# Spotify vs Apple Music vs YouTube Music: Price Comparison 2026

Spotify costs $12.99 a month for one person, $1.00 more than Apple Music and YouTube Music at $11.99. That gap is small. The real savings in music streaming come from the plan type, not the brand: a student pays about half the individual price, and each person in a family of four pays well under half. This guide compares every major service, then works out the cheapest setup for each kind of listener. US list prices, checked October 2026.

Updated 2026-10-13. https://www.trackmysubscriptions.com/blog/spotify-vs-apple-music-vs-youtube-music-price

- **$11.99-$12.99** Individual plans (per month)
- **$6.99/mo** Student plans (Spotify, Apple Music, TIDAL)
- **$3.16/mo** Family, per person (YouTube Music, six people)
- **$299.76** Two services at once (per year, Spotify + Apple Music)

The six big music services compared here.

## Music streaming prices side by side

| Service | Individual | Student | Family | Family, per person |
| --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Spotify](https://www.trackmysubscriptions.com/subscriptions/spotify) | $12.99 | $6.99 | $21.99 | $3.66 |
| [Apple Music](https://www.trackmysubscriptions.com/subscriptions/apple-music) | $11.99 | $6.99 | $19.99 | $3.33 |
| [YouTube Music](https://www.trackmysubscriptions.com/subscriptions/youtube-music) | $11.99 | - | $18.99 | $3.16 |
| [Amazon Music Unlimited](https://www.trackmysubscriptions.com/subscriptions/amazon-music) | $12.99 | - | $21.99 | $3.66 |
| [TIDAL](https://www.trackmysubscriptions.com/subscriptions/tidal) | $11.99 | $6.99 | $19.99 | $3.33 |
| [Deezer](https://www.trackmysubscriptions.com/subscriptions/deezer) | $11.99 | - | $19.99 | $3.33 |

**Individual plan, per month**

| Item | Value |
| --- | ---: |
| Apple Music | $11.99/mo |
| YouTube Music | $11.99/mo |
| TIDAL | $11.99/mo |
| Deezer | $11.99/mo |
| Spotify | $12.99/mo |
| Amazon Music Unlimited | $12.99/mo |

Apple Music, YouTube Music, TIDAL and Deezer all cost $11.99. Spotify and Amazon Music Unlimited cost $12.99, which is $12.00 more a year. Amazon's price is for people without Prime; Prime members pay $11.99. With individual prices this close, choose on the app, catalog and features you prefer; price is close to a tie.

Head-to-head breakdowns: [Spotify vs Apple Music](https://www.trackmysubscriptions.com/compare/spotify-vs-apple-music), [Spotify vs YouTube Music](https://www.trackmysubscriptions.com/compare/spotify-vs-youtube-music), [Apple Music vs YouTube Music](https://www.trackmysubscriptions.com/compare/apple-music-vs-youtube-music), [Spotify vs Amazon Music](https://www.trackmysubscriptions.com/compare/spotify-vs-amazon-music), [Apple Music vs Amazon Music](https://www.trackmysubscriptions.com/compare/apple-music-vs-amazon-music) and [Spotify vs TIDAL](https://www.trackmysubscriptions.com/compare/spotify-vs-tidal).

## Every audio subscription we track

Music isn't the only audio people pay for. Here is every audio subscription in our catalog by its cheapest plan anyone can buy month to month. Some of the cheapest, like Pandora's lowest tier, are more limited than a full on-demand plan, so compare what each includes.

**Cheapest monthly plan, all audio subscriptions**

| Item | Value |
| --- | ---: |
| Pocket Casts Plus | $3.99/mo |
| Pandora | $4.99/mo |
| Audible | $8.99/mo |
| SoundCloud Go+ | $10.99/mo |
| Apple Music | $11.99/mo |
| YouTube Music | $11.99/mo |
| Amazon Music Unlimited | $11.99/mo |
| TIDAL | $11.99/mo |
| Deezer | $11.99/mo |
| SiriusXM | $11.99/mo |
| Spotify | $12.99/mo |
| Qobuz | $12.99/mo |

US list prices, checked October 2026. Student plans excluded. Amazon's lowest price is for Prime members.

