iTunes and the iPod revolutionized the music industry in the early 2000s, as the hardware and software duo which popularized singles over albums and allowed users to store thousands of songs on a single device.
That now seems quaint, but for over a decade it was the way most people listened to music. Apple held a lead over all other music players with the iPod, which was catapulted further ahead by the iPhone.
However, Apple failed to see music streaming as the next evolution of digital music, with CEO Steve Jobs vehemently against it. Instead, for half a decade, a small Swedish developer was able to grow with hardly any serious competition.
Spotify had already accumulated 22 million subscribers by the time Apple Music launched. It also had 68 million users on freemium accounts. YouTube had also cornered the market on music videos, another market Apple missed.
The acquisition of Beats Electronics for $3 billion was the first sign Apple were willing to try music streaming. It closed Beats Music and launched Apple Music in June 2015, with a lot of artists coming out to support the app. Apple also launched several radio stations featuring prominent artists and DJs, including ex-BBC Zane Lowe and Ebro Darden.
Apple Music hit the ground running with 11 million subscribers in the first year, even with criticism of the user interface. A year after launch, Apple Music received its first major redesign, fixing many of the interface issues.
Since then, Apple Music has steadily grown into a genuine competitor to Spotify, especially in the US where it is the largest music streaming service. In Europe and South America, Spotify is still king, and Apple may struggle to ever reach Spotify’s numbers due to its poorly optimized Android app.
We have collected data and statistics on Apple Music. Read on below to find out more.
Apple Music key statistics
- Apple Music made approximately $5 billion revenue in 2021, accounting for 6.4% of Apple’s total services revenue
- 88 million people subscribe to Apple Music as of June 2021
- Apple Music has more subscribers than Spotify in the United States, but Spotify has more in Europe and South America
- Apple Music pays artists on average $0.0076 per listen
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Apple Music overview
| Title 1 | Title 2 |
|---|---|
| Launch date | 30 June 2015 |
| HQ | Cupertino, California |
| People | Oliver Schusser (head of Apple Music), Brian Bumbery (director of publicity), Trent Reznor (creative officer) |
| Business type | Subsidiary |
| Owner | Apple |
| Industry | Music streaming |
Apple Music revenue
Apple does not break out revenue for Apple Music. This estimate is based on total global streaming revenue, Apple Music’s market share and comparisons to Spotify.
Apple Music annual revenue 2015 to 2021 ($bn)
| Year | Revenue ($bn) |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1.7 |
| 2017 | 2.3 |
| 2018 | 3.5 |
| 2019 | 4.4 |
| 2020 | 6.3 |
| 2021 | 7.7 |
Sources: Company data, MIDIA, RIAA, Spotify
Apple services revenue
Apple’s Services division is the fastest growing in the company, with Apple Music contributing 6.4% to the total revenue.
Apple Services annual revenue 2013 to 2021 ($bn)
| Year | Revenue ($bn) |
|---|---|
| 2013 | 15.8 |
| 2014 | 17.8 |
| 2015 | 19.6 |
| 2016 | 24.1 |
| 2017 | 29.8 |
| 2018 | 36.9 |
| 2019 | 46.1 |
| 2020 | 53.6 |
| 2021 | 68.4 |
| 2022 | 78 |
Note: This covers all of Apple’s services revenue. Sources: Apple Statistics, Company data
Apple Music users
Apple Music had 88 million subscribers in 2021, an increase of 16 million on the previous year.
Apple Music annual users 2015 to 2021 (mm)
| Year | Users (mm) |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 11 |
| 2016 | 20 |
| 2017 | 27 |
| 2018 | 40 |
| 2019 | 50 |
| 2020 | 72 |
| 2021 | 88 |
Note: 2020 and 2021 values are estimated. Source: Company data
Apple Music vs competitors: pay per stream
Apple Music pays more per stream than Spotify and YouTube, although both of its competitors offer their content out for free with ads.
Music streaming average pay per stream ($)
| Music streaming service | Pay per stream ($) |
|---|---|
| Apple Music | 0.0076 |
| Spotify | 0.0026-0.0049 |
| YouTube | 0.00067 |
Source: BBC
Apple Music vs Spotify: users
Apple Music FAQ
How many songs are in the Apple Music library?
Over 70 million songs are available to stream as of February 2021
How many countries is Apple Music available in?
Apple Music is available in 167 countries
What platforms does Apple Music support?
macOS, iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, watchOS, CarPlay, HomePod, Windows, Android, Chrome OS, Amazon Echo, Sonos, and web
