Apple Music is a popular music streaming service that gives users access to over 90 million songs. With Apple Music, you get unlimited access to the entire Apple Music catalog and personalized playlists for one monthly subscription fee. But can you purchase just a single song from the Apple Music library without a subscription?
Quick Answer
No, Apple Music does not offer the option to purchase individual songs or albums. The only way to get access to songs on Apple Music is through a paid subscription to the service.
Apple Music Overview
Apple Music first launched in 2015 as Apple’s answer to other on-demand music streaming services like Spotify. The subscription service gives you access to an extensive music catalog plus exclusives like new releases and curated playlists.
With an Apple Music subscription, you can:
- Stream over 90 million songs on demand, ad-free
- Save music for offline listening
- Get customized and exclusive playlists
- Listen across all your devices
- Access new releases and exclusives
There are a few different Apple Music subscription options:
- Individual Plan – $9.99/month. Access for one person.
- Family Plan – $14.99/month. Shared access for up to 6 family members.
- Student Plan – $4.99/month. For eligible college students.
- Voice Plan – $4.99/month. For access through Siri only.
Can You Buy Individual Songs?
With a streaming service like Apple Music, you don’t buy or own any of the music – it’s all licensed to you as part of your subscription. There is no option to permanently purchase or download individual songs or albums from Apple Music’s catalog.
This is different from something like the iTunes Store, where each song or album is available for individual purchase and download. Apple Music and iTunes Store are two separate services:
- iTunes Store – music store where you can buy individual songs/albums to own
- Apple Music – streaming service with access to songs through a subscription
So in summary, while you can buy and own specific songs, albums or music videos on the iTunes Store, that functionality does not exist on the Apple Music platform.
Why Can’t You Buy Songs on Apple Music?
Apple Music is designed purely as an all-access streaming service, so there are a few reasons why they don’t offer individual song purchases:
- Apple wants to drive recurring subscription revenue versus one-time song purchases.
- Managing song purchases alongside subscriptions would complicate the user experience.
- Streaming licenses are different than individual download licenses.
- Apple doesn’t want to compete with or undercut their iTunes music store.
The iTunes Store still exists for people who want to own their music. But Apple Music aims to provide unlimited access to everything in one subscription package. This model has helped streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music rapidly dominate music listening.
Workarounds to Get Single Songs
While you can’t buy songs directly off Apple Music, there are a couple workarounds if you want to get access to individual songs from the catalog:
iTunes Store
Any song that’s available on Apple Music should also be purchasable on the iTunes Store. You can buy and download individual songs for about $1.29 each.
Add Playlist
You can add a single song to your library by finding it on Apple Music and adding it to a playlist. This will allow you to listen to that song on demand from your playlists. Just note – you’d need an active Apple Music subscription to use this workaround.
Snapshots
Apple Music’s Snapshots feature lets you save individual songs from the radio to your library. You can then re-listen to Snapshots without using mobile data.
While not exactly buying a song, these tips allow you to pinpoint single tracks from Apple Music you want more access to.
How To Buy Music Outside Apple Music
If you want to purchase individual songs or albums outside of subscribing, here are some options:
iTunes Store
As mentioned the iTunes Store has millions of songs available for purchase and download. Songs cost about $1.29 and albums usually $7-12.
Artist Websites
Many artists sell music directly from their own websites, either in digital or physical formats. This lets you support them directly.
Amazon Music Store
Like iTunes, Amazon has their own digital music store with songs, albums and more available to buy.
Bandcamp
Bandcamp offers an independent artist marketplace with music available to buy digitally or physically. Purchases directly support the artists.
CDs
CDs may be old school but are still great if you want to own physical copies of your favorite albums. You can buy them online or in stores.
While streaming may be dominant today, there are still plenty of ways to purchase music outside of a monthly subscription!
Pros of Buying Music
Why might you want to buy music instead of subscribing to Apple Music? Here are some potential benefits:
- You own the music – it’s yours forever even if you unsubscribe from a service
- Owning music supports artists more directly through purchases
- You can listen offline whenever without an internet connection
- Subscriptions can get expensive over time versus one-time purchases
- Higher quality audio files in some cases
- Ability to share legally purchased music files
Pros of Apple Music Subscription
Subscribing to Apple Music does come with its own set of advantages:
- Access a huge catalog of over 90 million songs
- Constantly updated music as new content arrives
- Personalized playlists made for your tastes
- Exclusive releases and content
- No need to purchase entire albums for one song
- Syncs across all your devices
- Online locker to save music for offline listening
Is Apple Music Worth it?
At the end of the day, whether an Apple Music subscription is “worth it” comes down to your listening habits and needs:
- If you want to discover lots of new music and love playlists, Apple Music is very appealing.
- If you mostly re-listen to your favorite songs/albums and want to own music, buying may be better.
- Apple Music is great for casual background listening given the huge catalog.
- Purchasing select songs/albums lets you be more selective and listen offline.
Both options have their merits. Super fans may find owning discs or digital files worthwhile, while casual listeners are better off with a streaming service.
Conclusion
Unfortunately, Apple Music does not currently offer the ability to purchase individual songs, albums or music videos from their catalog. The streaming service requires a paid subscription, with options like the Individual Plan for $9.99/month.
The only way to directly buy songs from Apple is through the iTunes Store, which exists separately from Apple Music. However, there are some workarounds to save or access individual songs from Apple Music, like adding them to a playlist.
At the end of the day, the choice between buying music or subscribing to a service comes down to personal listening habits. For maximum flexibility, many users choose to both buy select music to own, while also using Apple Music or Spotify for discovery.