## Family plans are the real bargain

A family plan costs more than an individual plan but far less than several of them. The question is how many people share it. This table shows what each person pays at every household size, and the smallest household where the family plan beats an individual plan.

| Service | 2 people | 3 people | 4 people | 5 people | 6 people | Cheaper from |
| --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [YouTube Music](https://www.trackmysubscriptions.com/subscriptions/youtube-music) | $9.50 | $6.33 | $4.75 | $3.80 | $3.16 | 2 people |
| [Apple Music](https://www.trackmysubscriptions.com/subscriptions/apple-music) | $10.00 | $6.66 | $5.00 | $4.00 | $3.33 | 2 people |
| [TIDAL](https://www.trackmysubscriptions.com/subscriptions/tidal) | $10.00 | $6.66 | $5.00 | $4.00 | $3.33 | 2 people |
| [Deezer](https://www.trackmysubscriptions.com/subscriptions/deezer) | $10.00 | $6.66 | $5.00 | $4.00 | $3.33 | 2 people |
| [Spotify](https://www.trackmysubscriptions.com/subscriptions/spotify) | $11.00 | $7.33 | $5.50 | $4.40 | $3.66 | 2 people |
| [Amazon Music Unlimited](https://www.trackmysubscriptions.com/subscriptions/amazon-music) | $11.00 | $7.33 | $5.50 | $4.40 | $3.66 | 2 people |

**Family plan split six ways, per person**

| Item | Value |
| --- | ---: |
| YouTube Music | $3.16/mo |
| Apple Music | $3.33/mo |
| TIDAL | $3.33/mo |
| Deezer | $3.33/mo |
| Spotify | $3.66/mo |
| Amazon Music Unlimited | $3.66/mo |

For a household of 4, 4 separate Spotify Individual plans cost $623.52 a year. One Spotify Family plan costs $263.88, saving $359.64. Work out your own group's share, and get a message to send them, with the [family plan split calculator](https://www.trackmysubscriptions.com/tools/family-plan-split-calculator).

## The cheapest setup for each kind of listener

### The student

Spotify, Apple Music and TIDAL offer student plans at $6.99, roughly half the individual price. That's $72.00 a year saved on Spotify. Student plans usually need proof that you're enrolled, and the discount ends when you graduate, so put the switch-back date in your calendar.

### The couple

Spotify Duo is $18.99/mo for two accounts: $9.50 each, against $12.99 for an individual plan. That saves the pair $83.88 a year. On services without a duo plan, a family plan split two ways costs $9.50 to $11.00 each, which is already cheaper than paying alone on every service here. Check the family plan's terms first; some expect members to live together.

### The family of four

Four people on one family plan pay $4.75 to $5.50 each a month. The cheapest family plan here is YouTube Music at $18.99. If everyone already uses the same service, stay with it; switching four people's libraries rarely pays for itself.

### The YouTube watcher

[YouTube Premium](https://www.trackmysubscriptions.com/subscriptions/youtube-premium) includes YouTube Music. Premium Individual is $15.99, $4.00 more than YouTube Music alone, and that difference buys ad-free YouTube. If you watch YouTube every day, Premium replaces a music subscription and costs less than YouTube Music plus a separate service. For a family, Premium Family is $26.99 against $18.99 for YouTube Music Family.

### The Prime member

Amazon Music Unlimited costs Prime members $11.99 instead of $12.99. That's $12.00 a year, a small saving, but it makes Amazon Music the same price as Apple Music and YouTube Music for people who already pay for Prime.

### The Apple household

[Apple One](https://www.trackmysubscriptions.com/subscriptions/apple-one) includes Apple Music along with Apple TV, Apple Arcade and iCloud+. Apple One Individual is $21.95, $9.96 more than Apple Music alone. It only pays off if you would otherwise pay for Apple TV too; the full math is in [Is Apple One worth it?](https://www.trackmysubscriptions.com/blog/is-apple-one-worth-it)

### The audiophile

[TIDAL](https://www.trackmysubscriptions.com/subscriptions/tidal) ($11.99) and [Qobuz](https://www.trackmysubscriptions.com/subscriptions/qobuz) ($12.99/mo) are the services people usually compare for sound quality. Audio formats and which tiers include them change, so check each service's current quality options and whether your headphones or speakers can use them before paying more. See [TIDAL vs Qobuz](https://www.trackmysubscriptions.com/compare/tidal-vs-qobuz).

