Examined Sep 25, 2026 Then $11.99 a month Cancel 24 hours early No link we may carry Apple Music's free month is real for a new subscriber, and it turns into $11.99 a month unless you cancel at least 24 hours before it ends.
The plan tile says it plainly: “Individual $11.99/month, first month free for new subscribers.” Its footnote adds “New subscribers only.” and “Plan automatically renews until cancelled.” Family is $19.99 a month and Student is $6.99 a month, each with the same first month free. Two longer trials sit on the same page: three months of Apple Music with an eligible audio device or Apple Watch, and three months of Apple One with a new iPhone, iPad or Mac.
What pays what
| A new subscriber choosing Individual | 1 month free, then $11.99 a month |
|---|---|
| A new subscriber choosing Family, with Family Sharing set up | 1 month free, then $19.99 a month, for up to six people |
| A verified college student | 1 month free, then $6.99 a month for up to four years, with Apple TV included |
| A new subscriber pairing an eligible audio device or Apple Watch | 3 months free, one offer per Apple Account |
| A new or qualified returning subscriber with a new iPhone, iPad or Mac | 3 months of Apple One free, then $21.95, $27.95 or $39.95 a month |
| Anyone who has subscribed to Apple Music before | No free month |
| Cancelling a trial, then changing your mind | Trial cannot be restarted |
The Apple One banner reads “Get 3 months of Apple One free with any new iPhone, iPad, or Mac.” Its footnote is for “New and qualified returning subscribers only.” and says “The Apple One free trial includes only subscriptions that you are not currently using through a free trial or a subscription.” So a running Apple Music trial is not covered by the bundle, and the clause above keeps it counting down.
Do this, in this order
- Confirm you are new to Apple Music, and that you are 13 or older. Every plan footnote says “New subscribers only.” The terms say an Apple Account needs you to be 13, or the equivalent minimum age in your country, with younger accounts created by a parent through Family Sharing. A trial is a single attempt: the terms say that if you start a free trial “and cancel before it ends, you cannot reactivate the free trial”.
- Choose the plan, and read the footnote for that plan, not the headline. Family: “Requires Family Sharing.” Student: “College students only. Verification required.” and, in the same footnote, “Limited-time offer; offer may end at any time.” The student price “does not extend to a Family Sharing group”. The device offer is “Offer good for three months after eligible device activation.” with “Only one offer per Apple Account, regardless of the number of eligible devices you purchase.”
- Leave Apple One alone until the month is over. The box above is the whole rule. The terms also bar stacking: “Free trials or offers to Apple Subscriptions cannot be combined with any free trials or offers for any bundle including Apple Subscriptions”.
- Write down the day before the trial ends, and cancel then if you do not want to pay. The clause below is Apple's own deadline. Cancel in the Manage Subscriptions section of your account settings, where the terms say subscriptions renew until cancelled.
- Expect the charge within a day of renewal, and know what you lose when you leave. “You will be charged no more than twenty-four (24) hours prior to the start of the latest Subscription period.” Once charged: “All Transactions are final.” A price rise comes with notice, and “if required, your consent will be required to continue”. When the membership ends, the terms say you lose access to your iCloud Music Library, including the songs you uploaded to it yourself.
If you decide to unsubscribe from a Subscription before we start charging your payment method, cancel the Subscription at least twenty-four (24) hours before the free trial ends.
What Apple does not publish, and where its pages differ
No end date, except for students. The Individual and Family tiles print no closing date. The Student footnote alone says “Limited-time offer; offer may end at any time.” The Terms and Conditions carry the line “Last Updated: September 14, 2026”.
No refund for a forgotten month. The terms say all transactions are final and that content prices may change at any time. The only refund they describe is for technical problems that prevent or delay delivery, and then Apple chooses between a replacement and money back. A subscription cancelled late runs to the end of the period you paid for.
Five people or six. The Family tile says “Share with up to five people via Family Sharing”. The FAQ lower on the page says “up to six people in the family can enjoy all the features and the full catalog of Apple Music”. Both are the same plan: five others plus you. Whether the one-month trial is limited to one per Apple Account is not stated; only the device and Apple One offers say so.
An affiliate program with public rules. Apple's Working with Apple Services page describes a Performance Partners Program for websites. Its full terms, linked from the program page, are a public document, which we read on September 25, 2026. They say “Partner shall not use the Creative in connection with any activity that disparages Apple, or its products or services”, and a page that lists what Apple Music costs you cannot promise that. This page carries no such link.
Is it worth your time?
For a new subscriber, yes. A month free is a month free, and Apple asks nothing of you but a payment method and a calendar. Treat the deadline as the day before the trial ends, because that is what the terms say, and decide then whether $11.99 a month is a price you would choose. Twelve months at $11.99 is $143.88; on Family it is $239.88, and on Student $83.88.
Think harder if you are about to buy an iPhone, iPad or Mac, or if an Apple One trial appeals. Take one trial or the other, not both, since the bundle does not pause the music trial.
