Some Apple Streaming Services Are Getting More Expensive

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Well, this week Apple Music and Apple TV+ suddenly went up in price. As of October 24, Apple Music now costs $11 per month for an individual subscription (previously $10) and $17 for a family plan (up from $15). Apple TV+ now costs $7/month (up from $5/month).

Apple told CNN Business that it has raised prices to cover increased licensing and content production costs as services have grown and the company is buying or producing more exclusive content for its subscribers.

While I think I can buy this excuse, I also understand why subscribers might be outraged by this. Everything in our lives is more expensive than it was just a few months ago, and even a few extra dollars a month for streaming entertainment seems like adding insult to injury (and that might be enough to trigger an audit of the streaming service ).

Because Apple is not the only company raising prices. Hulu’s rates have jumped from $7/month to $8/month for ad-supported access, and the ad-free option now costs $15/month, up from $12/month previously. Likewise, Disney+ has increased the subscription price by $3/month to about $11/month for ad-free viewing, and will introduce an ad-supported option for $8/month in December ($8 is what streaming is currently worth). transmission without commercials). Netflix, which raised prices earlier this year and is currently planning to end free password sharing , will also add a $7/month ad subscription.

In light of all these price changes, here’s a quick price comparison between each of the major music and video streaming services to help you gauge how Apple products compare.

Music Streaming Services Cost Comparison (Oct 2022)

Apple Music:

  • Custom plan: $11/month
  • Family plan: $17 per month.

Amazon:

  • Amazon Prime Music: Included with an Amazon Prime subscription ($14/month or $139/year).
  • Amazon Music Unlimited (Prime members): $9/month, $89/year, or $5/month to stream to an Echo device.
  • Amazon Music Unlimited (non-Prime members): $10 per month.

Spotify:

  • Individual: $10/month
  • Duet: $13/month
  • Family: $16/month
  • Student: $5/month

Music on YouTube:

  • Individual: 10 per month or $100 per year
  • Family: $15 per month.
  • Student: $5/month

Tide:

  • Hi-Fi: $10 per month
  • HiFi Plus: $20 per month

Apple Music used to be the cheapest of the mainstream premium music streamers, but now it’s the most expensive, albeit not by much. Apple Music individual and family plans only cost a dollar or two more than the same option on other music streaming apps. Of course, choosing a streaming app is about more than just price. Each has its own library of songs, and some artists are exclusive to a particular service. The question also arises as to which option is most convenient for artists who rely on streaming income as income . If you prefer Apple Music’s features and library, you probably don’t mind. If not, save a dollar or two and try one of the others.

In some cases, you can even transfer (most of) your data and song library to the new service using third-party tools.

Cost Comparison of TV/Movie Streaming Services (Oct 2022)

Apple TV+:

  • $7/month

Disney+:

  • With ads: $8 per month or $80 per year.
  • No ads: $11/month

Amazon Prime Video:

  • Included with Amazon Prime subscription ($14/month or $139/year).
  • Custom Membership: $9 per month.

HBO Max:

  • With ads: $10/month or $70/year.
  • No Ads: $15/month or $105/year.

Hulu:

  • With ads: $8 per month or $80 per year.
  • No Ads: $15/month
  • Hulu (with ads) plus Live TV (including Disney+ and ESPN+): $70 per month.
  • Hulu (no ads) plus Live TV (including Disney+ and ESPN+): $76 per month.

Netflix:

  • Basic with ads $7/month (Available November 2022)
  • Basic: $10/month
  • Standard: $15.49/month
  • Premium: $20/month

Peacock:

  • Peacock Premium (no ads): $5 per month.
  • Peacok Plus (no ads): $10 per month.

While Apple Music is closer, Apple TV+ is still one of the most affordable video streaming services, even after raising prices to just $7 a month without ads. Ad-supported options from Peacock ($5/month), Hulu ($8/month), Disney+ ($8/month), and the upcoming $7 ad-supported tier of Netflix are the only other big-player options coming close, and you will have to deal with annoying ads. It’s entirely possible that Apple TV+ could roll out an ad-supported variant (and this price increase certainly makes such a move more plausible), but for now, Apple TV+ is the cheapest option for ad-free streaming.

To be fair, the Apple TV+ library is thinner than some of its more expensive competitors, mostly with its own exclusive original programming, but you also get occasional live MLB gamesand, starting in 2023 , live MLS matches.

Unlike music streaming services, you’re unlikely to find much in common in content libraries between these apps; Exclusive content is indeed the main reason for subscribing to one of them. If you like original Apple TV+ content, you’re paying for it, so hopefully a few extra bucks won’t put you off. I personally wouldn’t be ditching it for a more expensive alternative unless I exhausted my Apple TV+ list to watch or found another company’s exclusive programming more interesting.

I think there’s an argument that the Apple TV+ is still a better deal at $7 a month than some of its competitors ( Severence Apple TV+ costs more than a Peacock subscription just to revise The Office ). That said, if you’re just fed up with the extra charge, I don’t blame you for dropping Apple TV+ and/or Apple Music. Prices can still be reasonable when compared to similar services, but that only matters if the cost is worth it to you.

[ CNN ]

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