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What Apple Music said about Spotify’s price increase
On February 13, 2026, Apple Music’s social-media account posted, “BTW, we’re still the same price.” The jab arrived as Spotify’s latest U.S. price increases began to apply to subscribers’ February renewals. At that point, Apple Music’s U.S. individual plan cost $10.99 a month, compared with Spotify’s new $12.99 rate, according to 9to5Mac’s report.
The comparison reflected U.S. prices at that moment. It did not mean Apple Music would stay cheaper indefinitely, and it should not be applied to other countries, where plan prices and change dates can differ.
How the February 2026 U.S. prices compared
9to5Mac reported the following monthly U.S. plan prices in February 2026. Apple Music did not have a Duo tier in the reported comparison, so the table does not treat its family plan as an equivalent.
#1 Best Overall
- REBUILT FOR COMFORT — AirPods 4 have been redesigned for exceptional all-day comfort and greater stability. With a refined contour, shorter stem, and quick-press controls for music or calls.
- PERSONALIZED SPATIAL AUDIO — Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking places sound all around you, creating a theater-like listening experience for music, TV shows, movies, games, and more.*
- IMPROVED SOUND AND CALL QUALITY — AirPods 4 feature the Apple-designed H2 chip. Voice Isolation improves the quality of phone calls in loud conditions. Using advanced computational audio, it reduces background noise while isolating and clarifying the sound of your voice for whomever you’re speaking to.*
- MAGICAL EXPERIENCE — Just say “Siri” or “Hey Siri” to play a song, make a call, or check your schedule.* And with Siri Interactions, now you can respond to Siri by simply nodding your head yes or shaking your head no.* Pair AirPods 4 by simply placing them near your device and tapping Connect on your screen.* Easily share a song or show between two sets of AirPods.* An optical in-ear sensor knows to play audio only when you’re wearing AirPods and pauses when you take them off. And you can track down your AirPods and Charging Case with the Find My app.*
- LONG BATTERY LIFE — Get up to 5 hours of listening time on a single charge. And get up to 30 hours of total listening time using the case.*
| Plan | Spotify, after February 2026 increase | Apple Music, February 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Individual | $12.99 per month, up from $11.99 | $10.99 per month |
| Duo | $18.99 per month, up from $16.99 | Not stated in the February 2026 report |
| Family | $21.99 per month, up from $19.99 | $16.99 per month |
| Student | $6.99 per month, up from $5.99 | $5.99 per month |
These are dated U.S. figures, not a current cross-market price list. In particular, a comparison is useful only when it matches the same plan type and location.
Apple raised its U.S. prices in July 2026
Apple increased its U.S. Apple Music subscription prices on July 17, 2026. The current U.S. Apple Music page lists Individual at $11.99 per month, Family at $19.99 per month, and Student at $6.99 per month. Apple told 9to5Mac the change was due to rising licensing costs, saying, “As a result of rising licensing costs, Apple Music is increasing its subscription price beginning today.” The statement was attributed to Apple, not to a named individual. See 9to5Mac’s report on the July increase and Apple’s U.S. Apple Music page.
Rank #2
- WORLD’S BEST IN-EAR ACTIVE NOISE CANCELLATION — Removes up to 2x more unwanted noise than AirPods Pro 2* so you can stay fully immersed in the moment.*
- BREAKTHROUGH AUDIO PERFORMANCE — Experience breathtaking, three-dimensional audio with AirPods Pro 3. A new acoustic architecture delivers transformed bass, detailed clarity so you can hear every instrument, and stunningly vivid vocals.
