Apple Music has been taking the music industry by storm since its launch in 2015. But what does it really mean for artists and fans?
This infographic takes a unique look at the impact of Apple Music from the perspective of both artists and fans. It breaks down exactly how Apple Music is changing the way we consume music and how it’s giving us more options to discover new music and keep up with our favorite artists.
How Much Does Apple Music Cost Monthly?
Apple Music allows you to stream millions of songs and access curated playlists, all created by experts and you can also get exclusive artist content and daily personalized recommendations – but how much is Apple Music? Let’s take a look:
- The service is available through various pricing plans, so there’s something that fits any budget.
- Subscribers can opt for the Individual plan at $9.99 per month, or commit to a Family plan at $14.99 per month – both of which provide access for up to 6 people in a family group.
- There’s also an options for students which costs only $4.99 each month, allowing you to experience all the features Apple Music has to offer – including offline playback!
With such great value, there’s no wonder why Apple Music continues to be one of the most popular music services out there.
Now that you know all there is to know about the Apple music price, it’s time to go more in depth about what Apple music has to offer both listeners and artists. If you’re interested in learning more about how to become a musician, be sure to ask your music instructor for tips. You’ll learn everything you need to know about the music business in your lessons, plus helpful tips like those you see in the video below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tKEkV7bB1E
What Are the Different Apple Music Plans?
It can be confusing to figure out which Apple Music plan is right for you. Do you want the individual plan? The student plan? The family plan? How do you even know which one to pick?
Don’t worry, here’s a quick overview of the different Apple Music plans so that you can make an informed decision about which one is best for your needs.
Individual Plan
The individual plan is just that – it’s designed for one person. With this plan, you get access to over 50 million songs and all kinds of awesome playlists made by experts. Plus, it’s only $9.99 per month, so it won’t break the bank.
Student Plan
If you are a university student, then the student plan might be perfect for you! It has all the same features as the individual plan but at a discounted rate of $4.99 per month (which is half of what the individual plan costs). Plus, if you are already an Apple Music subscriber, then switching over to the student plan is easy and free!
Apple Music Family Plan
The family plan gets up to six people access to all of Apple Music‘s features at only $14.99 per month. That means that each person in your family would get access to unlimited music streaming and downloads for only $2.50 each per month!
Plus, if someone in your family already has an individual or student subscription, they can easily switch over without having to pay anything extra – making this an especially good deal if someone in your family was already paying full price before!
Apple Music Stats and Facts
Streaming is changing the way the music industry operates, and this week it’s in the news again. Tech giant Apple announced that they will be offering a new music streaming service, Apple Music, at the end of this month. Here’s what their service will offer, and what fans and artists can expect…
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The Music Streaming Population
Currently, 41 million people pay to stream music online; this number makes up just 4% of the world’s population. Many, many more people stream music online for free using services like Pandora and Spotify.
Apple hopes to nearly triple the total number of paying streaming customers in the world when they launch their streaming service Apple Music on June 30th.
Does Apple Music Offer Anything New to Fans?
In terms of features, Apple Music’s offerings are very similar to Spotify, Pandora, Google Play, and others. Apple Music does boast a larger library than any of the other popular streaming services, and also features the option to control the app via Siri on your iPhone.
The most revolutionary thing about Apple Music might actually be its pricing structure. Apple Music offers a three-month free trial period to new users, following which you pay $9.99 per month for an individual user or $14.99 for up to five users on a family plan.
Other streaming services, like Spotify and Pandora, allow users to remain on free accounts indefinitely. Additionally, Apple’s family plan allows users to add more people at a lower cost than any other music streaming service currently on the market.
Apple Music for Artists
Musicians are already making pennies for every song sold on iTunes, and streaming royalty payments are significantly lower for a number of reasons. Reliance on ad sales and small groups of paid users means that music streaming services have less money to pay out to artists.
Additionally, after royalties are paid out by streaming services, they must be divided again between an artist’s label, distributor, and any songwriters or additional rights holders. For every $10 that is paid out in royalties, artists see less than $5.
Initially, Apple Music might be even worse for artists. A contract leaked to Hypebot suggests that during the 90-day free trials of the service, $0 in royalties will be paid to labels and artists.
As more people pay to stream music online, many artists hope to see their royalty payments from streaming increase. Whether this business model can truly scale and help independent artists support themselves still remains to be seen.
Is Apple Music Better Than Spotify?
In the world of streaming music services, there are two clear leaders: Apple Music and Spotify. Both have their pros and cons, but which is the better service? Let’s take a look at Apple Music vs. Spotify to see who comes out on top.
When it comes to price, both services are very similar. Apple Music costs $9.99 per month for an individual subscription, while Spotify also charges $9.99 per month. There is a slight difference when it comes to family plans; Apple Music offers a family plan for $14.99 per month, while Spotify’s family plan costs $14.99 per month for the first person and then $5 per additional person up to a total of 5 people.
Both services offer a free, ad-supported tier; however, Apple Music‘s free tier is much more restrictive than Spotify’s. With Apple Music, you can only listen to beats 1 radio station and you can’t download songs or albums for offline listening. Spotify’s free tier, on the other hand, allows you to listen to any song or album (albeit with ads) and you can download songs and albums for offline listening.
When it comes to sound quality, both services offer high-quality streaming options; however, Apple Music offers a few more options than Spotify. With Apple Music, you can stream songs at 64 kbps (lowest quality), 96 kbps (standard quality), or 256 kbps (high quality). Spotify also offers these three options, plus an extra “extreme” quality option that streams at 320 kbps.
Finally, let’s take a look at some of the exclusive features that each service offers. One of the most notable exclusives on Apple Music is Beats 1 Radio, which is a 24/7 live radio station that features shows hosted by big-name DJs like Zane Lowe and Elton John.
Spotify also has exclusive content, but it takes the form of podcasts rather than music. Some of the most popular podcasts on Spotify include The Joe Rogan Experience and TED Talks Daily.
Should I Get an Apple Music Subscription?
Streaming music online is fun, and it’s a great way to discover new music. However, it’s not always great for the artists involved. Ultimately, the best way to support your favorite musicians is still attending a concert or buying their physical merchandise. If you’re true a music lover, support live music!
Update 6/22/2015: Following a critical blog post from Taylor Swift explaining why she will withhold her music from the service, Apple has announced that they will pay royalties to artists during the free trial period for Apple Music.
Megan L.