Apple Music, Apple One Prices Rise for U.S. Subscribers
Apple has increased subscription prices for Apple Music and Apple One bundles in the U.S. and other regions due to escalating licensing costs. The changes affect individual and family plans, with the music service now costing $11.99 monthly.
Apple is raising subscription costs for its popular Apple Music streaming service and its bundled Apple One plans for users in the United States and several other countries. The price adjustments, which took effect starting July 18, 2026, are attributed by the tech giant to "rising licensing costs." This marks the first price hike for Apple Music since October 2022.
The individual monthly subscription for Apple Music will now cost $11.99, an increase from the previous $10.99. Similarly, the family plan sees a jump to $19.99 per month, up from $16.99. Student plans are also affected, rising to $6.99 from $5.99 monthly. These changes reflect an ongoing trend in the subscription streaming market, where companies are reassessing their pricing structures.
Bundles and Competitor Landscape
Alongside Apple Music, several tiers of the Apple One bundles have also seen price increases. The Family tier of Apple One is now priced at $27.95 a month, an increase of $2 from $25.95. The top-tier Premier plan also moves up by $2, costing $39.95 instead of $37.95. However, the individual Apple One plan remains unchanged at $19.95 per month. These bundles offer a combination of services including Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, iCloud+, Apple Fitness+, and Apple News+, depending on the chosen tier.
The move by Apple follows similar pricing adjustments made by competitors. Earlier in 2026, Spotify increased its Premium subscription price from $11.99 to $12.99 in the U.S. Despite Apple's increase, its individual Apple Music plan remains slightly cheaper than Spotify's offering. Apple has also adjusted prices for other services; for instance, Apple TV+ saw a significant price increase in August 2025, moving from $9.99 to $12.99 per month.
This latest round of price hikes highlights the financial pressures faced by streaming services. The cost of music licensing, which involves payments to record labels, artists, and publishers, has been steadily climbing. Companies must balance the need to cover these increasing expenses with the desire to maintain subscriber numbers in a competitive market. For consumers, these frequent adjustments can lead to a reevaluation of their entertainment spending, prompting some to reconsider the value proposition of multiple subscription services.