- HEART RATE SENSING — Built-in heart rate sensing lets you track your heart rate and calories burned for up to 50 different workout types.* With iPhone, you will have access to the Move ring, step count, and the new Workout Buddy,* powered by Apple Intelligence.*
- LIVE TRANSLATION — Communicate across language barriers using Live Translation,* enabled by Apple Intelligence.*
- EXTENDED BATTERY LIFE — Get up to 8 hours of listening time with Active Noise Cancellation on a single charge. Or up to 10 hours in Transparency using the Hearing Aid feature.*
That leaves Apple’s current U.S. individual plan below Spotify’s February 2026 U.S. individual price, but the supplied figures do not establish Spotify’s current price after that February increase. It would be misleading to call Apple definitively cheaper today without checking Spotify’s current local plan listing. Apple’s current U.S. page also lists the Family and Student prices, but there is no matching current Spotify price in the available figures for a present-day comparison of those tiers.
What a price change means for Spotify subscribers
Spotify says it emails subscribers when a new price is announced and gives them a one-month grace period to cancel before the new rate takes effect. Its support page also identifies Spotify Free, an ad-supported service, as an option. The timing and amounts depend on the subscriber’s market; Spotify’s newsroom announcement about its August 2025 changes covered multiple markets and directed customers to local plan listings.
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- REBUILT FOR COMFORT — AirPods 4 have been redesigned for exceptional all-day comfort and greater stability. With a refined contour, shorter stem, and quick-press controls for music or calls.
- ACTIVE NOISE CANCELLATION — AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation help reduce outside noise before it reaches your ears, so you can immerse yourself in what you’re listening to.*
- HEAR THE WORLD AROUND YOU — The powerful H2 chip comes to AirPods 4. Adaptive Audio seamlessly blends ANC and Transparency mode — which lets you comfortably hear and interact with the world around you exactly as it sounds — to provide the best listening experience in any environment.* And when you’re speaking with someone nearby, Conversation Awareness automatically lowers the volume of what’s playing.*
- IMPROVED SOUND AND CALL QUALITY — Voice Isolation improves the quality of calls in loud conditions. Using advanced computational audio, it reduces background noise while isolating and clarifying the sound of your voice for whomever you’re speaking to.*
- MAGICAL EXPERIENCE — Just say “Siri” or “Hey Siri” to play a song, make a call, or check your schedule.* And with Siri Interactions, now you can respond to Siri by simply nodding your head yes or shaking your head no.* Pair AirPods 4 by simply placing them near your device and tapping Connect on your screen.* Easily share a song or show between two sets of AirPods.* An optical in-ear sensor knows to play audio only when you’re wearing AirPods and pauses when you take them off. And you can track down your AirPods and Charging Case with the Find My app.*
- Check the price-change email and the renewal date for your account rather than assuming a U.S. date applies elsewhere.
- Compare the same plan type and market before deciding whether to switch. A family plan is not a like-for-like comparison with an individual plan.
- Review the service’s local plan page for the price that applies to your next billing period.
Spotify’s corporate explanation for price adjustments is that it “occasionally update[s] our prices” to continue innovating on its product offerings and features and bring users the best experience, as stated in its August 2025 newsroom announcement. For the account-specific policy, see Spotify’s price updates support page.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to read the price comparison
The February post was a pointed marketing response to a competitor’s increase, and at that time Apple Music’s U.S. individual plan cost $2 less per month than Spotify’s newly priced individual plan. Apple’s July increase narrowed that difference against the February Spotify figure, but that old Spotify figure is not proof of its current rate. For a decision now, use current prices for the same country and tier, then weigh the features and household needs that matter to you. Apple’s product page describes lossless audio, Spatial Audio, offline downloads, and support across Apple and non-Apple devices, but those features alone do not determine which service is the better value for an individual subscriber.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Active Noise Cancellation blocks outside noise, so you can immerse yourself in music
- Transparency mode for hearing and interacting with the world around you
- Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking places sound all around you
- Adaptive EQ automatically tunes music to your ears
- Three sizes of soft, tapered silicone tips for a customizable fit
Rank #4
- Automatically on, automatically connected
- Easy setup for all your Apple devices
- Quick access to Siri by saying “Hey Siri”
- Double-tap to play or skip forward
- New Apple H1 headphone chip delivers faster wireless connection to your devices
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
