Apple sends out iOS, email reminders urging users to renew Apple Music
Apple on Tuesday began sending out messages to Apple Music listeners, pressuring them to renew their subscriptions in advance of the first three-month trials expiring at the end of September.
An email reminder asks people to turn on automatic renewal before tomorrow, Sept. 30, to keep their subscriptions active. The company is also sending out notifications via the iOS Music app, urging people to "renew now." Typically, the Music app doesn't generate any notifications.
Once an Apple Music subscription is started, it will renew automatically unless a person intentionally opts out of it. The cancellation option can be difficult to find, since within both iTunes and the iOS Music app, people have to first visit their account profile and then hunt down a link for managing subscription settings.
People who allow a subscription to continue will be billed $10 U.S. per month for an individual plan, or $15 per month for a six-user family bundle.
This week is a critical period for Apple Music, since while it's believed to have at least 11 million subscribers, some or many of them could be planning to ditch the service when faced with actually paying for it. Apple's main rival in the streaming space, Spotify, has over 75 million subscribers, and users don't need to pay unless they want Premium benefits like ad-free listening.
An email reminder asks people to turn on automatic renewal before tomorrow, Sept. 30, to keep their subscriptions active. The company is also sending out notifications via the iOS Music app, urging people to "renew now." Typically, the Music app doesn't generate any notifications.
Once an Apple Music subscription is started, it will renew automatically unless a person intentionally opts out of it. The cancellation option can be difficult to find, since within both iTunes and the iOS Music app, people have to first visit their account profile and then hunt down a link for managing subscription settings.
People who allow a subscription to continue will be billed $10 U.S. per month for an individual plan, or $15 per month for a six-user family bundle.
This week is a critical period for Apple Music, since while it's believed to have at least 11 million subscribers, some or many of them could be planning to ditch the service when faced with actually paying for it. Apple's main rival in the streaming space, Spotify, has over 75 million subscribers, and users don't need to pay unless they want Premium benefits like ad-free listening.
Comments
Better than having to opt out at the end of the free trial like Amazon Prime.
Actually it's the same. You have to opt out of Apple Music or you're automatically renew. Which is what I did day one. Not going with this service.
Urging? Pressure? You call that notification either of these? Please point to one word in that reminder that "urges" or "pressures" an individual into renewing their subscription.
here, let me help you:
"Your Apple Music trial membership is almost up"
Nope, nothing threatening there.
"Like what you've been hearing?"
I'm trying with this one, but it's actually a rather benign question. Next...
"Simply turn on automatic renewal before Sept 30 to keep enjoying Apple Music"
Hmmm, that sounds rather pleasant, and very easy to follow and nice that Apple is reminding me of this so I don;t forget before my sub lapses.
Wait...outside of the renew button and price, the message is over. Did I miss something Roger?
And let me guess, if they didn't send out a "reminder notice" you'd be writing a story about how Apple Music users are all angry and up-in-arms that their subscription lapsed without a reminder to renew from Apple.
Better than having to opt out at the end of the free trial like Amazon Prime.
I didn't need to opt out of my recent Prime trial. Amazon thinks one of us is 'special'.
As for Apple music... IMO I guess if Apples goal for Apple Music is to 'discover music' its probably fine. But if you just want to listen to oldies AND goodies, not the place, at least not the Ad supported radio (its pretty bad IMO).
I hate to say it, but I'm probably going to bail on Apple Music - at least, until a few more bugs get worked out of iCloud Music Library.
First: my library has more than 25,000 songs, so I can't enable iCloud Music Library - but amazingly (and stupidly), iTunes doesn't tell me about that limit, and when I try to enable iCloud Music Library, iTunes spends a few minutes trying rather than simply notifying me that my library is too large.
