Report Claims Apple Considering Apple Music Price Drop

[MacRumors]

Apple is seriously considering a price drop for Apple Music, according to two sources that spoke to Digital Music News. The sources are not within Apple, but have worked close with the service since it launched. The price drop would see Apple Music go from $9.99 to $7.99, while family plans would drop from $14.99 to $12.99.

The new prices would begin rolling out by Christmas, and Digital Music News claims the rollout could start with a "holiday promotional discount." While regular and family plans would see a price drop, student rates, which are $4.99 a month, would remain the same price.

The new prices would help Apple Music match Amazon's new Music Unlimited service, which is $7.99 per month for Prime subscribers. However, Amazon's streaming service also offers a $3.99 per month plan for customers that own an Amazon Echo device.

In May, Digital Music News reported that Apple planned on ending iTunes Music downloads within two years, eliciting a specific "not true" response from Apple. A month later, Digital Music News reported that new sources had come forward claiming that Apple would end music downloads in the future, and that the company would debut a new version of iTunes at WWDC that would make it easy for the company to do so.

Article Link: Report Claims Apple Considering Apple Music Price Drop

 

[pat500000]

Meh, I listen from YouTube with no sub.

Edit: I never like subscription in the first place....just my thing.

 

[adib]

Dropping the price of Music so that they can come up with Music+Video offering next year at the same $10 price?

 

[julesme]

I gladly pay $9.99, but if they want to lower it, go right ahead!

 

[tjleonard]

How dare they drop the price?! Apple is going under!!

 

[iapplelove]

$4.99 a month and they may have me back.

 

[Feenician]

Something something something APPLE IS DOOMED

 

[b0nd18t]

Race to the bottom for streaming services. Apple and Amazon can weather it, can Tidal and Spotify?

 

[Digital Dude]

I have it, but I don't really use it that much, except for occasional trips out of town. I have every single service that Apple offers, and for the life of me, I don't understand why.

 

[djeeyore25]

$7.99 a month is close to the $99/yr gift card you can buy for Apple Music now.

 

[TMRJIJ]

Already have the student discount, but speaking for those that don't: Go ahead, Apple. they won't argue.

 

[isomorphic]

I have an Apple Music family sub and would be happy to pay less. On the flip side, I have Amazon Prime and have never once used Amazon's free music library. Amazon's UI is... even "terrible" does not really do it justice. I also don't watch any of Amazon's free Prime streaming video for the same reason. My point here is that I don't think Apple and Amazon are going after the same market.

 

[StevenPG]

I think $14 is fair for family price. But I'll pay lower I'm okay with that.

 

[k1121j]

Now I'd pay 7.99

 

[cube]

Lower hardware prices instead.

 

[Braderunner]

Hahahahahagaaahaaagahaa! That's hilarious! No way. Not ever. Huh uh.

 

[NachoGrande]

$15 for my family and I to listen to music that I largely already purchased is cost prohibitive.

 

[OldSchoolMacGuy]

Race to the bottom for streaming services. Apple and Amazon can weather it, can Tidal and Spotify?

Spotify has never turned a profit and is bleeding money. They can't handle it. Tidal is looking for anyone to buy them out. A price cut by Apple would just make that buyout price for Tidal even less.

 

[mdatwood]

I have an Apple Music family sub and would be happy to pay less. On the flip side, I have Amazon Prime and have never once used Amazon's free music library. Amazon's UI is... even "terrible" does not really do it justice. I also don't watch any of Amazon's free Prime streaming video for the same reason. My point here is that I don't think Apple and Amazon are going after the same market.

Amazons music library is terrible. It's a quick add on for Prime members and nothing more.

Apple dropping the price would be nice, but I still have an early adopter price of $7.99 for Google Music + Youtube Red that will be hard to beat.

 

[B4U]

This price drop is meaningless to me since they don't actually have the music that I listen to...

 

[NervousFish2]

I love this news. The recent iTunes redesign is really, really good. The "my new music mix" in the For You section is mind-glowingly awesome. They know me, they know what I will like, and I'm impressed because (IMHO) I like some far out there stuff. A lot of ambient and experimental electronica. It helps me with my writing. Thru Apple Music, I've been introduced to stuff I have never heard of before, and likely would never have heard at all, were it not for this service. Kudos to Apple for this, if true. The human-curated approach gives it a serious edge over the competition, in my view.

 

[macs4nw]

"In May, Digital Music News reported that Apple planned on ending iTunes Music downloads within two years, eliciting a specific "not true" response from Apple. A month later, Digital Music News reported that new sources had come forward claiming that Apple would end music downloads in the future, and that the company would debut a new version of iTunes at WWDC that would make it easy for the company to do so."

That'll be a sad day, and when that comes to pass, we'll then have to find another way to "own" and enjoy our music, without having to depend on some internet provider and remote server.

 

[BootsWalking]

My family loves our Apple music subscription and I will love it even more at a lower price.

 

[NervousFish2]

This price drop is meaningless to me since they don't actually have the music that I listen to...

And what music is it that you listen to? I know they don't have everything, but they have damn near everything. Close enough, in my world anyway, to make it worth the fee. (I'd love it if the older David Sylvian ambient stuff were available).

 

[sero]

still more than I'd pay