Since Apple Music launched in 2015, it has offered first-time subscribers a three-month free trial — a very tempting proposition in a competitive streaming market. But now the service has cut the free trail for first-timers to one month, starting this week.
Apple Music continues to offer a six-month free trial to those who buy eligible audio devices.
Apple Music: No change to basic pricing
Pricing for Apple Music, now the world’s second-biggest music streaming service, remains unchanged. New users signing up find it costs $9.99 per month in the U.S. after the newly established one-month trial period.
The shorter one-month free trial is in effect for first-time subscribers in the U.S., Canada, Australia, U.K., Japan and other countries.
To go into more detail, Apple Music pricing starts at $4.99 for the new Apple Music Voice plan and the Apple Music student plan. The individual plan goes for $9.99 per month, and the Apple Music Family plan costs $14.99 per month. Alternatively, Apple Music is included in the Apple One bundle, which starts at $15 per month for individual access to Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade and iCloud+.
To compare, streaming music service Spotify usually offers a one-month free trial for its Premium tier. However, it currently offers a two-month trial as a promotion, for a limited time, in the U.S. and some other countries. Spotify also extends a three-month free trial to first-time customers signing up through PayPal.
6-month trial: Note the fine print
As Apple put it, regarding the six-month free trial with purchase:
New subscribers can get six months of Apple Music free with an eligible audio device. Make sure your iPhone or iPad is running the latest version of iOS or iPadOS. Then you can activate your Apple Music trial after you pair your audio device to your iPhone or iPad. You’ll have three months to redeem the offer after the first activation of the eligible device.
Any AirPods Pro, AirPods (2nd generation and 3rd generation), AirPods Max, HomePod, HomePod mini, Beats Fit Pro, Beats Studio Buds, Powerbeats, Powerbeats Pro, or Beats Solo Pro is eligible. No purchase necessary for current owners of eligible devices. AirPods (1st generation), Beats Solo3 Wireless, Beats Studio3 Wireless, Beats EP, and Beats Flex are not eligible.
