Apple Music Is Now More Expensive Per Month Than Spotify
In June this year, Apple Music raised the cost of its Student tier subscription plan by a dollar, setting a new base price of $5.99 in the U.S. Now, a similar price hike has also come for the regular plan. Apple has quietly raised the price of its namesake music streaming service for both the individual plan and the family bundle.
The base plan, which earlier put a $9.99-sized hole in users' wallets, now costs $10.99 on a monthly basis. For folks that prefer to pay annually, Apple Music now costs $109, up from the previous $99. The family plan, which used to cost $14.99 per month, will now set you back $16.99 each month.
In a statement provided to TechCrunch, Apple attributed the price hike to "an increase in licensing costs." however, the company ensures — or so it claims — that with the increase in Apple Music revenue, "artists and songwriters will earn more for the streaming of their music." Music streaming services have often drawn the ire of artists over low pay as a key portion of the income is divided between Apple and the music labels.
Apple offers better value, for now
With the surge in subscription pricing, Apple Music's individual, as well as family plans, are now a dollar pricier compared to Spotify Premium's respective subscription bundles. However, there are a few benefits on Apple's side of the music streaming ecosystem that might be worth the higher fee, especially for audiophiles.
Starting with the depth of their respective music libraries, Spotify claims it has over 80 million tracks on its platform, while Apple Music reached the 100 million song milestone in October this year. Both services offer a decent selection of podcasts, as well. However, audio quality is one area where Apple Music reigns supreme over Spotify.
Apple announced a free lossless audio upgrade for its entire music catalog free of charge over a year ago. The base quality is 16-bit at 44.1 kHz and goes up to 24-bit at 48 kHz. However, for folks rocking high-end audio gear, they can also take advantage of incredibly detailed 24-bit hi-res audio at 192 kHz.
On top of that, Apple also served Spatial Audio goodness complemented by the Dolby Atmos perk without demanding an extra penny. It appears that Apple is finally charging for these audiophile bonuses over a year after introducing them. Spotify, on the other hand, has still not launched its promised Hi-Fi tier. However, a user survey alleged that the company might charge as much as $20 per month for its hi-res tier of Premium subscription when it is finally released.