Apple Music could be getting a low cost subscription tier

Apple may launch a cheaper Apple Music tier with limited skips, signaling a possible shift despite past criticism of free streaming models.

Image via Apple

Although Spotify dominates the music streaming sector with ease, there are other players in the market competing for the top spot too. Among these is Apple Music, which is fairly popular, particularly among people who use Apple's hardware and software ecosystem. Now, according to a new report, the Cupertino tech giant may be working on an alternative lower-cost tier for its music streaming service.

Over on X, @aaronp613 has discovered spotted strings in the latest Apple Music Android beta code that indicate that the company may offer a lower cost subscription in the future. These strings mention "Can't skip any more tracks" and "Premium access required".

These words may be a bit familiar to Spotify customers in particular, as the streaming platform allows you to stream music for free with ads and a limited number of skips, but if you want an ad-free experience, you are required to pay. Spotify regularly hikes its prices in the U.S. too, with the latest premium plans costing the following:

Individual: $12.99/month
Duo: $18.99/month
Family: $21.99/month
Student: $6.99/month

In comparison, Apple Music is priced as follows:

Student: $5.99/month
Individual: $10.99/month
Family: $16.99/month

This already makes it considerably cheaper than Spotify, but then again, the gap between the two platforms is pretty massive, which may push Apple towards a lower-cost tier to attract more customers. Spotify has over 700 million users, while Apple has over 100 million, according to recent reports.

It's also interesting that Apple Music doesn't offer a free tier at all. In fact, as 9to5Mac helpfully points out, the service's chief, Oliver Schusser, has publicly voiced his distaste for free tiers in music streaming and is recently quoted as saying:

I’m sure you’ve heard me say this: I think “free” was a terrible idea. Apple Music is the only service that doesn’t have a free tier, and believe it or not, we are really proud of that.

Given this context, it's unlikely that Apple will offer a completely free tier to compete with Spotify. But perhaps a lower cost tier might be the ideal middle ground to attract more customers.