How Much Is Apple Music In 2026?

Although the iPhone maker doesn't share exact figures, Apple Music is arguably one of the biggest music streaming services, with some estimates ranging from over 90 million to over 100 million subscribers. There are several good reasons why subscribers prefer Apple Music over other services, including Spotify. However, over the years, Apple Music has gotten more expensive, with the latest price increase coming in July 2026, which the company said was a result of the rise in licensing costs. For the uninitiated, Apple Music, like any other music streaming service, licenses the rights to stream music from different labels and artists. These licenses cost money, and the revenue generated by your subscription fees helps pay for them.

As of September 2026, Apple Music costs $12 a month for the individual plan in the U.S., whereas the family plan (which can be shared with up to five more people) will set you back $20. Fortunately, the student plan is still relatively affordable at $7 a month, provided you are a verified student. If you're part of the Apple ecosystem and use other services from the company, such as iCloud+, Apple TV, and Apple Arcade, you can reduce your overall subscription cost by opting for the Apple One subscription. It costs $21.95 per month for individuals or $27.95 for families. Apple One also has a Premier plan that increases iCloud storage from 50 GB in its regular plan to 2 TB and adds Fitness+ and News+ for a total of $39.95 a month. Keep in mind that Apple's services have different subscription costs in different markets.

Spotify increased its subscription prices in early 2026. It now costs $13 a month for individuals and $19 for its Duo plan that gives Spotify Premium access to two people. Like Apple Music, it also has student and family plans that cost $7 a month and $22 a month, respectively. Spotify also gives its premium subscribers 15 hours of audiobook access every month, which is unfortunately restricted to only one user, regardless of the plan. Moreover, its student plan has built-in access to Hulu, which makes it pretty enticing.

YouTube Music also saw a price hike in April 2026. You have to shell out $12 a month for its individual plan, the same as Apple Music; however, it only costs $19 a month for the family plan. More importantly, you can save a bit by opting for the annual individual subscription at $120. Its student plan is also cheaper at $6 a month. Moreover, you can opt for YouTube Premium, which includes YouTube Music as well as ad-free access to the video service.

Among others, Amazon Music Unlimited increased its subscription prices this year, with the individual plan now costing $13 a month, the family plan costing $22, and the student plan costing $6. There is also a single device plan that costs $7 and provides access via a single Echo or Fire TV device. Notably, the Amazon Music Unlimited individual plan also includes access to one audiobook via Audible each month. Moreover, if you are a Prime member, you can save $1 on your Amazon Music Unlimited individual subscription or get the family plan annual subscription for only $219 per year. It's important to note that Prime already includes limited access to Amazon Music.