Apple could be about to launch a Spotify-like free tier, but users fear there could be a major downside

• There is evidence of a new free tier for Apple Music
• This will undoubtedly have certain limitations.
• Users fear there are ads involved

Apple Music’s streaming and unlimited listening component differs from Spotify in that you can’t use it for free – you have to pay a monthly subscription. According to code spotted in the latest Apple Music app for Android, that could be about to change.

Discovered by tipster Aaron Perris (via 9to5Mac), the snippets mention track skipping limits and a “Premium Access Required” message, both of which are consistent with some sort of subscription-free tier for the Apple Music streaming catalog.

However, Perris himself admits that the code strings could be linked to something else, such as radio stations. These may soon work differently depending on whether or not you currently pay for an Apple Music plan.

Spotify’s free tier includes ads and limits on audio quality, playlist creation, track order, and track skipping. Premium subscribers can also save playlists to use offline and usually get access to new features first as well.

Does this mean ads?

Based on Reddit’s reaction, this move may not be that popular. “Oh no, not the ads,” is a typical comment, and there seems to be strong resistance to the idea of ​​Apple Music offering a free tier if it comes with ads.

After having traditionally kept advertising in its products to a minimum, Apple has recently moved towards an approach closer to that of Google: advertisements began to appear in Apple Maps with iOS 26.5 for example.

In fact, as we’ve already noted, this is a trend that many apps and services are joining in, with the aim of extracting more money from consumers, whether it’s advertising on streaming services or new subscription models for social media sites.

We’ll have to wait and see if a free tier for Apple Music will appear soon – perhaps at WWDC 2026 on June 8. You can already use the Apple Music app for free, of course, if you bring your own digital music with you.

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Dave is a freelance technology journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based in Stockport, England, on TechRadar you’ll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly on phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business during the weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places, in addition to spending many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.