Apple Music just raised prices for the first time in nearly four years. If you are wondering what you are currently paying, which plan makes sense for your household, or whether switching from Spotify saves money — this guide covers it all plainly.
Apple Music raised its U.S. subscription prices on July 17 — the first increase since October 2022, nearly four years apart. The Individual plan went from $10.99 to $11.99. The Family plan jumped from $16.99 to $19.99, a steeper 18% climb that drew the most complaint. The Student plan rose $1 to $6.99 but gained something valuable in the process: Apple TV+ access included at no additional charge. Apple One bundles were partially affected — the Individual bundle held at $19.95 while Family and Premier tiers went up $2. This guide walks through what each plan actually covers, which situation it fits, and the fastest legitimate paths to paying less.
Eight direct answers before the full breakdown. These cover the questions people search for most after a price change.
Three plans at three prices, all effective July 17: Individual is $11.99 per month (or available annually — check apple.com for current annual pricing). Family is $19.99 per month, covering up to six people through Apple Family Sharing with completely private separate accounts. Student is $6.99 per month for verified college and university students, and now includes access to Apple TV+ content at no extra charge. A one-month free trial applies to all three plans for new subscribers who have never previously subscribed. No plan has ads or a stripped-down feature set — every paid plan delivers the complete Apple Music experience.
Yes — on every paid plan. Apple Music Individual at $11.99 is $1 less per month than Spotify Individual at $12.99, saving $12 per year. Apple Music Family at $19.99 is $2 less than Spotify Family at $21.99, saving $24 per year. Where Spotify wins on price: it has a free tier. Spotify’s ad-supported plan is permanently available at no cost, with the full catalog accessible by shuffling playlists and skipping a limited number of tracks. Apple Music has no free tier — you either pay or you do not listen. For someone committed to paying for a music service, Apple Music is the cheaper option at every plan level and delivers superior audio quality.
Yes — one month free for new subscribers on all plans, one trial per Apple ID. If you have never subscribed to Apple Music before, you get 30 days of full access before being charged. To cancel before the trial ends on iPhone: Settings → your name → Subscriptions → Apple Music → Cancel Subscription — do this at least 24 hours before the trial end date shown on that screen. Extended free periods sometimes come with new Apple device purchases (iPhone, iPad, AirPods, HomePod) — check the setup screen or box insert for a redemption offer. Carrier promotions have also bundled Apple Music with certain phone plans.
Apple Music includes three audio tiers on every paid plan at no extra charge: standard lossless (up to 24-bit/48 kHz), Hi-Res Lossless (up to 24-bit/192 kHz), and Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio. Hi-Res Lossless at 192 kHz requires a wired headphone connection and an external DAC (digital-to-analog converter) — Bluetooth cannot carry this resolution, so wireless listening tops out at 48 kHz. Spatial Audio works on AirPods with H1 or W1 chips and compatible Beats headphones, creating a three-dimensional listening environment with dynamic head tracking on supported models. For most people on decent headphones, standard lossless is the audible upgrade over compressed streaming. Hi-Res and Atmos are for serious listeners with supporting hardware.
No iPhone required. Apple Music runs on Android through the Apple Music app on Google Play, on Windows through the Apple Music app in the Microsoft Store, and on the web at music.apple.com in any browser. It also works on Samsung smart TVs, Amazon Echo speakers, Google Nest speakers, PlayStation 5, and CarPlay-compatible car systems. What Android and Windows users miss compared to iPhone: Siri voice control, seamless AirPods pairing, Apple Watch integration, and CarPlay. The core listening experience — all songs, lossless audio where hardware supports it, offline downloads, real-time lyrics — works fully without any Apple device. You need only a free Apple ID to create an account and subscribe.
