Music streaming: plans and prices compared 2026
In the US the main music subscriptions are Spotify Premium, Apple Music, YouTube Music Premium (also inside YouTube Premium) and Amazon Music. All have a large catalog and offline listening; the differences are in trials, family rules, sound quality, audiobooks and what else comes in the bundle.
We compare terms from the providers’ US websites. Prices are in the price block on each service’s page, before sales tax.
Quick picks
If you want audiobooks too
Spotify Premium includes 15 hours a month from its audiobooks catalog (on Duo and Family, for the plan manager).
If you’re a student
Spotify Premium Student includes access to Hulu; Apple Music Student comes with Apple TV.
If you watch YouTube a lot
YouTube Premium removes ads on YouTube and includes YouTube Music Premium.
If you’re in the Apple ecosystem
Apple Music Family shares with up to five people through Family Sharing; Apple One bundles it with other Apple services.
If you want to prepay a year
YouTube Music Premium and YouTube Premium sell 12 months up front, and that plan doesn’t renew automatically.
If you care about hi-res audio
TIDAL – HiRes FLAC up to 24-bit/192 kHz and Dolby Atmos on every plan.
If you upload your own music
YouTube Music stores up to 100,000 of your songs; TIDAL Upload lets creators share their tracks.
$11.99/mo
Individual
What should you choose?
The service is picked by our score, the plan is the cheapest one that fits the situation. Prices are checked.
For two · For a family (4+ accounts)
Apple Music · Family
$19.99/moPlus sales tax where applicable
- 6 people, address doesn’t matter
Services in this category
from $11.99/moPlus sales tax where applicableFree trial — 30 days
Price checked
from $11.99/moPlus sales tax where applicableFree trial — 30 days
Price checked
from $12.99/moPlus sales tax where applicableFree trial — 30 days
Price checked
from $11.99/moPlus sales tax where applicableFree trial — 30 days
Price checked
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How to choose
- 1
Count the people
Spotify Duo is 2 accounts and Family up to 6; Apple Music Family is you plus five; YouTube Family adds up to 5 members aged 13+.
- 2
Check the address rule
Spotify Duo and Family require members at the same address; YouTube Family is for your household.
- 3
Decide if lossless matters
Spotify lists lossless up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz; Apple Music lists lossless and Spatial Audio.
- 4
Look at what’s bundled
Hulu with Spotify Student, Apple TV with Apple Music Student, YouTube without ads with YouTube Premium, music with Amazon Prime.
- 5
Use the trial on purpose
Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube offer a free first month to eligible new members; YouTube reminds you 7 days before it ends.
- 6
Set the quality yourself
TIDAL and YouTube Music choose quality separately for Wi-Fi, mobile data and downloads – the defaults aren’t always the best.
Types of plans
Music subscriptions in the US come in a few shapes.
Individual
One account, ad-free, offline listening.
Duo and Family
Several personal accounts on one bill — each with its own library and recommendations.
Student
A discount for verified students; Spotify and YouTube require eligibility checks, YouTube every year.
Bundles
YouTube Premium (YouTube and YouTube Music), Apple One, and Amazon Music Prime inside Amazon Prime.
Creator features
TIDAL offers direct-to-fan sales and Contributions in the US; YouTube Music lets you upload your own library.
What to check before you subscribe
Questions the monthly price doesn’t answer.
| Question | What to look at |
|---|---|
| Is there a free trial? | What to look atSpotify Individual — 1 month if you haven’t tried Premium before. Apple Music — first month free for new subscribers. YouTube Music and YouTube Premium — 1 month for eligible new members. |
| How many people can share? | What to look atSpotify Duo 2, Family up to 6. Apple Music Family — you plus five. YouTube Family — you plus 5 members aged 13+. |
| Do members have to live together? | What to look atSpotify Duo and Family — same address. YouTube Family — your household. Apple Music Family works through Family Sharing. |
| Is there lossless audio? | What to look atSpotify — up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz. Apple Music — lossless and Spatial Audio. |
| Are audiobooks included? | What to look atSpotify Premium — 15 hours a month from its audiobooks catalog (plan manager only on Duo and Family). There’s also an Audiobooks Access plan where music stays on the free tier. |
| What does the student plan add? | What to look atSpotify Student — access to Hulu. Apple Music Student — Apple TV. YouTube Student — annual verification. |
| Can you pay yearly? | What to look atYouTube Music Premium and YouTube Premium — 12 months up front, no automatic renewal. |
| Is music already in something you pay for? | What to look atYouTube Premium includes YouTube Music Premium; Amazon Prime includes Amazon Music Prime; Apple One includes Apple Music. |
| What’s the top audio quality? | What to look atTIDAL: HiRes FLAC up to 24-bit/192 kHz. Spotify: lossless up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz. YouTube Music: 256 kbps. |
| Is there an AI DJ or assistant? | What to look atSpotify has DJ; YouTube Music has Ask Music on mobile for Premium members. |
When it pays off and when it doesn’t
Pays off
- If you listen every day — offline and without ads.
- If a family or duo plan replaces several individual subscriptions.
- If the bundle covers something you’d pay for anyway (YouTube without ads, Apple TV, Hulu).
Doesn’t pay off
- Paying for two music services at once.
- An individual plan for each person in a household that could share a family plan.
- Starting a trial without a reminder — set one, or use YouTube’s 7-day reminder.
- Paying for YouTube Music Premium if you already have YouTube Premium – it’s included.
FAQ
In short
Choosing a music subscription in the US comes down to who you share with, whether you want audiobooks or lossless audio, and what you already pay for. This page collects those terms for the main services, based on their own rules.
Alt-subs is independent of the services on this page. Trademarks belong to their owners and are used only to identify the service. Prices come from the providers’ own websites and are shown with dates.
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