of course, Apple is by no means the first company to increase its subscription prices, but it is a reminder of the dangers of the digital rental model. As soon as you stop paying, you lose access, so if you need a service, you have no choice but to accept the higher price.
The online reaction has also largely focused on this: “Sometimes it’s not even about the cost,” writes one redditor. “It’s about losing control over finances. Companies can increase their prices whenever they want.” Few commentators seem ready to abandon Apple Music, although many point to the billions Apple has in the bank.
Apple Music doesn’t have a free tier like Spotify, but it beats all other music streaming services in the support it provides for local files. If you have enough ripped MP3s and CDs, you can use them perfectly without a subscription.
As we’ve written recently, Apple is increasingly selling software products through recurring payments rather than a one-time, fixed fee, and one of the reasons is that it’s more profitable and makes it more likely that users will keep paying.
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