No extra cost — it is included with every paid Apple Music plan. Apple Music Classical is a separate app (available on iPhone and Android) built specifically for classical music listeners, solving the problem that general streaming interfaces handle classical poorly. You can search by composer, conductor, orchestra, recording year, soloist, or period with precision that the main Apple Music app cannot match. The catalog is properly tagged for how classical listeners actually look for music. Recordings are available in lossless and Hi-Res Lossless formats within the app. Download the Apple Music Classical app from the App Store or Google Play — your existing Apple Music subscription activates it automatically.
The Student plan at $6.99 per month is the same Apple Music service as Individual but cheaper and with one addition: Apple TV+ access is included at no extra charge as long as your student plan is active and you continue to qualify. Apple TV+ normally costs $12.99 per month. Getting it alongside full Apple Music for $6.99 total is exceptional value for anyone eligible. Verification goes through Apple’s student enrollment check — you need to be enrolled at an accredited college or university. The discount applies for up to 48 months total and requires annual re-verification. If you are currently paying for Individual and are still enrolled in school, switching to Student saves $60 per year and adds Apple TV+.
Rarely by historical standards. The July price increase was only the second increase in Apple Music’s history — the first was in October 2022. Between 2015 (when Apple Music launched) and 2022, prices were stable for seven years. The 2022 increase moved Individual from $9.99 to $10.99. The recent increase moved it to $11.99. Apple raised prices less frequently than Spotify, which increased prices three times in four years. Whether another increase comes in the next few years is unknown, but Apple’s pattern has been more gradual than most competitors. The Family plan increase of $3 — an 18% jump — was the sharpest single increase Apple Music has made and came without any new features added.
Three plans, three price points, and one key fact: every plan includes the exact same complete feature set. Apple does not offer a cheaper, stripped-down version of the service — if you pay, you get everything.
The standard solo plan. Full access to 100 million+ songs, ad-free, all lossless audio tiers, Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio, offline downloads across all your devices, Apple Music Classical, personalized stations, editorial playlists, and real-time lyrics. Works on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Android, Windows, web browsers, Amazon Echo, Samsung TV, PlayStation 5, and CarPlay. Annual billing is available for the Individual plan — check apple.com or your subscription settings for current annual pricing. One-month free trial for new subscribers. The annual option saves money compared to paying month-to-month but requires payment upfront with no partial refund if you cancel mid-year.
The Family plan covers up to six people connected through Apple Family Sharing — Apple’s account-linking system built into every iPhone and iPad. Each member gets a completely private Apple Music account: their own playlists, recommendations, listening history, and downloads. Nothing is visible between members unless they choose to share it. Unlike Spotify’s Family plan, Apple does not enforce a same-address requirement for Apple Music specifically — members are linked by Apple ID, not physical location, making it practical for college students, elderly parents in another city, or adult family members in separate households. At six members, the per-person cost is $3.33 per month — the lowest per-person price of any major music streaming service’s standard plans. The $3 increase from $16.99 to $19.99 came without any new features and remains Apple Music’s most debated pricing decision.
The Student plan gives enrolled college and university students everything in the Individual plan plus access to Apple TV+ original series and films — at $6.99 per month total. Apple TV+ normally costs $12.99 per month on its own. Getting full Apple Music plus Apple TV+ together for $6.99 is one of the strongest values in streaming subscriptions available to students. Eligibility requires enrollment at an accredited degree-granting institution, verified through Apple’s enrollment check at sign-up. The discount applies for up to 48 months total (four years of eligibility) and requires annual re-verification. After four years — or when you are no longer enrolled — the subscription automatically converts to Individual pricing. Switch to this plan immediately if you are currently enrolled and paying for Individual.
Every plan includes the same complete feature set. Here is what matters in practice — not what the marketing copy highlights, but what most subscribers actually use.
Every Apple Music plan gives you full on-demand access to the entire catalog — you pick any song, it plays immediately, with no shuffling requirement, no skip limits, and no commercial breaks. Lyrics display in real time, synced to the audio on the app screen. Apple’s editorial team curates playlists and station mixes that are human-made rather than purely algorithmic — a meaningful distinction for listeners who have grown tired of recommendation loops. Radio stations Apple Music 1 (general), Apple Music 2 (country and Americana), and Apple Music 3 (hip-hop) broadcast live with DJ programming and artist interviews.
