Apple has raised the monthly price of Apple Music in the United States, making the streaming service more expensive for individual, family, and student subscribers. The individual plan now costs $11.99 per month, up from $10.99, according to The Verge.
The family plan gets a larger jump: it now costs $19.99 per month, up from $16.99. The student plan is now $6.99 per month, up from $5.99.
- Individual plan: $11.99 per month, up $1 from $10.99
- Family plan: $19.99 per month, up $3 from $16.99
- Student plan: $6.99 per month, up $1 from $5.99
Apple told Music Business Worldwide that the increases are the result of higher licensing costs. In plain English, Apple says the bill for offering the music catalog has gone up, so subscribers are getting a higher monthly charge. That is Apple’s explanation, and it is doing a lot of work.
The hikes are not limited to the US
Music Business Worldwide reported that Apple Music prices have also increased in the UK and Europe. The publication also said it understands that price rises are reaching other countries, though that broader rollout was not detailed in the report.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Verge, according to the publication. That leaves the public record thin: new prices, one stated reason, and no detailed breakdown of which licensing costs changed or how Apple calculated the increases. Subscription pricing, as ever, arrives with less transparency than a toaster manual.
Apple last raised Music prices in 2022
The previous Apple Music price increase came in October 2022, when Apple also raised prices for Apple TV Plus and Apple One, according to The Verge. The new move puts Apple Music’s individual plan at $11.99 per month in the US, one dollar below Spotify Premium’s new US price.
Spotify recently increased the price of its US Premium plan from $11.99 per month to $12.99 per month, The Verge reported. The two largest consumer music subscription brands are now both asking US listeners for more money, even if their explanations and timing differ.
The Apple Music increase also lands as Apple is reportedly raising prices elsewhere in its services and support stack. The Verge separately reported that AppleCare Plus subscriptions for Macs and iPads are also getting price increases.
For subscribers, the mechanism is straightforward and annoying: the same monthly plan renews at a higher rate. Apple has not announced a new Apple Music feature in connection with the price change in the reported details, so this is a price increase, not a relaunch dressed in nicer typography.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.
