Apple Music is a popular streaming service for people in the Apple ecosystem, but which is the best subscription plan? With four different tiers that vary in both feature set and cost, it is surely a loaded question. Apple Music is one of the company's subscription services in an evolving landscape of services that compliment the company's hardware devices. Other options include Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and Apple Fitness+, which each tackle a different market while reinforcing the notion that these services are made for Apple devices. Though all of these services have their own niche, Apple Music is arguably the most mainstream service that the company offers. Just about everyone streams music in 2022, and there are more than a billion active Apple devices, so an in-house streaming solution is sure to be enticing.
For s who are unsure about subscribing to Apple Music — and perhaps are considering a switch from another service, like Spotify — the company offers a free-trial period to new s. However, the trial period is not as generous as it once was. In the early days of Apple Music, the company offered a three-month free trial to new s that could be canceled at any time. The trial period was if the service is right for them. There are other ways to lengthen the trial period, though. Most Apple devices sold are bundled with three free months of Apple Music, Apple TV+, and Apple Arcade for new subscribers. If a buys an audio device from Apple, they'll earn a six-month free trial.
There are four different tiers that even more are available in lossless audio. It can be used on Apple devices with a native, pre-installed app, but there is also a web client and an Android app. The individual plan is priced at $9.99 per month, and can be canceled at any time.
Which Plan Is Best?
The Apple Music student plan has all of the same features as the individual plan, but at just $4.99 per month. In fact, it actually provides more value than an individual plan, since it also includes a subscription to Apple TV+ free-of-charge. There are some restrictions, though. Students must their enrollment at an accepted academic institution through an external website, and can only subscribe to the student plan for two years. At the conclusion of the two-year period, the plan will automatically convert to the individual plan at the $9.99 per month price point. Similarly, the family plan includes all of the features of the individual plan, but extends them to up to six s through Family Sharing. The family plan costs slightly more at $14.99 per month, but is a great deal for multiple s.
The Apple Music voice plan is the cheapest of all of the tiers — with the exception of the student plan — at just $4.99 per month. However, it omits a ton of features that are crucial to the music streaming experience. As the name suggests, the voice plan can only be used through Siri. There is a personalized in-app experience, but it is extremely limited and does not saving songs or curating playlists. It also lacks for Dolby Atmos and Spatial Audio, so the quality will be worse compared to other tiers.
For s wanting the full Apple Music experience that can be used on any device, the individual plan is the way to go. The price is comparable with other competing streaming services, and Apple Music has a leg up on the rest due to its integration with Apple devices. To that end, if a is also a student or a member of a Family Sharing group, they can grab all of the features of the individual plan for a better value. The Apple Music voice plan is difficult to recommend for nearly all s, unless it will primarily be used with HomePods or HomePod minis. All of the Apple Music tiers are catered to a specific type of , but the individual plan is the best option for most people.
Source: Apple