### The podcast and audiobook listener

Most podcasts are free in any podcast app. [Pocket Casts Plus](https://www.trackmysubscriptions.com/subscriptions/pocket-casts) ($3.99/mo) is for extra app features, not for the shows. Audiobooks are a separate cost: [Audible](https://www.trackmysubscriptions.com/subscriptions/audible) runs Standard ($8.99/mo) and Premium Plus ($14.95/mo). If you mostly read, compare [Audible vs Kindle Unlimited](https://www.trackmysubscriptions.com/compare/audible-vs-kindle-unlimited).

## What one listener pays under each setup

Same service, very different bills. Here is what one person pays for Spotify each month depending on how they subscribe. The pattern holds on every service with these plan types.

**Spotify, per person per month**

| Item | Value |
| --- | ---: |
| Individual | $12.99/mo |
| Duo, split two ways | $9.50/mo |
| Student | $6.99/mo |
| Family, split four ways | $5.50/mo |
| Family, split six ways | $3.66/mo |

| Setup | Per month | Per year | Over 5 years |
| --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| Individual | $12.99 | $155.88 | $779.40 |
| Duo, split two ways | $9.50 | $113.94 | $569.70 |
| Student | $6.99 | $83.88 | $419.40 |
| Family, split four ways | $5.50 | $65.97 | $329.85 |
| Family, split six ways | $3.66 | $43.98 | $219.90 |

Over five years, an individual plan costs $779.40 and a six-way family share costs $219.90. That is $559.50 per person for the same music. Curious what the individual price would grow to if you invested it instead? Try the [subscription investment calculator](https://www.trackmysubscriptions.com/tools/subscription-investment-calculator?monthly=12.99).

## What music costs per hour of listening

Divide the price by how much you listen and music streaming is one of the cheapest subscriptions you have. At one hour a day, Spotify Individual costs about $0.43 an hour. At ten minutes a day, it's $2.60 an hour, and that is when a free tier or a cheaper plan starts to make sense.

| Listening per day | Hours a month | Spotify Individual, per hour | Family share of six, per hour |
| --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| 10 minutes | 5 | $2.60 | $0.73 |
| 30 minutes | 15 | $0.87 | $0.24 |
| 1 hour | 30 | $0.43 | $0.12 |
| 2 hours | 60 | $0.22 | $0.06 |

## How to split a family plan fairly

1. **One person owns the plan** and pays the full price. Everyone else pays them.
2. **Split evenly.** $21.99 split four ways is $5.50 each; round to the nearest quarter if that's easier to remember.
3. **Settle on the same day each month,** right after the plan renews, or yearly in advance to save the reminders.
4. **Agree what happens when someone leaves.** The owner removes them, and the share is recalculated for the rest.
5. **Keep it in the household.** Some services check that members live at the same address.

The [family plan split calculator](https://www.trackmysubscriptions.com/tools/family-plan-split-calculator) does the math and writes the message for the group chat.

## Is paying more for sound quality worth it?

Only if you can hear the difference on the equipment you actually use. Most Bluetooth headphones and speakers compress audio on the way, which narrows any gap between standard and lossless streams. A simple test: during a free trial, play the same few songs you know well at both quality settings on your usual headphones, without looking at which is which. If you can't reliably tell them apart, the cheaper plan is the right one.

## A worked household

Take a family of four: two parents on Spotify Individual, a college student on Spotify Student, and a teenager who mostly listens on YouTube. Here are three ways to pay for it, using today's prices.

| Option | What they pay for | Per month | Per year |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: |
| As they are | 2 x Spotify Individual, Spotify Student, YouTube Premium Individual | $48.96 | $587.52 |
| Spotify Family | One Spotify Family plan for all four | $21.99 | $263.88 |
| YouTube Premium Family | One plan covering YouTube and YouTube Music for all four | $26.99 | $323.88 |

Moving everyone to Spotify Family saves $323.64 a year, but the teenager loses ad-free YouTube. YouTube Premium Family keeps ad-free video for everyone and still saves $263.64 a year, if the family is happy to move its music to YouTube Music. Either way, the household pays for one plan instead of four. Check each family plan's member and household rules before switching.

## A quick decision guide

1. **Already pay for YouTube Premium?** Use YouTube Music. It's included, so any other music plan is a second bill.
2. **On Apple One?** Apple Music is included. Don't pay for it separately.
3. **Two of you?** Spotify Duo at $9.50 each, or a family plan split two ways.
4. **Three or more?** A family plan on whichever service most of you already use. Moving everyone's library costs more effort than the price difference is worth.
5. **Student?** A student plan at $6.99.
6. **Prime member on your own?** Amazon Music Unlimited at $11.99 ties the cheapest individual price.
7. **None of the above?** Any of the $11.99 plans: Apple Music, YouTube Music, TIDAL and Deezer. Pick the app you like.