Standard lossless audio (up to 24-bit/48 kHz) plays on any Apple device and on Android through the app. Hi-Res Lossless (up to 24-bit/192 kHz) requires a wired headphone connection and an external DAC — Bluetooth audio cannot carry this resolution. Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio works on AirPods with H1 or W1 chips and creates a three-dimensional soundstage with head-tracking on supported models. For most listeners, the jump from standard compressed streaming (256 kbps) to standard lossless is audible on decent headphones. Hi-Res requires dedicated equipment to hear the difference. None of these cost extra — they are included in every paid Apple Music plan.
Every Apple Music subscriber can download songs, albums, and playlists to their device for offline listening. Before a flight, a long commute, or a road trip through areas without signal, you load your phone with whatever you want and listen without any connection. Downloads require an active Apple Music subscription to play back — they are DRM-protected. There is no published cap on the number of songs you can download; the practical limit is your device’s available storage space.
Apple Music Classical is a separate app (iPhone and Android) designed entirely for classical music. The main Apple Music app, built for pop and playlist discovery, handles classical search poorly — finding a Beethoven symphony by conductor, orchestra, and recording year is frustrating. The Classical app makes this intuitive. Browse by composer, period, instrument, soloist, or conductor. The catalog is properly tagged for classical listening habits. Recordings are available in lossless formats. Download it from the App Store or Google Play — your existing subscription activates it automatically at no extra cost.
Two tables. The first compares Apple Music plans. The second compares Apple Music against Spotify. On a phone, scroll through the cards below instead of the table.
| Feature | Individual $11.99/mo | Family $19.99/mo | Student $6.99/mo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | $11.99 | $19.99 · up to 6 people | $6.99 · students only |
| Per-person cost | $11.99 | ~$3.33 at 6 members | $6.99 |
| Song catalog | 100M+ songs ✓ | 100M+ songs ✓ | 100M+ songs ✓ |
| Ads in music | None ✓ | None ✓ | None ✓ |
| Lossless audio | Up to 24-bit/192 kHz ✓ | Each member ✓ | Up to 24-bit/192 kHz ✓ |
| Dolby Atmos | Yes — Spatial Audio ✓ | Each member ✓ | Yes ✓ |
| Offline downloads | Included ✓ | Each member ✓ | Included ✓ |
| Apple Music Classical | Included ✓ | Each member ✓ | Included ✓ |
| Apple TV+ access | Not included ✗ | Not included ✗ | Included ✓ |
| Private library | Personal ✓ | Each member private ✓ | Personal ✓ |
| Annual billing option | Available — check apple.com ✓ | Monthly only ✗ | Monthly only ✗ |
| Free trial | 1 month · new subscribers ✓ | 1 month · new subscribers ✓ | 1 month · new subscribers ✓ |
| Works on Android/Windows | Yes — full app ✓ | Yes ✓ | Yes ✓ |
| What You Care About | Apple Music | Spotify |
|---|---|---|
| Individual monthly cost | $11.99 ✓ | $12.99 |
| Family monthly cost (6 people) | $19.99 ✓ | $21.99 |
| Free tier (no payment needed) | None ✗ | Yes — ad-supported ✓ |
| Maximum audio quality | 24-bit/192 kHz Hi-Res ✓ | 24-bit/44.1 kHz Lossless |
| Dolby Atmos / Spatial Audio | Yes — full Spatial Audio ✓ | No ✗ |
| Music discovery algorithm | Good · improving | Best in industry ✓ |
| Podcast catalog | Limited ✗ | 7M+ shows ✓ |
| Annual billing option | Available for Individual ✓ | Monthly only in U.S. ✗ |
| Apple device integration | Siri, Watch, CarPlay — seamless ✓ | Works, limited |
| Dedicated classical music app | Apple Music Classical included ✓ | No ✗ |
| Works on Android | Yes ✓ | Yes ✓ |
Apple One bundles Apple Music with up to five other Apple services into one monthly bill. Whether it saves you money depends entirely on which services you already pay for separately.
