Apple Music Beta Hints at New Tiers Beyond $10.99 Plan as Android Code Shows Skip Limits
Updated
Updated · 9to5Mac · May 29
Apple Music Beta Hints at New Tiers Beyond $10.99 Plan as Android Code Shows Skip Limits
4 articles · Updated · 9to5Mac · May 29
Beta code in Apple Music’s Android app points to possible new subscription tiers, with strings referring to “premium access” and a message that users have hit a track-skip limit.
Those clues suggest Apple may be testing a cheaper or even free plan, since skip caps have long been a common restriction on ad-supported music services such as Spotify.
Apple has not confirmed what the strings mean, and the finding could relate to another feature such as radio rather than a broad pricing overhaul.
The discovery stands out because Apple Music currently requires a paid subscription starting at $10.99 a month, and its music chief said just one month ago that the service was proud not to offer a free tier.
Is a free music plan a sign that Apple's premium-only strategy has finally hit a wall?
With artists earning fractions of a cent, can Apple launch a free tier ethically?