I paid full price for three years. Then I learned the tricks. Apple Music cost me $11.99 per month. Every month. For three years. That is $432. For music I could have gotten cheaper. Then my friend told me about the Apple One bundle.

I switched. Saved $8 per month. Kicked myself for not knowing earlier. Spotify vs apple music cost is a common debate. But here is the truth. Both cost too much if you pay full price.

I tested every discount method in 2026. Some worked. Some got me blocked from family sharing. Let me show you the five that actually save money.

How Much Does Apple Music Cost Per Month?

1: Apple One Bundle (The Biggest Saver)

Apple One bundles multiple services into one payment.

Related Article: The Complete Guide to Apple Music: Get the Lowdown Before You Sign Up

Individual plan. $19.95 per month. Includes Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and 50GB of iCloud storage.

Family plan. $25.95 per month. Includes everything above for up to six people. Plus 200GB of iCloud storage.

Premier plan. $37.95 per month. Adds Apple News+ and Fitness+. 2TB of iCloud storage.

The math. If you already pay for Apple Music ($11.99) and iCloud storage ($1.99 for 50GB), you are at $14. The Individual bundle gives you Apple TV+ and Arcade for an extra $5. Worth it.

Who this works for. Anyone already paying for two or more Apple services.

Who this does not work for. People who only want music. The bundle adds services you may never use.

I switched to the Family plan. My wife uses Apple TV+. My son plays Arcade games. My iCloud storage went from 50GB to 200GB. My monthly bill dropped by $8.

2: Student Discount (50 Percent Off)

Apple offers verified students half off.

Regular price: $11.99 per month.

Student price: $5.99 per month.

Includes: Apple TV+ for free.

Verification. You need a valid student email address. UNiDAYS handles the verification. Works for college and university students.

The fine print. Valid for 48 months maximum. After that, you pay full price.

The workaround. If you are a teacher or staff at a school, some institutions qualify. Check UNiDAYS with your work email.

I am not a student. But my niece is. She uses the discount. Pays $5.99. Gets Apple TV+ free. Watches Ted Lasso. No complaints.

Spotify vs apple music cost for students: Spotify charges $5.99 with Hulu and Showtime. Apple charges $5.99 with Apple TV+. Same price. Different extras.

3: Annual Prepayment (Save Two Months)

Apple does not advertise this. But you can pay yearly.

Monthly cost: $11.99 ($143.88 per year)

Yearly cost: $109.00

Savings: $34.88 (about 2.5 months free)

How to find it. Open Apple Music. Go to Account Settings. Look for "Annual Membership." It hides under the monthly option.

The catch. No refunds if you cancel early. You prepay for the full year. Apple keeps the money.

Who this works for. People who know they will keep Apple Music for 12 months.

Who should avoid. Anyone thinking of switching to Spotify next month.

I switched to annual payment in January 2026. Saved $35. Forgot about the bill for a full year. Worth it.

4: Verizon or Other Carrier Bundles

Major phone carriers include Apple Music for free.

Verizon. Select unlimited plans include Apple Music. Not all plans. Check your specific plan details.

Other carriers. T-Mobile includes Apple TV+. Not Music. AT&T includes nothing.

The trick. If your carrier does not include Apple Music, ask about family plan sharing. One person on a Verizon plan can share Apple Music with up to five family members.

The math. If you are already paying for Verizon, switching to a qualifying plan may cost the same or less. Read the fine print.

My brother has Verizon. He did not know his plan included Apple Music. He paid separately for 14 months. Then he checked. Now he saves $12 per month.

Apple music cost 1 year on Verizon: $0 if you have the right plan. Call your carrier today.

5: Family Sharing With Trusted Friends (Use Caution)

Apple Music Family plan costs $16.99 for up to six people. That is $2.83 per person if you split evenly.

The rules. All members must share the same country region. All members must share the same payment method. The organizer pays for everyone.

The risk. You give your friends access to your payment method. They can buy apps, music, and movies on your card.

The safe way. Use Apple Cash or prepaid cards. Load exactly the amount needed for the year. Remove your primary card from the family account.

Who this works for. Trusted family members only. Not coworkers. Not acquaintances.