Apple One Individual bundles Apple Music, Apple TV+ ($12.99 alone), Apple Arcade ($6.99 alone), and 50 GB of iCloud+ storage ($0.99 alone) into one subscription. Crucially, the Apple One Individual plan price was not raised — it stayed at $19.95 while Apple Music standalone went up $1. That means the bundle now looks marginally more attractive: you get Apple TV+, Arcade, and iCloud+ storage essentially for $7.96 more than Apple Music alone. If you already pay for Apple TV+ separately, switching to Apple One Individual saves money. If you only want Apple Music, the standalone plan at $11.99 is simpler and cheaper.
Apple One Family covers up to six people and adds Apple Fitness+ to the bundle alongside Music, TV+, Arcade, and 200 GB of shared iCloud+ storage. The Family bundle went up $2 to $27.95. At six members sharing this plan, the per-person cost for access to five Apple services is under $5 per month. For Apple-heavy households that already pay separately for TV+, iCloud+, and possibly Fitness+, the Family bundle typically costs less than the sum of individual subscriptions.
Go to Settings on your iPhone, tap your name, then Subscriptions. Write down every active Apple subscription and its monthly cost. Add them up. Then check the current Apple One price at apple.com. If the bundle is less than your total, switch. If you only have Apple Music, the bundle adds services you would not use and costs more. The math is straightforward — it just requires actually doing it rather than estimating.
Individual at $11.99 per month is the starting point. If you know you will use Apple Music consistently for at least a year, check apple.com or your subscription settings for annual billing — paying annually costs less per month than the monthly rate. If you are currently on Spotify Individual at $12.99, switching to Apple Music saves $12 per year for the same on-demand catalog plus better audio quality and Spatial Audio. Run the one-month free trial first to confirm the interface and discovery experience works for how you listen.
Consolidate onto the Family plan. The math is simple: two people on Individual plans pay $23.98 per month total. The Family plan at $19.99 covers two people — saving $3.99 per month and $48 per year. At three people, Individual costs $35.97 versus Family’s $19.99 — saving $16 per month and $192 per year. Each member gets their own completely private account, separate playlists and recommendations, and the full Apple Music feature set. No shared history, no one seeing what anyone else listens to. No same-address enforcement for Apple Music specifically.
The Student plan at $6.99 per month is the answer. If you are currently paying $11.99 for Individual, switching saves $60 per year and adds Apple TV+ content at no extra charge. Apple TV+ normally costs $12.99 per month standalone. Getting both full Apple Music and Apple TV+ for $6.99 is one of the strongest subscription values in streaming for people who qualify. Visit apple.com to verify your enrollment and switch. Your playlists, library, and listening history carry over completely from any prior plan — nothing is lost when you switch.
Apple Music is the strongest choice on the market for classical music listeners. The Apple Music Classical app — included with your subscription at no extra cost — handles classical search in ways that the main app and every competing service cannot match. Search by composer, conductor, orchestra, period, recording year, or soloist. The catalog is properly tagged for classical listening habits. Recordings are available in lossless formats. Download the Apple Music Classical app from the App Store or Google Play — your existing subscription activates it automatically.
Yes, fully. Download the Apple Music app from Google Play, create a free Apple ID if you do not have one, and subscribe. The full catalog, lossless audio (where your hardware supports it), offline downloads, real-time lyrics, and Apple Music Classical all work on Android. What Android users miss compared to iPhone users: Siri voice control, seamless AirPods pairing, Apple Watch streaming, and CarPlay. The core listening experience — everything you actually use day to day — is equivalent on Android, and Apple Music on Android delivers better audio quality than Spotify on Android.
