Apple to pay 0.2 cents per stream during Apple Music free trial

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Apple has agreed to cough up the dough and pay music creators during Apple Music’s free three-month trial, and according to a new report, its rate will be 0.2 cents for each song streamed.

That might not sound like much, but according to music executives who have been speaking with The New York Times, it’s “roughly comparable to the free tiers from services like Spotify.” What’s more, this doesn’t include the small fee that goes to music publishers.

“Apple is still negotiating with many publishers over those terms, several publishing companies confirmed on Wednesday,” the report reads. “According to the music executives, these rates would apply to all labels.”

A separate report from Billboard suggests that the additional fee could be around 0.047 cents per song streamed, so the actual fee could turn out to be around 0.247 cents.

It’s worth noting that this won’t always be the case. Apple is planning to pay creators on a per-stream basis only during Apple Music’s free trial period; after that, it will be reverting to the revenue sharing deals it already has already agreed with the labels.

It’s thought this will provide music owners with a fairer share of the money made on their songs.

When it comes to Apple Music users, the fee remains $9.99 a month once the free trial is over, or $14.99 for a family membership that permits up to six users.