Apple today simultaneously adjusted the prices of its subscription services in the United States and many countries. Among them, the monthly fee of Apple Music increased across the board, becoming the most watched change in this update. Starting today, the monthly fee for the Apple Music personal plan will be adjusted from the original $10.99 to $11.99, officially crossing the $12 threshold. Apple is providing information to foreign media Statement from 9to5MacZhong said that this adjustment was mainly affected by “increased licensing costs”, so the subscription price must be increased.
Apple Music and Apple One subscription price hikes
In addition to Apple Music, Apple is also adjusting the fees for some Apple One package plans. Although the Apple One personal plan maintains its original price, the family plan and premium plan have increased to varying degrees. The following are the latest monthly fees:
- Apple Music
- Personal plan: $11.99 (regularly $10.99)
- Family Plan: $19.99 (Reg. $16.99)
- Student Plan: $6.99 (Reg. $5.99)
- Apple One
- Individual plan: $19.95 (unchanged)
- Family Plan: $27.95 (Reg. $25.95)
- Premium Plan: $39.95 (Reg. $37.95)
The timing of this price increase is particularly eye-catching because Spotify also announced an increase in subscription fees earlier this year. At that time, Apple even responded to its competitor’s price increase decision with a slight mockery on social media. Now Apple Music itself has followed suit, forming a subtle market interaction. However, even after this adjustment, Apple Music’s personal plan is still cheaper than Spotify’s equivalent plan, and it is still attractive to price-sensitive users.
Notably, this is the first time Apple Music has adjusted prices in nearly four years. The last price increase occurred in October 2022, when the individual plan was adjusted from $9.99 to $10.99, and the Apple One bundle was adjusted accordingly. Apple has gradually raised the prices of its services over the past few years, reflecting continued increases in content licensing, original production and platform operating costs.
In addition to music services, Apple also adjusted the subscription fees for Apple TV, Apple Arcade and Apple News+ in October 2023, and simultaneously updated the related Apple One package prices. These changes show that Apple is gradually bringing the price of its subscription services closer to the market average and reflect the long-term trend of its content investment strategy. It is worth mentioning that Apple TV was raised again in August 2025, but the price of Apple One did not change accordingly at that time, showing that Apple adopts a differentiated price strategy between different services to maintain the attractiveness of the package plan.
Overall, Apple’s price adjustment of Apple Music and Apple One is not only the inevitable result of market competition, but also reflects the general increase in the cost of licensing streaming content. Although the increase in monthly fees may be a burden for users, Apple Music still maintains a relatively competitive price when compared with other streaming platforms. Whether Apple will provide more value in content, functions or integrated experiences in the future to support these adjustments will be a continued focus of attention for users and the market.
Source: KOCPC Chinese