Apple could be planning to make its best music subscription even better, following in the footsteps of Spotify’s new strategy. According to reports from Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw, Spotify is crafting a higher-priced version of its music service. This new offering, tentatively named Music Pro, is set to include superior audio quality, concert ticket perks, and tools for subscribers to remix songs. The cost? About $6 more per month than the current subscription fee, bringing the total to around $17.
Spotify’s move to introduce a premium tier isn’t new; they’ve been wanting to match Apple Music’s high-quality audio for some time now. However, since Apple Music already provides lossless audio without an extra charge, Spotify needs more than just better sound to justify the price hike.
One idea they’re exploring is selling concert tickets directly through the app, a unique yet problematic market due to the complexities of ticket sales online. Additionally, the ability to remix or adjust songs like a DJ could be a significant draw for users.
On the Apple side, they’ve been offering advanced audio features like lossless audio and Dolby Atmos without additional cost. However, there’s talk that Apple, along with Amazon, might be considering premium tiers for their apps, including music services. This would be a shift from Apple’s current approach of enhancing services without increasing prices.
Apple has only raised the price of Apple Music once, from $9.99 to $10.99 a month back in 2022. If they decide to add more expensive tiers, they might include features like exclusive access to music stems for use in apps like GarageBand and Logic. Apple has already tested this concept in its creative workshops at retail stores but not as a take-home feature.
While nothing is set in stone, the idea of Apple charging more for these advanced features could signal a new direction in how they monetize their streaming service. This could depend on what unique offerings they can bring to the table to make the extra cost worthwhile for subscribers.