How Much Does Apple Music Cost? – NerdWallet

Making its debut in 2015, Apple Music started with 30 million songs in its library. Today, it offers 100 million songs, plus 30,000 curated playlists, ad-free listening and live radio. But with all of these features, how much does Apple Music cost per month?

Apple Music plans include Voice for $4.99 per month, Student for $5.99 per month, Individual for $10.99 per month and Family for $16.99 per month.

The Voice plan is designed to work with Siri, allowing subscribers to access the 100 million-song library by requesting Siri to play music. Other features include personalized stations, access across devices and curated playlists.

The Individual plan includes all the attributes of Voice with additional features such as spatial audio, Apple Music Sing real-time lyrics, the option to download songs to your library to listen online or off and the ability to see what friends are listening to.

A notable feature difference from Voice is the inclusion of Apple Music Classical. The separate app hosts more than 5 million tracks and a search feature designed for classical music lovers to locate works, composers, artists and conductors.

The Student plan comes with all the features as the Individual plan, plus free Apple TV+ access. College students can choose the Student plan for up to four years, as long as they remain a student during that time. After four years, membership continues at the Individual price per month plan unless canceled.

The Family plan includes the same features as the Individual option, including the Apple Music Classical app, but with access for up to six people. Each person on the plan gets their own personal account.

As you decide if an Apple Music plan fits into your budget, consider the 50/30/20 budget framework. In this budgeting approach, 50% of your take-home income is allocated to needs, 30% to wants and 20% to savings and debt repayment.

A music subscription service like Apple Music would be considered a “want.” If you’re already maxed out on wants, consider cutting back elsewhere in the category, such as on movie tickets or cable.

Another option to make a music streaming plan work in your budget is to investigate rewards categories on credit cards you may have in your wallet. Some cards offer perks and cash back for streaming services.

Apple also offers several options for free trials and bundling services. All plans come with the option for a free one-month trial for new subscribers. After the month ends, you can cancel or renew at the stated price per month of the plan you selected.

You can also get Apple Music for free for six months with the purchase of an eligible audio device. Eligible devices include AirPods Pro, AirPods (2nd and 3rd generation), AirPods Max, various Beats models and HomePod. Subscribers have up to 90 days after pairing a device to start the six-month free trial.