Considering signing up for Apple Music for the first time or returning to the service? Follow along as we break down how much Apple Music costs including details about the family plan, student discount, carrier deals, Apple One bundles, and how to save money on the service.
Update 5/17: Apple Music is becoming an even better deal with Spatial Audio and Lossless support coming in June at no extra cost.
Apple Music is the company’s streaming music service that offers users access to 75 million songs. The service lets users stream as well as download albums and tracks to devices for offline playback on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and more. Apple Music is also available on Android.
Apple Music is particularly compelling for those tied into the Apple ecosystem with great Siri support, the option to follow what friends are listening to, and a seamless HomePod/mini experience.
And now with Spatial Audio via Dolby Atmos as well as HiFi Lossless audio streaming coming to the service starting in June for free, Apple Music is an even better value.
- Apple Music adding Lossless streaming to entire catalog at no extra cost, Spatial Audio support with Dolby Atmos
- Apple Music Lossless tidbits: iOS 14.6, HomePod support, compatible headphones, more
If you’re looking for a tool to help transfer your songs, albums, playlists, and more to Apple Music, SongShift and FreeYourMusic are two good options.
In addition to the various plan costs below, we’ll look at some ways to save money with Apple Music.
How much does Apple Music cost?
Apple Music offers a free 3-month trial for most new users. After that, here are the main pricing options:
- $9.99/month or $99/year for individuals
- $14.99/month for families (up to 6 users)
- $4.99/month for college students
- Included with Apple One bundles from $14.95
Here’s a breakdown of the features included with each plan:
How to pay less for Apple Music
In the past, picking up iTunes gift cards on sale was a good way to save money on services like Apple Music. However, with Apple launching unified gift cards, finding discounted ones is more difficult. But you can keep an eye on 9to5Toys for any that pop up.
Here are some more ways to save on Apple Music:
- If you subscribe to multiple Apple services, going for an Apple One bundle can save you anywhere from $6-25/month (learn more in our full breakdown here)
- Some unlimited plans with Verizon include Apple Music at no cost (check with Verizon for more details)
- If you’re a student, here’s how to get 50% off
- If you go for a standard plan, paying yearly will save you $20 ($99 vs $119 when paying monthly)
- Consider buying a family plan and using Family Sharing
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