Skip to main content

Apple Music now has 13 million paying subscribers, up from 11 million in February

apple-music

Alongside its announcement of Apple’s quarterly earnings, its first revenue decline since 2003, Apple has also announced latest numbers for Apple Music, its $9.99 per month streaming music service. The company says it now has 13 million paying subscribers, up from 11 million in February.

This compares to about 30 million subscribers to leading competitor Spotify, although the service obviously had a multi-year headstart over Apple’s streaming service, which launched last June.

Apple is looking towards its Internet Services businesses to support future revenue growth, so strong performance of Apple Music is crucial to the bottom line as sales of iOS devices flatline (or fall).

Apple has been relying on a mixture of exclusive deals and celebrity advertising to promote its streaming music service. Apple is rumored to be producing some exclusive TV shows and movies as another medium for Apple Music promotion.

Apple will discuss more about its financial results on its earnings call, likely to stress Apple Music’s success relative to its overall business performance. We will liveblog the call as it happens — follow along here.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Comments

  1. sstephens - 8 years ago

    Until Apple fixes the crappy interface, I’m sticking with Spotify! Also, Apple Music’s playlists are so short and cannot be shared. They have some work to do.

    • auntietroal - 8 years ago

      I don’t know about your “short” comment, but Apple Music playlists can definitely be shared. I was doing so just last night. There’s a big Share button right at the top for that very purpose.

      • sstephens - 8 years ago

        Many of the curated Apple playlist have 25 songs. Spotify playlists have well over 100 songs. To clarify, sure you can email a link to a playlist, but it is mostly useless compared to Spotify. In Spotify, you can share a playlist and then other users of Spotify can find the playlist.

    • henrycupcake - 8 years ago

      Apple Music’s playlists are so short and cannot be shared? woah you are so full of crap, have you even used apple music before?

      • sstephens - 8 years ago

        Many of the curated Apple playlist have 25 songs. Spotify playlists have well over 100 songs. To clarify, sure you can email a link to a playlist, but it is mostly useless compared to Spotify. In Spotify, you can share a playlist and then other users of Spotify can find the playlist.\

    • kschndlr - 8 years ago

      Spotify Stephens at it again!

    • henrycupcake - 8 years ago

      Loll email a link of the playlist ?????!!!!
      You know that you can airdrop it to whatever device you want or share it through any 3rd party’s app just by a tap on the sharing button , right ? Or you just don’t wanna know ?

  2. Jake Becker - 8 years ago

    Just imagine how many there would be if it “just worked”

  3. Cliff C (@CliffRC82) - 8 years ago

    I am one of them since day 1. It is great and keeps getting better, mostly just tweaks though like any software. You can share playlists. But I don’t know how well it works because who needs to share playlists?!? I have not understood this argument but I hear it a lot. Anyway, if you actually own a lot of digital music and/or have ripped a ton of CDs then Apple Music is the way to go (possibly with iTunes Match added for multiple device bliss).

  4. o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

    Apple Music is awful. The playlists are useless because they have some songs you may like and a bunch you don’t. They also have no system for declining to be played a specific song again, so it gets extremely annoying. The discovery is garbage and in general it is an awful experience. It’s actually hilarious how bad it is. If you go to the New tab and select say, ‘Today’s Hits’ playlist, it literally plays the exact same few songs in the exact same order, every single time. It is 100% worthless and just sad. They were actually too stupid to even have that shuffle.

    • Oscar Silva - 8 years ago

      Actually tap on the star icon and you’ll get the option “play more like this” or “play less like this”

    • Oscar Silva - 8 years ago

      Actually tap the star icons and you’ll get the options “play more like this” or “play less like this”

  5. averynkh - 8 years ago

    the things that stopped me from Spotify are.. they don’t have Taylor Swift lol… and cache issue in the iPhone, I never updated since then, do these two issues been resolved for Spotify on iPhone yet? well, I also buy Japanese music (i wonder why don’t Japanese singers have their songs on Apple Music though…) from their iTunes store too, so it is good to keep within same app, I don’t really like their Apple Music too, a lot of XXXXing improvements needed…

  6. averynkh - 8 years ago

    the things that i love Spotify are their global chart, and easy UI, and very very flexible and working fine, it is like bugless…

  7. Matt Sims (@Mercifull) - 8 years ago

    It would be interesting to know how this compares to Spotify, TIDAL, Samsung Milk even YouTube RED etc.

Author

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Benjamin Mayo

Benjamin develops iOS apps professionally and covers Apple news and rumors for 9to5Mac. Listen to Benjamin, every week, on the Happy Hour podcast. Check out his personal blog. Message Benjamin over email or Twitter.