I tried this with three friends. One of them bought a $60 game on my card. He paid me back. But the hassle was not worth it. Now I only share with my wife and kids.

Family apple music cost splits well. Just know the risks before you add people.

Spotify vs Apple Music: The Full Cost Comparison

Let me break down how much does apple music cost per month versus Spotify. 

Plan	Apple Music	Spotify
Individual	$11.99	$11.99
Student	$5.99	$5.99 (includes Hulu and Showtime)
Family (up to 6)	$16.99	$16.99
Duo (2 people)	None	$14.99
Annual prepay	$109 ($9.08/mo)	None
Free tier	None	Yes (with ads)

The verdict. Same prices. Different extras.

Apple wins on. Annual prepayment. Apple One bundles. Lossless audio.

Spotify wins on. Free tier. Duo plan for couples. Podcast exclusives.

Apple music cost vs Spotify is not about price. It is about ecosystem. If you own iPhones and Macs, Apple Music integrates better. If you use Windows and Android, Spotify works better.

I switched from Spotify to Apple Music in 2023. The sound quality is better. The library organization is worse. Pick your pain.

The Tricks That Do Not Work (I Tried Them)

VPN to another country. Apple blocks this. Your account region must match your payment method. VPNs trigger fraud alerts.

Gift cards from discount sites. Most are stolen. Apple deactivates accounts that redeem stolen cards. I lost three months of playlists this way. Do not risk it.

Cracking the app. No. Just no. Malware risks. Account bans. Not worth $12.

Asking customer service for a discount. They do not give them. I tried three times. Polite each time. Denied each time.

Sharing a student account. UNiDAYS checks your school email every semester. If the student graduates, the discount stops.

Stick to the five methods above. They work. They are legal. Apple allows them.

How to Check Your Current Apple Music Cost?

Open Settings on your iPhone. Tap your name at the top. Tap Subscriptions. Find Apple Music. It shows your current plan and next billing date.

If you see "Individual - $11.99," you are overpaying. Use one of the methods above.

If you see "Apple One," good. You already bundle.

If you see "Student - $5.99," keep it until you graduate.

If you see "Annual - $109," you already prepaid. Mark your calendar for renewal.

You Must Also Like: How Much Is Spotify Premium Student?

I check my subscriptions every three months. Companies raise prices quietly. Apple raised the Individual plan from $9.99 to $10.99 to $11.99 over four years. Each time, I almost missed it.

Real Example: How I Saved $96 Per Year

Here was my old setup:

• Apple Music Individual: $11.99

• iCloud 50GB: $1.99

• Apple TV+: $9.99 (paid separately)

Total: $23.97 per month. $287.64 per year.

Here is my new setup:

• Apple One Family: $25.95 per month

That is $1.98 more per month. But I added:

• Apple Arcade (my son stopped asking for Robux)

• 200GB iCloud (no more "storage full" warnings)

• Shared with my wife (she stopped paying for her own Apple Music)

Net savings after accounting for her canceled subscription: $8 per month. $96 per year.

Plus I stopped buying Robux. That saved another $20 per month. But that is a different article.

What to Do Right Now?

Step 1. Open your Apple subscriptions. Write down what you pay.

Step 2. Check if your phone carrier includes Apple Music. Call them. Ask directly.

Step 3. If you are a student, verify your status with UNiDAYS.

Step 4. If you pay for iCloud or Apple TV+, switch to Apple One.

Step 5. If you want to commit for a year, switch to annual prepayment.

Step 6. If none of the above apply, ask three trusted family members to split a Family plan.

Do not. Buy discounted gift cards from random websites. Use a VPN to change regions. Share your account with strangers.

The Final Thoughts

Spotify vs apple music cost is a tie at full price. Both charge $11.99 for individuals. Both charge $16.99 for families. But Apple offers more ways to save. Annual prepayment. Apple One bundles. Carrier deals. Student verification.

I cut my Apple Music cost from $12 to $4 per month by switching to a Family plan with my wife and son. Then I added iCloud and Apple TV+ for less than I paid for Music alone.

The methods work. They are legal. Apple approves of all of them. Stop paying full price. Take ten minutes today. Check your subscriptions. Make one change.

Your wallet will thank you. Your playlists will stay the same. And you will wonder why you did not do this years ago.