Subscriptions

Apple's services business is reportedly closing in on one billion paid subscriptions, nearly double the number it had just three years ago, according to CEO Tim Cook. During the company's conference call to discuss its recent financial results for the second quarter, Cook revealed that Apple now has over 975 million active paid subscriptions across its platforms, with the services segment exhibiting steady growth in the second quarter. Services generated $20.9 billion in revenue, up from $19.8 billion in the first quarter.

Each year Apple Music subscribers can look forward to the Apple Music Replay. For 2022, Apple has added some features to Replay, which reviews the entire year of listening stats, top songs, favorite albums, and more. The service has often been compared the competing annual summary Spotify Wrapped. Spotify Wrapped is delivered once per year, while Apple Music Replay can be accessed during the year as it changes.

Apple has begun warning subscribers that access to its services will soon increase in cost. Apple Music, Apple TV+, and Apple One subscribers are receiving emails a month in advance of price increases, giving them time to continue or cancel their automatically renewed subscriptions. Price increases range from $1 per month to $3 per month for some family plans.

The silver lining is that Apple TV+ now offers more original content than ever, and higher licensing costs for Apple Music means artists should receive a larger slice of the profits.

Apple has revealed a list of games that are leaving its subscription Apple Arcade service in the near future. Found under the heading "Leaving Arcade Soon", the list provides a counterpoint to the "Coming Soon" section highlighting upcoming new games. Just like other subscription services, content can come and go depending on licensing requirements and developers' commitment to the platform.

Apple's Black Friday event is ongoing, with free gift cards going to customers for buying eligible products. The company is also offering an extended free trial period for new users of the Apple News+ subscription service. Normally, the free trial is one month long. The latest promotion extends the Apple News+ free trial to a full three months with no charges.