Apple Music may be reducing the free trial period from three months to just one month.
A new ad surfaced on the Apple Music website showcasing a free one-month trial of the service. Which may mean that the standard three-month trial for Apple Music may be disappearing soon.
The spotted banner, positioned on Apple’s accessories page, advertises the one-month trial. Clicking the banner, however, opens iTunes and a three-month trial for Apple Music. The advertising is obviously confusing, and it’s not clear if this is a permanent change, mistake, or something else altogether.
The standard three-month trial has been the default for new Apple Music users since 2015.
Apple has not confirmed whether it’s shortening the trial period for Apple Music users. The change may be rolling out on a per-region basis, as some users still report seeing three-month trials.
If Apple is steering new users away from offering a three-month trial, it is losing one of its major advantages. Deezer is the only other mainstream music service with a standard three-month trial.
Spotify, TIDAL, and Amazon Music all default to offering a 30-day free trial. Spotify occasionally runs limited offers for 60-day free trials, but that isn’t standard.
One peek at Apple’s last quarterly earnings report for Q2 2019 may hint at the new focus. While Q2 2019 was generally positive, Apple’s total sales were down 5% from the same period last year. In January, Apple cut its Q1 forecast and blamed slow iPhone sales in China. iPhone revenue was down 17.33% year-over-year, accounting for 53.5% of Apple’s revenue.
Apple’s increased focus on its subscription business is an attempt to branch out its revenue streams. With iPhone sales dwindling, Apple can no longer rely on the hardware portion of its business to sustain record revenues. iPhone loyalty is at the lowest point its been since 2011, falling 73% since last year.
Accordingly, Apple’s increased focus on its subscription business is an attempt to branch out its revenue streams. With iPhone sales dwindling, Apple can no longer rely on the hardware portion of its business to sustain record revenues. iPhone loyalty is at its lowest point since 2011, falling 73% since last year.