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Apple raises Apple Music prices as licensing costs climb
Developed over time first seen 4 months ago
Apple has raised Apple Music subscription prices in many markets, including the US, citing rising music licensing costs. It is the first price increase for the service since autumn 2022, and comes as streaming platforms continue to face higher costs for securing music rights from labels and rights holders.
In the US, the individual plan rises from $10.99 to $11.99 a month, the family plan (covering up to six accounts) increases from $16.99 to $19.99, and the student plan goes up from $5.99 to $6.99. Despite the rise, Apple Music remains cheaper than rival Spotify, which raised its US prices earlier this year to $12.99 for individual and $21.99 for family plans. Apple said 2025 brought record listenership and subscriber numbers, though it does not disclose exact figures, and has recently added features such as Lyrics Translation, AutoMix and expanded Apple Music Sing.
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In short
- Apple Music raises US prices for the first time since 2022
- Individual plan up to $11.99, family plan to $19.99 monthly
- Still undercuts Spotify, which hiked prices earlier this year
How this story developed
- 4 months ago The report was reissued with essentially the same pricing details and rationale, but with the earlier mention of newly added features such as Lyrics Translation, AutoMix and expanded Apple Music Sing capabilities dropped from the account.
- 4 months ago Apple raised Apple Music prices in the US and other markets for the first time since late 2022, lifting the individual plan to $11.99, the family plan to $19.99 and the student plan to $6.99, citing higher music licensing costs and following a similar increase by Spotify.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The licensing costs that power music streaming have genuinely risen across the industry, and Apple must cover these escalating expenses to maintain its service. By passing on costs through modest, infrequent price increases—the first in nearly three years—Apple remains competitive whilst funding product development and ensuring service sustainability. Apple Music remains cheaper than Spotify and has expanded features considerably, providing genuine value to justify the adjustment.
The case against
Consumers face cumulative pressure from repeated subscription fee increases across multiple services, and Apple as an extraordinarily profitable technology company has greater capacity than smaller firms to absorb rising licensing costs. The music licensing increases are industry-wide, yet Apple controls its profit margins and could maintain prices as an act of consumer goodwill, especially given record user growth and the company's financial strength. Perpetual incremental price rises normalise cost-of-living pressures that disproportionately affect price-sensitive users.
Explained simply
Apple Music is a subscription service that lets people listen to a large catalogue of songs over the internet. It is run by Apple, the company behind the iPhone, and competes with services including Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTube Music.
Streaming companies pay record labels, music publishers and other rights holders for permission to offer songs. These payments, known as licensing costs, are a major expense and can rise as contracts are renewed or the music industry seeks a larger share of subscription income.
Prices matter because music streaming is a crowded market in which services try to attract and keep subscribers with both cost and extra features. Changes in subscription fees can affect household spending and may influence which service listeners choose.
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Originally published by Variety as “Apple Music Hikes Subscription Prices, Citing Rising Licensing Fees”.