Secondly: RATINGS. When I tried to enable iCloud Music Library, iTunes turned on some "genius" garbage that began automatically assigning ratings to individual songs based on album ratings, and that's especially bad since iTunes was automatically assigning album ratings too! All of these automatic genius ratings made my smart playlists useless because smart playlists that included ratings were being filled with garbage songs I'd intentionally left with zero stars.
I'm really surprised that Apple has made such a mess of something as simple as song ratings in iTunes. If they up the limit for the number of songs allowed in a library and IF THEY FIX THE MESS THEY MADE OF RATINGS, I'll definitely subscribe to Apple Music. But until then, no way.
I didn't need to opt out of my recent Prime trial. Amazon thinks one of us is 'special'.
That is good to know. I continued to use it after the trial so I guess that is why they charged me. I remember the language they used when I first signed up sounded like they were going charge me unless I decided I didn't want it.
Now here comes the real test to see how well Apple Music is doing. I really have no clue what I'd bet on: 10% going for paid subscription? 40%? 80%? Really curious on that one.
And we'll probably never know.
Perhaps I'm using it wrong, but I didn't find much "new" music and will keep buying what I want.
Can understand why others, especially those without big music libraries or iTunes Match would consider this.
I honestly think it would have been better if they hadn't tied it into iTunes.
I know a lot of people here do not like ?music but I'm in.
There are a lot of people here who don’t like anything Apple.
Perhaps I'm missing something. Where is the "pressuring" in that email?
Remember that AI writers are not professional journalists. They only get paid a few cents per word and they don’t necessarily understand the impact of the words they choose to use in their screeds. The author probably used a thesaurus without knowing what was implied.
I guess that Apple would consider 10% a success.
I hate to say it, but I'm probably going to bail on Apple Music - at least, until a few more bugs get worked out of iCloud Music Library.
First: my library has more than 25,000 songs, so I can't enable iCloud Music Library - but amazingly (and stupidly), iTunes doesn't tell me about that limit, and when I try to enable iCloud Music Library, iTunes spends a few minutes trying rather than simply notifying me that my library is too large.
Secondly: RATINGS. When I tried to enable iCloud Music Library, iTunes turned on some "genius" garbage that began automatically assigning ratings to individual songs based on album ratings, and that's especially bad since iTunes was automatically assigning album ratings too! All of these automatic genius ratings made my smart playlists useless because smart playlists that included ratings were being filled with garbage songs I'd intentionally left with zero stars.
I'm really surprised that Apple has made such a mess of something as simple as song ratings in iTunes. If they up the limit for the number of songs allowed in a library and IF THEY FIX THE MESS THEY MADE OF RATINGS, I'll definitely subscribe to Apple Music. But until then, no way.
The limit was raised from 25K to 100K just over a week ago.
Although I have enjoyed my free trial of Apple Music, I've decided it is not worth $10 per month to me. I've also cancelled iTunes Match. My music library is only about 1,000 songs, but one or both of these services has managed to "fragment" my music collection - some of my music is here, some of my music is there, some of it doesn't appear to be anywhere, and some of it has ended up with duplicates. Even after restoring my iPhone, after some amount of time some newly purchased music through iTunes on my iMac will not sync for some reason to my iPhone - there seems to be no pattern as to which songs successfully sync and those that simply don't without any error message. iTunes used to be such a simple experience. I'm currently working on unsubscribing and disabling all the new "features" that have appeared the last few years, cleaning up my library, and hoping to go back to the simple iTunes life I enjoyed years ago.
Keeping mine - it's a no brainer.
Several co-workers are going to get it as well (even an Android user). I always play my For You lists at work and everyone is quite impressed with the music. I often get asked "who's that" to which I reply "I don't know - it's just what Apple cued up". They initially thought I had all this great music on my iPhone without realizing it was all picked by Apple and streamed.
I noticed that. That is odd though considering this is an Apple site . I really like Apple music, but I probably will not auto renew only because I can't see paying more a month for that than I do Netflix. I know the price is more dictated by the music industry than Apple. I have enjoyed the service though. I particularly like the playlists.