## Try the free tier first

Spotify, YouTube Music and Pandora all have free, ad-supported listening, with limits on skips, offline play or on-demand choice that vary by service and device. If you mostly listen to playlists in the background, a free tier may be enough, and it costs nothing instead of $155.88 a year. Give it two weeks before you pay.

## How to switch services without the pain

1. Start the new service's free trial before canceling the old one, so you're never without music.
2. Recreate or copy your most-played playlists first. A handful of playlists usually covers most of your listening.
3. Re-download anything you listen to offline, like your commute or gym playlists.
4. Cancel the old service a day before its renewal. Most keep working until the end of the paid month.
5. Note the new service's trial end date with the [free trial calculator](https://www.trackmysubscriptions.com/tools/free-trial-calculator).

## You might already be paying for one

- [YouTube Premium](https://www.trackmysubscriptions.com/subscriptions/youtube-premium) includes YouTube Music. With YouTube Premium, a separate YouTube Music plan is wasted money.
- [Apple One](https://www.trackmysubscriptions.com/subscriptions/apple-one) includes Apple Music, plus Apple TV, Apple Arcade and iCloud+.
- [Amazon Prime](https://www.trackmysubscriptions.com/subscriptions/amazon-prime) members pay less for Amazon Music Unlimited.

## Two music services is one too many

Paying for Spotify and Apple Music at once costs $299.76 a year. It happens more than you'd think: a free trial that converted, a family member's plan you were added to, or YouTube Premium bought for videos that quietly includes music. Pick the app you open every day and cancel the other: [Spotify](https://www.trackmysubscriptions.com/cancel/spotify), [Apple Music](https://www.trackmysubscriptions.com/cancel/apple-music), [YouTube Music](https://www.trackmysubscriptions.com/cancel/youtube-music).

Worried about losing playlists? They don't move between services automatically. Some third-party tools can copy them; check what account access they ask for before connecting one. Your listening history and recommendations start fresh either way.

## Yearly billing

Apple Music is the only major service here with a yearly plan in our catalog: $119 a year instead of $143.88, saving $24.88. It pays off after 9.9 months, so only take it if you're sure you'll stay. Check any plan with the [monthly vs yearly calculator](https://www.trackmysubscriptions.com/tools/monthly-vs-yearly-calculator).

## Pitfalls

- **Family plan rules.** Some services expect members to share a home address. Check the terms before adding friends.
- **Student discounts lapse.** After graduation the plan moves to full price, often without much notice.
- **Price increases.** Music plans get price increases from time to time, and they apply automatically. When the email arrives, check the new yearly cost with the [price increase calculator](https://www.trackmysubscriptions.com/tools/subscription-price-increase-calculator).
- **Free trials.** Many services offer a trial that converts to a paid plan. The [free trial calculator](https://www.trackmysubscriptions.com/tools/free-trial-calculator) gives you the date to cancel by.

## What to do next

1. Check whether anyone in your home already pays for a family or duo plan you could join.
2. If you're a student, switch to a student plan today.
3. If you pay for two services, cancel the one you open least.
4. Add what's left to the [subscription calculator](https://www.trackmysubscriptions.com/build) to see your full monthly total, and see [who spends the most on music](https://www.trackmysubscriptions.com/leaderboard/category/music).

## FAQ

### Is Spotify more expensive than Apple Music?

Yes, slightly. Spotify Individual is $12.99 a month and Apple Music is $11.99, a difference of $12.00 a year.

### What is the cheapest music streaming service?

For a full individual plan, Apple Music, YouTube Music, TIDAL and Deezer tie at $11.99. Students pay $6.99 on Spotify, Apple Music or TIDAL.

### How much is Spotify Family per person?

$21.99 a month, or $3.66 each split six ways and $5.50 each split four ways.

### Is Spotify Duo worth it?

For two people, yes. Duo is $18.99, or $9.50 each, against $12.99 for two separate plans. The pair saves $83.88 a year.

### Is YouTube Music included in YouTube Premium?

Yes. YouTube Premium includes YouTube Music at no extra cost.

### Which family music plan is cheapest?

YouTube Music Family at $18.99 a month, or $3.16 per person split six ways.

### Does Apple Music have a yearly plan?

Yes. Apple Music Individual is $119 a year instead of $143.88 paid monthly.