Since its debut in 2015, Apple Music has offered one of the most generous free trials in the streaming industry. As a first-time subscriber, you can use the platform to listen to music for free for up to three months before the company asks you to start paying. This is no longer the case.
Igor Bonifacic / Ploonge
In a change noted by the Japanese blog and later reported by , Apple now offers a shorter one-month free trial in many countries where the service is available, including the US, Australia, Canada, UK and Japan. You can already see the change reflected on the Apple Music website. “One month free, then $9.99 a month”, the says when you visit.
At the moment, the price of Apple Music remains the same, with $5 a month as the most affordable way to access the platform’s track library. The move broadly aligns Apple with competitors like Spotify, which, outside of promotions, typically offers free one-month trials to new subscribers.
While we’ll likely never know Apple’s official reason for shortening the trial, there’s a good chance the decision came down to simple economics. When the company first launched Apple Music, it was for tracks that users streamed during the free trial period. Apple later changed this policy after publishing a letter. By shortening the trial period, the company can more quickly recoup the costs of attracting new subscribers to the platform.
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