- Kyle Chua
Apple Raises Price of Apple Music, TV+ in Singapore, Malaysia
Don't be surprised when you find your Apple Music and Apple TV+ subscriptions are more expensive now than they were last billing cycle. The Cupertino giant has raised the price of the two services in a number of markets, including Singapore and Malaysia.
Going by the new pricing tier on the Apple Music page, the student plan now costs S$5.98 per month, while the individual plan costs S$10.98 per month from S$4.98 and S$9.98, respectively. Meanwhile, in Malaysia, the price of the individual plan went up from RM14.90 per month to RM16.90 per month, while the family plan went up from RM22.90 per month to RM25.90 per month. The change makes Apple Music more expensive than other music streaming options like Spotify, Tidal, YouTube Music and KKBox.
Apple also raised the price of TV+, with the service now costing S$9.98 per month from S$6.98 per month when it launched almost three years ago – a S$3 hike. Subscribers in Malaysia, meanwhile, are looking at an additional RM10 per month, with the price being raised from RM19.90 per month to RM29.90 per month.
This is the first time either service from the company has a received price hike since they first launched.
Apple explains that the Apple Music price hike is due to “an increase in licensing costs” and artists and songwriters can stand to earn more from streaming. Apple Music earlier this month crossed 100 million songs in its catalogue. The figure, which only counts songs, puts the service at the top when it comes to the biggest catalogue.
As for TV+, the company said the service debuted at "a very low price" since, at that time, it didn't have a lot of content to offer yet. Now, however, it's supposedly “home to an extensive selection of award-winning and broadly acclaimed series, feature films, documentaries, and kids and family entertainment from the world’s most creative storytellers”.
Apple One, which bundles Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple News+, Apple Fitness, and iCloud Storage into one subscription package, is also now more expensive. The individual plan now costs S$19.95 per month, while the family plan costs S$26.95 per month from S$16.95 per month and S$22.95 per month, respectively. In Malaysia, Apple One now costs RM29.90 per month. Individually, however, the prices of other services like Apple Arcade and iCloud remain the same.
Apple isn't the only company to raise the prices of its streaming services. Netflix in early 2022 raised the price of its subscription in some markets, while the Walt Disney company is planning to do the same later in the year with Disney+.
Apple has raised the price of Apple Music and Apple TV+ in a number of markets, including Singapore and Malaysia.
For Apple Music, the student plan now costs S$5.98 per month, while the individual plan costs S$10.98 per month from S$4.98 and S$9.98, respectively.
Meanwhile, Apple TV+ now costs S$9.98 per month from S$6.98 per month.
This is the first time Apple has implemented a price hike since the services first launched.