Apple Music Hikes Prices Because Licensing Costs Are Apparently No Joke
KEY POINTS
- •Apple Music increased US individual plans from $10.99 to $11.99 per month by mid-2026 due to rising licensing costs.
- •Family plans saw a $3 jump to $19.99 monthly and student plans rose $1 to $6.99, affecting global subscribers.
- •Apple communicated these price changes to Music Business Worldwide but did not respond to The Verge's follow-up request.
Apple Music has donned its cash-hungry hat again, raising prices in the US, UK, and Europe — and probably your dog’s favorite country too. As of mid-2026, individuals now shell out $11.99 per month, jumping $1 from the $10.99 seen last time in 2022, shortly after kids were starting school again. Families, who apparently now need to pay an extra $3 monthly ($19.99 from $16.99), might be wondering if the licensing fees rise every time the Beatles hit replay in your head. Students are also treated to a dose of inflation, paying $6.99 instead of $5.99, proving Apple doesn’t just love education but also loves raising the rent on your Spotify bops. The official word? Rising licensing costs, because somehow those royalties refuse to settle for less, according to Apple’s chat with Music Business Worldwide — which itself sounds like a boardroom gathering that Apple hopes isn’t reading Twitter.
Share the Story
(1 of 3)Apple raised Apple Music prices because licensing costs rose? Just waiting for the next update where streaming air costs extra too.
Apple announces price hike, fans mutter 'but music was free when I was young'—because memories don’t have a subscription fee yet.
Increasing Apple Music fees to cover licensing costs is like raising car insurance because your playlist’s too fire to skip ads.
Source: Theverge | Published: 7/17/2026 | Author: Jay Peters
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