Price Hike for Apple TV Sparks Outrage: "Severance Gave Them an Ego"

If you subscribed to Apple TV+ for Severance, this won't be welcome news. The monthly subscription price in the US increased from $9.99 to $12.99 as of August 21, 2025.

New subscribers pay the higher rate immediately. Existing subscribers move to the new price at their next billing cycle. Spotify Premium has also increased by $2.00 per month globally, adding up to $24.00 per year.

Why Are Prices Increasing?

Apple says its 30% price increase reflects investment in ad-free originals like Severance, Slow Horses, and Silo. Critics counter that the overall content library still can't compete with more established streaming platforms like Netflix.

Apple TV+ also doesn't offer a cheaper, ad-supported tier, which limits options for cost-conscious subscribers.

Spotify does offer an ad-supported free tier, though you can earn money watching ads on platforms like Freecash instead. Spotify states that regular price updates support innovation in changing market conditions. With the company's artist royalty rates under ongoing scrutiny, it's unclear where the additional revenue is going.

How Subscribers Are Responding

Many users have taken to Reddit to share their frustration with the increases:

Comment
by u/MarvelsGrantMan136 from discussion
in movies

Spotify posted its first annual profit in 2024, driven in part by price increases. Further hikes are unlikely to slow down while profitability remains the priority.

Some subscribers are discussing a return to torrenting and illegal streaming in response:

Comment
by u/Isiddiqui from discussion
in apple

Without ownership of digital content, subscribers remain exposed to ongoing price increases as long as access depends on recurring payments. The trend shows no sign of stopping.

In the meantime, earning on Freecash is one way to offset the cost of subscription price hikes.