Apple Music claims 10m paying subscribers, as Spotify aims for 100m total users

The Financial Times has reported that Apple Music now has 10 million paying subscribers, just six months after launch, making it it the second-largest streaming music service in the world.

Apple had been widely predicted to hit around 7.5m paying subscribers back in September, when many people's free trials would have come to an end.

While it's good news for Apple Music, Apple customers' uptake of streaming may in turn have an adverse affect on download revenues, with iTunes currently still a huge source of download sales.

Spotify hit 20 million paying users back in June 2015, making it the most popular paid-for service. Spotify had declared in December that it hoped to hit a total of 100m users, including people on the free tier, by the end of 2015.

It’s also been reported that Spotify may eventually reserve certain content for paying subscribers in response to some artists only wanting to partner with paid-only services such as Apple Music or Tidal. Of course others, like Adele, keep their new music off streaming services altogether - Adele's record-selling 25 album isn't available on any streaming service.

Either way, it looks like the popularity of music streaming services is only going up, with downloads and physical sales likely to drop.

MORE: Music streaming industry hit $1 billion - as download revenues drop

Max is a staff writer for What Hi-Fi?'s sister site, TechRadar, in Australia. But being the wonderful English guy he is, he helps out with content across a number of Future sites, including What Hi-Fi?. It wouldn't be his first exposure to the world of all things hi-fi and home cinema, as his first role in technology journalism was with What Hi-Fi? in the UK. Clearly he pined to return after making the move to Australia and the team have welcomed him back with arms wide open.