Apple Music hikes European fees as licensing costs rise

Apple Music has increased its monthly subscription fees across Europe and the US, citing rising licensing costs. The changes took effect on July 17, with new customers billed immediately and existing users seeing the higher rates at their next renewal cycle.

In the UK, individual plans rose by £1 to £11.99 per month. Family plans saw a steeper increase of £3, moving from £16.99 to £19.99, while student subscriptions increased by £1 to £6.99. The pricing adjustments are uniform across the company's European and American markets.

The company confirmed the rationale for the hike in a statement on Friday: "As a result of rising licensing costs, Apple Music is increasing its subscription price beginning today." This marks the first price adjustment for the service since 2022. Prior to that, Apple had kept its rates flat for seven years following its 2015 launch.

The upward pressure on pricing underscores the fragile economics of music streaming, where platforms must balance rising royalty payouts with consumer price sensitivity. When Apple last raised prices in 2022, it stated that the additional revenue would result in higher payments to artists. The latest increase suggests those underlying royalty expenses have continued to climb, squeezing platform margins.

Apple is not alone in passing these costs onto consumers. Rival Spotify has implemented a series of increases, including a hike in early 2026 that raised its UK individual plan from £11.99 to £12.99 and its family plan from £19.99 to £21.99. Spotify attributed its regular price adjustments to "the value that Spotify delivers".

For the broader European digital economy, these synchronized price hikes signal a definitive end to the era of rock-bottom subscription rates. Platforms are increasingly testing consumer tolerance for higher monthly bills. The immediate reality is that the cost of licensing content is forcing a sector-wide repricing.