Apple raises Apple Music prices as licensing costs climb
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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.
- 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
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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”.