Quick answer: Apple Music has no permanent free plan, but you can still get free Apple Music in the US. New subscribers get 1 month free directly from Apple. Buying an eligible Apple device, AirPods, Beats or HomePod can unlock 3 months free. Best Buy has offered up to 3 months with a qualifying purchase, and some older Verizon Unlimited plans still include 6 months free. Every offer below auto-renews, so set a cancellation reminder.
If you searched for “free Apple Music” and landed on guides promising 6 free months from PlayStation, Target or Shazam, be careful. Several of those promotions have ended, and Apple raised its prices in July 2026. This guide covers what is actually available right now, what has expired, and what you will pay when the free period ends.
Does Apple Music Have a Free Plan?
No. Apple Music is subscription-only, and Apple has not launched an ad-supported free tier. Rumors surfaced in June 2026 after code strings appeared in an Android beta, but nothing was announced at WWDC and Apple has not confirmed a free plan. Apple Music executives have publicly defended the no-free-tier approach.
That means “free Apple Music” in practice means a free trial or promotional period. After it ends, your plan renews at full price unless you cancel.
Apple Music Prices in 2026 (After the Free Trial)
Apple raised US prices on July 17, 2026, the first increase since October 2022. Many top-ranking guides still show the old prices, so check the numbers before you subscribe.
- Individual: $11.99/month (was $10.99)
- Family (up to 6 people): $19.99/month (was $16.99)
- Student: $6.99/month (was $5.99)
- Apple One Individual (bundle): $19.95/month, unchanged
For comparison, Spotify Premium Individual is $12.99/month in the US, so Apple Music is still $1 cheaper.
7 Ways to Get Free Apple Music Right Now
1. Apple’s Official Free Trial (1 Month)
This is the baseline offer for every new subscriber. You get one month free on the Individual, Family or Student plan, with full access to the catalog of 100+ million songs, lossless audio, Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos, and offline downloads.
How to start it:
- Open the Music app (or go to the Apple Music site) and tap Try It Free.
- Sign in with your Apple Account and choose a plan.
- Confirm your payment method. You will not be charged during the trial.
- Note the renewal date and cancel before it if you do not want to continue.
Good to know: Apple has run longer 3-month promotions for new users in the past, including a limited run that ended February 24, 2026. If Apple is running an extended offer when you sign up, you will see it on the sign-up screen, so always start from Apple’s own page rather than a third-party link.
2. Buy an Eligible Apple Device or Audio Product (3 Months)
New subscribers who buy and set up an eligible device can get 3 months free. This most commonly applies to AirPods, Beats products and HomePod, and some promotions extend to new iPhone, iPad or Mac purchases.
How it works:
- Pair or activate your eligible device with your iPhone or iPad.
- Open the Music app and look for the offer prompt, or visit Apple’s new-device offer page.
- Redeem within three months of first activating the device.
Older articles claim 6 months with AirPods. That is outdated for most current promotions, so rely on what Apple’s offer page shows for your specific device.
3. Best Buy (Up to 3 Months)
Best Buy has been one of the more consistent US sources of extended Apple Music offers. The current version is up to 3 months free for eligible new and returning subscribers with a qualifying purchase, delivered as a code by email.
How to claim it:
- Sign in to your BestBuy.com account.
- Find the Apple Music offer and complete the checkout (the offer itself is $0, but eligibility can depend on a qualifying purchase).
- Open the email Best Buy sends and redeem the code in Apple Music with your Apple Account.
Terms change often, so read the eligibility details on the product page before you buy anything just for the offer.
4. Apple Music Student Plan (1 Month Free, Then $6.99)
This is technically a discount, not a long free period, but it is the best long-term deal if you qualify. Verified college students get a 1-month free trial, then pay $6.99/month for up to 48 months while enrolled. The Student plan also includes Apple TV.
Verification runs through Apple’s student verification partner, so have your school email or enrollment details ready.
5. Verizon “Apple Music on Us” (6 Months, Select Plans Only)
This one is easy to get wrong. Verizon’s 6 months free applies to select legacy or grandfathered Unlimited plans. Verizon’s current myPlan lineup instead offers a paid Apple Music Family perk, which rose from $10 to $13/month on September 1, 2026. That is a discount, not a free offer.
How to check:
- Sign in to your Verizon account or the My Verizon app.
- Open your plan’s perks or add-ons section.
- Look for “Apple Music on us.” If it is not listed, your plan is probably not eligible.
After the promotional period ends, standard pricing applies unless you cancel. New Mexico residents are handled differently: the subscription ends automatically when the promotion does.
6. djay App Offer (Up to 2 Months)
The DJ app djay has offered new Apple Music subscribers an extended free period when they connect their Apple Music account inside the app, subject to the terms shown in the app. It is a niche option, but it can be worth checking if you already use djay.
7. Apple One Free Trial (1 Month)
Apple One bundles Apple Music with Apple TV, Apple Arcade and iCloud+ (higher tiers add News+ and Fitness+). New Apple One subscribers can usually get 1 month free of the whole bundle, which includes Apple Music. It is worth it if you plan to use several Apple services. If you only want music, the Apple Music trial alone is simpler.
Free Apple Music Offers That Have Expired
Before you click a “6 months free” link on another site, check this list. These offers have been widely advertised but are no longer available as described.
- PlayStation 5: The old 6-month offer ended November 15, 2024, and the later 3-month offer ended March 18, 2026.
