Apple Music Signs New Multiyear Deals With World's Largest Record Labels - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Apple Music Signs New Multiyear Deals With World's Largest Record Labels

Apple Music has secured new deals for songs from major record labels that include Universal Music, Sony Music, and Warner Music, reports Financial Times.

applemusic
The licensing deals, which have been signed "in recent months," will allow for music from popular artists like Taylor Swift, Lizzo, Adele, and others to continue to be streamed on the ‌Apple Music‌ service.

There are no terms in the deals for bundling ‌Apple Music‌ with Apple TV+, so despite rumors that Apple is working on bundling its subscription services, such a bundle does not appear to be in the works at this time.

Apple revisits deals with major record labels every few years to determine royalty rates and renew rights to songs. Apple has inked multiyear deals at this time, but ‌Apple Music‌ competitor Spotify is said to be having a harder time.

Spotify has been in licensing talks with Universal Music and Warner Music for approximately a year and the record labels have been extending existing agreements on a month by month basis as they work to agree on new terms.

As of last summer, ‌Apple Music‌ had 60 million paid subscribers. Apple hasn't released updated data since then, but Spotify in October said that it had 113 million paying subscribers.

Popular Stories

wigmore hall

Apple Music Classical Announces New Partnership With London's Wigmore Hall

Wednesday June 3, 2026 4:59 am PDT by
Wigmore Hall Live today relaunches as a digital-only platform in partnership with Apple Music Classical, with all recording royalties passed directly to artists, Gramophone reports. Wigmore Hall is a prestigious 550-seat concert hall on Wigmore Street in London's Marylebone, widely regarded as one of the world's foremost venues for chamber music, early music, and vocal recitals. Opened in...
iphone 18 pro blue%402x

iPhone 18 Pro: Dark Cherry, Light Blue, and Dark Gray Chassis Leaked [Update]

Thursday June 4, 2026 5:18 am PDT by
Update: Since publication, new information has come to light suggesting the images have been AI-manipulated and are not in fact iPhone 18 Pro chassis parts. The original article follows. The color options Apple is reportedly planning for the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max have appeared online today in the form of images of chassis parts of unknown authenticity....
Aston Martin CarPlay Ultra Screen

Apple Says CarPlay Ultra is Coming to These Vehicle Brands

Thursday May 21, 2026 11:53 am PDT by
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly a year later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon. In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. CarPlay Ultra...

Top Rated Comments

H3LL5P4WN Avatar
81 months ago
Any mention of Apple Music increasing payout to artists?
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sos47 Avatar
81 months ago
When does Apple Music support ALAC (or ... FLAC)?
thank you for any hint
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Michael Scrip Avatar
81 months ago

I would be interested to hear a response to this from someone who knows the answer. At least in the media, streaming companies are criticized for how much money is paid to artists, making it seem as if streaming companies like Spotify and Apple are at fault for the amounts artists receive.
All I know is this... the music industry has never been fair to the artist. There are too many fingers in the pie.

In the old days... artists would be lucky to make $1 for each $16 CD sold. The other $15 went to labels, producers, songwriters, distributors, manufacturing, retailers, etc.

The artists were getting screwed long before we had MP3s and streaming.

I'm assuming it's the same today... where the artist still only gets a tiny portion.

We know Apple and Spotify pay royalties for every song streamed. But I'm guessing it then gets split among of those entities listed above.

I, too, would love to know the intricacies of how this all works.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Michael Scrip Avatar
81 months ago

Any mention of Apple Music increasing payout to artists?
Isn't that between the labels and the artists?

If artists aren't getting enough money... I'd think it would be the labels' fault (Universal, Sony, Warner)... not the distribution mechanism (streaming services, record stores, etc)
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
H3LL5P4WN Avatar
81 months ago

When does Apple Music support ALAC (or ... FLAC)?
thx
Dude.

(Probably when they release a 1tb iPhone.)
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
81 months ago
I would LOVE to have Apple, I'm in the entire Ecosystem. That said, not subscribing until it's lossless like Tidal or Amazon Music HD. I need lossless for my home audio setup (above >$20K). I'm perhaps the minority, but Apple does cater to artists, and a more "high-end" crowd of folk. I would assume most are at least using speakers such as KEF LS50's, which are $1K and need lossless just the same. For Airpods or Beats, compressed is just fine.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)