Apple Music users urged to 'threaten cancellation' as subscription prices surge
Apple Music subscribers are facing higher monthly bills after Apple increased prices across most of the streaming service’s membership tiers.
The rise affects customers in several countries, including the UK, US and Australia, and comes as households continue to review the growing cost of recurring digital services.
Apple Music remains one of the world’s biggest streaming platforms, offering access to millions of songs alongside features including lossless audio, Dolby Atmos and Spatial Audio. However, unlike Spotify, it does not offer a permanent free, advert-supported tier.
The changes also arrive almost four years after Apple last raised the service’s prices in October 2022, with the company attributing the latest increases to ‘rising licensing costs’ — as first reported by Music Business Worldwide (via TechRadar).
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Following the announcement, one Reddit user urged subscribers to test whether attempting to leave could unlock a temporary saving.
On the Reddit thread, they wrote: “Don’t forget to threaten cancellation. Most companies (Apple included) offer discounted rates for months at a time!”, showing an example of doing the same with a New York Times Games subscription — being offered a rate of 69 cents a month for 12 months instead of the usual $2.99 price.
This is a regular practice seen with subscriptions, implemented to retain subscribers who cancel due to the cost being too high. Although, there is no official confirmation that Apple Music routinely offers reduced rates during the cancellation process, meaning any deal may depend on the account, location, or promotion available.
In the UK, an Individual Apple Music subscription has increased by £1 to £11.99 per month, while the Family plan has risen by £3 to £19.99. The Student tier remains unchanged at £5.99 per month.
US customers are also paying more, with the Individual plan increasing from $10.99 to $11.99 and the Family plan moving from $16.99 to $19.99. The Student subscription has risen by $1 to $6.99.
Prices for selected Apple One bundles, which combine services such as Apple Music, Apple TV, Apple Arcade and iCloud storage, have increased in the US as well.
For instance, Apple One Family now costs $27.95 per month, up from $25.95, while Premier has risen from $37.95 to $39.95. The Individual bundle remains unchanged at $19.95.
The announcement prompted wider criticism from users discussing the effect of repeated increases across subscription services.
In the same thread as the ‘threaten cancellation’ recommendation, one Reddit commenter wrote: “Andddddd this is my problem with subscriptions. It’s not even about the cost sometimes. It’s about loss of control over your finances. Companies can jack up their prices whenever they want.”
Others said they had returned to buying music rather than maintaining monthly streaming memberships.
One user explained: “Lol all of these companies can keep their subscriptions. I began buying my music and listening to my own large library of songs like the good old days.”
Apple Music subscribers who cancel lose access to the service’s streaming catalogue, although music purchased separately or stored locally remains available.