- Target Circle (2 months): The public Target Circle Apple Music offer has expired. Target may still send occasional promotions, but there is no guaranteed offer for all members.
- Shazam: The dedicated Shazam promotion no longer appears to be publicly available. Opening Apple Music from Shazam typically just shows Apple’s standard trial.
- EE (UK): The 6-month EE offer is a UK carrier deal and does not apply to US users.
Can You Stack Free Apple Music Trials?
Only to a limited degree. Many guides claim you can chain Shazam, Verizon and Best Buy offers into 6 months or more. In reality:
- Most promotions are for new subscribers only, and once you have used a trial on your Apple Account, you generally will not qualify for another new-subscriber trial.
- Some retailer codes work for returning subscribers, but often for a shorter period.
- Apple can reduce or reject a code if you have recently used other free months.
Your best approach is to use the longest offer you qualify for first (for example, a device offer or a Best Buy code), rather than burning the standard 1-month trial and finding out the longer deal no longer applies.
Can Family Sharing Get You More Free Months?
Sort of, but not in the way some guides describe. A Family plan lets up to six people share one subscription, so each person pays only a fraction of the price. A family member who has never used Apple Music may also be eligible for their own new-subscriber offer. But Family Sharing does not automatically extend your own trial.
A full Family plan costs $19.99/month, which works out to about $3.33 per person if all six seats are used.
How to Cancel Apple Music Before You Are Charged
Almost every free offer converts to a paid plan automatically. To avoid a charge:
- On iPhone or iPad: Open Settings, tap your name, tap Subscriptions, choose Apple Music, then tap Cancel Subscription.
- On Android: Open the Apple Music app, tap your profile, then Manage Subscription.
- On Mac or PC: Open the Music app or iTunes, go to Account, then Settings, then Subscriptions.
Cancel a day or two before the renewal date. You keep access until the trial period ends, so canceling early does not cost you any free time.
Beware of “Free Apple Music” Scams
Because demand for free Apple Music is high, scams are common. Avoid:
- Code generators and “unlimited free Apple Music code” sites. Real codes come from Apple, Best Buy or other legitimate partners.
- Cracked or modded apps that claim to unlock premium Apple Music. They put your account and device at risk and violate Apple’s terms.
- Offers that ask for your Apple Account password or card details outside of Apple’s own sign-in screen.
If an offer sounds too good to be true, go straight to Apple’s official page to see whether it exists.
Free Music Alternatives If You Do Not Want to Pay
If your goal is to listen without paying at all, a few services still have free tiers:
- Spotify Free: Ad-supported, with limited skipping and on-demand playback on mobile.
- YouTube Music (free): Ad-supported with background play restrictions.
- Amazon Music (free tier): Ad-supported access to a selection of playlists and stations.
- Pandora (free): Ad-supported personalized radio.
Apple’s own live radio stations, such as Apple Music 1, are the closest thing Apple has to free listening, though availability can vary, so confirm in the Music app.
You can also move your playlists between services using a transfer tool such as Free Your Music or Soundiiz, so switching later does not mean starting from scratch.
Which Free Apple Music Offer Should You Pick?
- You just want to try it: Start with Apple’s official 1-month trial.
- You are buying AirPods, Beats or a new Apple device: Use the 3-month device offer.
- You are a student: Take the Student plan, which is the cheapest ongoing price.
- You are on an older Verizon Unlimited plan: Check for “Apple Music on us” first.
- You want the most months free: Compare Best Buy’s code and any device offer before using the standard trial.
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Bottom Line
There is no truly free Apple Music, but a free trial costs nothing as long as you cancel on time. In 2026, the realistic options are a 1-month trial, 3 months with an eligible device or Best Buy offer, and 6 months for a small group of Verizon customers. Skip the outdated “6 months free” promises and always verify an offer on Apple’s own page before you sign up.
Prices and promotions change frequently. Always confirm the current terms on Apple’s official website before subscribing
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Apple Music free for new users?
New users get a free trial, usually 1 month, and sometimes longer through device purchases or retailer offers. It is not free permanently, and the plan renews at paid pricing unless you cancel.
How can I get Apple Music free for 3 months?
The most reliable route is an eligible device purchase (such as AirPods, Beats or HomePod), which unlocks 3 months for new subscribers who redeem within three months of activating the device. Best Buy has also offered up to 3 months with a qualifying purchase. Apple occasionally runs limited 3-month promotions too.
Is there a 6-month Apple Music free trial in 2026?
Not for most people. Six months applies mainly to select legacy Verizon Unlimited plans. Most 6-month claims online, including old PS5, AirPods and Target offers, are outdated.
Can I get Apple Music free if I already had a subscription?
Usually not through the standard new-subscriber trial. Some returning subscribers receive targeted offers or can use certain retailer codes, but eligibility varies.
Do I need a credit card for the free trial?
Apple requires a payment method on your Apple Account to start the trial. You are not charged until the trial ends.
Will I lose my playlists if I cancel?
Your library and playlists are generally preserved for a period, but downloaded songs stop working when your subscription ends. Re-subscribing typically restores your library.
Is free Apple Music worth it?
If you want ad-free listening, lossless and Spatial Audio, and tight iPhone integration, a free trial is a low-risk way to find out. At $11.99/month, it still undercuts Spotify Premium by $1.