For a solo listener, Apple Music’s Individual annual plan is the cheapest way to get Hi-Res Lossless audio and Dolby Atmos from any major streaming service — check apple.com for current annual pricing. Apple Music remains $1 per month cheaper than Spotify at the monthly Individual rate, and Spotify does not offer Dolby Atmos at all. For families, the Apple Music Family plan split across six people at $3.33 per person per month is cheaper than any individual plan from any competitor. Amazon Music Unlimited offers comparable lossless audio — compare its pricing against Apple’s current rates to see which works out lower for your situation.
Official, legitimate ways to reduce your monthly cost — no account-sharing schemes or third-party hacks.
If you are enrolled in college or university and paying for Individual, switching to Student at $6.99 saves $60 per year and adds Apple TV+ access. Visit apple.com to verify your enrollment and switch plans. Your library, playlists, and listening history carry over completely — there is nothing to rebuild. Eligible for up to four years of enrollment. Annual re-verification required to maintain the discounted rate.
The annual billing option for Apple Music Individual costs less per month than paying month to month. Check apple.com or your Apple subscription settings (Settings → your name → Subscriptions → Apple Music → See All Plans) for the current annual price and how much it saves versus the $11.99 monthly rate. Annual billing requires payment upfront with no partial refund if you cancel mid-year — only worthwhile if you are confident you will use Apple Music consistently for a full year.
If two or more people in your household or Apple Family Sharing group each pay for Individual, consolidating onto a single Family plan almost always saves money. Two people on Individual pay $23.98 total — Family costs $19.99 for both. Three people on Individual pay $35.97 — Family covers all three for $19.99. Each member gets their own private account. No features are lost. Contact whoever manages your Apple Family Sharing group or set one up at appleid.apple.com.
New iPhone, iPad, AirPods, and HomePod purchases sometimes include several months of Apple Music at no cost — look for a redemption offer in the setup process or in the device box. Wireless carriers periodically include Apple Music as a perk in certain phone plans. Check your carrier’s account portal under included subscriptions or perks. These offers have appeared on T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T plans at various times.
Cancellation goes through your Apple ID settings — not through the Music app. Here is where to find it on each platform.
Settings → tap your name at the top → Subscriptions → Apple Music → Cancel Subscription. Your access continues through the end of the current billing period. To confirm the cancellation processed, return to the Subscriptions screen and look for an expiration date rather than a renewal date. Do this at least 24 hours before your renewal date to avoid being charged for another period.
In the Apple Music app on Mac: Account menu → View My Account → Manage Subscriptions → Apple Music → Cancel. On a Windows PC: open the Apple Music app → click your account icon → Manage Subscription. On the web at music.apple.com: click your account icon → Account Settings → Subscriptions → manage from there.
Songs you added from Apple Music’s catalog become unplayable after your subscription ends — they show in your library but do not play. Songs you purchased from iTunes and music files you uploaded personally remain accessible permanently regardless of your subscription status. Your library structure, playlists, and listening history are not deleted — they are preserved in your Apple ID and restore completely if you resubscribe at any future point. Cancel at least 24 hours before your next billing date to avoid being charged for another month.
All prices reflect the July 17 Apple Music increase: Individual $11.99/month, Family $19.99/month, Student $6.99/month. Apple One Individual remains at $19.95/month; Family $27.95/month; Premier $39.95/month. Annual billing availability for the Individual plan varies — verify current pricing and options at apple.com before subscribing. Student plan eligibility requires enrollment verification; Apple TV+ access continues as long as the Student plan is active and qualification is maintained. Spotify pricing for comparison: Individual $12.99/month, Family $21.99/month. Apple Music Classical app is included with all paid Apple Music plans at no extra cost on iPhone and Android. Hi-Res Lossless at 192 kHz requires wired connection and external DAC. All prices are U.S. rates and subject to change. This guide is independent and not affiliated with Apple Inc.