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Since its debut in 2015, Apple Music has required its users to subscribe if they wanted to stream music from the growing library of tracks. However, that need for a subscription could be changing soon as suggested by references discovered in Apple Music's code, which may point toward a potential free, ad-supported tier. If true, this type of entry-level tier would better align with what other music streaming services already offer.

The references were noted by Aaron Perris, an analyst for MacRumors, who found messages in the code that say, "premium access required" and "can't skip any more tracks." Together, these messages imply that Apple might be introducing some kind of other option for users that want to listen to use Apple Music, but don't want to pay for a premium subscription. While the first impression points toward some kind of free tier, there's also the possibility that Apple could launch it as a lower-cost tier instead. This is a feature that some have argued for in the past, though key members of Apple tend to lean toward the opposite side of the argument, noting that music is art and it should never be free. This addition could divide users even further, just as a recent Apple Music update has.

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While a free tier would certainly entice some users to give Apple Music a try, the fact that these references were discovered in a beta version of Apple Music on Android means that it's possible that Apple could still be a long way off from introducing any kind of additional non-premium tier or, equally possible, Apple could forego the idea entirely. The one thing that seems to be most likely is that since this was discovered on the Android platform, whatever changes Apple makes, it will bring them to both iOS and Android. If we look solely at the numbers, Apple offering a free or ad-supported tier could help it potentially increase its listeners, as a report by Midia Research in 2025 showed that Apple Music's subscriber market share was much lower than Spotify.

As stated earlier, though, the addition of a free tier on Apple Music actually goes directly against something we heard Oliver Schusser, the VP of Apple Music and international content, tell Billboard in April 2026. Schusser essentially said that Apple Music doesn't require a free tier to entice listeners, and that offering one actually hurts artists and songwriters. We've been hearing about how low the royalty rates are for music streaming for years now, and Schusser's shared this stance for years now.