Apple Music is one of the most popular music streaming services, with over 90 million songs and 30,000 playlists available on demand. While a credit or debit card is typically required to start an Apple Music subscription, there are a few different methods you can use to gain access to Apple’s massive music library without handing over your payment info.
In this guide, we’ll walk through the various ways to signup for Apple Music and start listening without needing a credit or debit card. Whether you want to take advantage of a free trial or use gift cards and PayPal, we’ve got you covered. Let’s dive in!
Benefits of Apple Music
Before we get into the various signup methods, let’s briefly go over some of the key benefits of using Apple Music:
- Over 90 Million Songs – Massive catalog of music across all genres. From the latest pop hits to niche indie artists, Apple Music has an enormous selection.
- Thousands of Playlists – Apple Music’s editors curate thousands of playlists for any mood, activity, or taste. You can also create your own playlists.
- New Music Daily – Apple Music surfaces brand new releases, exclusives, and recommendations each day. It’s a great way to stay on top of the latest music trends.
- Radio Stations – Apple Music Radio provides hundreds of live global radio stations within the app for you to enjoy.
- Offline Listening – You can save your favorite songs, albums, and playlists to your device to listen offline when you don’t have an internet connection.
- High-Quality Audio – Listen to Lossless Audio and Spatial Audio for the highest fidelity sound quality.
The bottom line is that an Apple Music subscription provides unlimited, ad-free access to one of the best music catalogs out there. Signing up without a credit card makes it easy and risk-free to try it out. Now let’s go over the different ways you can get access.
Signing Up With a Free Trial
The easiest way to start using Apple Music without a credit card is to take advantage of the free trial for new users. Here’s how it works:
- Go to the Apple Music app on your iPhone, iPad or Android device, or go to music.apple.com on your computer.
- Click on the “Start Your Free Trial” button.
- This will prompt you to sign in with your Apple ID. If you don’t have an Apple ID yet, you can create one for free.
- After signing in, you’ll need to verify your eligibility for the free trial. As long as you haven’t already used a free Apple Music trial, you should see a “Start Free Trial” button.
- Tap or click that button, and your 3-month free Apple Music trial will begin!
During the free trial, you’ll have full access to Apple’s entire music catalog and all the same features as paid members. Once the 3 months are up, your subscription will automatically renew to a paid membership for $9.99/month unless you cancel beforehand.
The free trial allows you to preview Apple’s service and decide if you want to continue the membership before ever entering any payment info. Just be sure to cancel before the end of the trial if you don’t want to be charged.
Using Gift Card Credit
If you’ve received an Apple gift card or iTunes gift card, you can use the credit on the card to pay for an Apple Music membership. Here’s what to do:
- Make sure your gift card is loaded with enough credit to cover at least one month of Apple Music. One month costs $9.99.
- In the Apple Music app or at music.apple.com, click the Account Icon and choose “View Apple ID”.
- Select “Payment Information” and click “Redeem Gift Card or Code”.
- Enter the gift card number and PIN or scan the barcode to add the funds to your Apple account balance.
- Now when you subscribe to Apple Music, it will automatically use the gift card funds for the membership fee each month until the balance runs out.
This allows you to take advantage of Apple Music without providing a credit card. As long as you keep reloading your Apple account balance with new gift cards, you can essentially keep your membership going indefinitely this way.
Paying With PayPal
Another payment method you can use to signup for Apple Music is PayPal. As long as you have an active PayPal account with sufficient funds, here’s how to use it for your Apple Music subscription:
- Go to music.apple.com and hover over your profile icon.
- Choose “Account” from the dropdown menu.
- Select “View Apple ID” and sign in with your credentials if required.
- Scroll down and tap “Payment Information”.
- Under the payment methods, choose “PayPal” and click “Add”.
- Log in to your PayPal account when prompted.
- Agree to Apple’s terms that allow them to charge your PayPal account each month for the membership fee.
Once your PayPal is successfully added, you can subscribe to any Apple subscription like Apple Music, and the charges will automatically deduct each month from your PayPal balance or linked bank account/cards.
The benefit here is you don’t need to provide Apple with any credit card details directly. As long as you have PayPal funds, you can use Apple Music without a credit card on file.
Family Sharing
If someone in your family already pays for Apple Music, you can get access by joining their Family Sharing plan.
Here’s how Family Sharing works for Apple Music:
- The plan organizer pays for an Individual ($9.99/month) or Family Apple Music membership ($14.99/month for up to 6 people).
- They invite other family members to join their Apple Family Sharing group.
- Once joined to the group, all members get full access to Apple Music and any other shared purchases without needing their own subscription.
- The plan organizer’s payment method on file is charged each month and can cover all family members.
So by joining someone’s Family Sharing group, you can use their Apple Music membership without paying for your own or needing to provide any payment details.
Just make sure the plan organizer adds you to Family Sharing and keeps their subscription active to maintain your access. It’s a convenient way to share an Apple Music membership within a family.
Getting Apple Music Through Your Mobile Carrier
On select mobile carriers like Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile, you may be able to add an Apple Music subscription to your monthly phone bill.
Here are some things to know about getting Apple Music through a mobile carrier plan:
- It may be offered as a free perk or at a discounted rate (e.g. $4.99 to $9.99 per month rather than $9.99 directly from Apple).
- Payment is handled through your carrier bill instead of providing payment info to Apple.
- You may need an eligible postpaid wireless plan from the carrier to qualify. Prepaid or family plans may not be eligible.
- Carriers often limit it to individual plans only, not family sharing.
- Cancellation may be through the carrier rather than through Apple.
Check with your wireless provider to see if they offer Apple Music plans that you can add to your mobile bill each month. If so, it can give you a way to enjoy Apple Music without entering credit card information.
Using iTunes Credit
For those with an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch, another option is to use iTunes credit to pay for Apple Music monthly.
Here’s how it works:
- Purchase an iTunes gift card (either digital or physical) and add the credit to your Apple ID balance.
- Make sure you have enough balance to cover one month ($9.99).
- Subscribe to Apple Music.
- It will use your iTunes account credit rather than asking for a payment method.
- When your balance starts running low, just add more iTunes credit to your account to keep the membership going.
As long as you keep reloading your iTunes credit, you can use those funds to pay for Apple Music month-to-month rather than entering a credit card or bank account.
Things to Know Before Signing Up
Now that you know how to get Apple Music without a credit card, here are some important things to keep in mind:
- Free trials eventually expire – Make sure to cancel before the 3 month trial ends if you don’t want to pay.
- Gift cards and iTunes credit eventually run out – Be sure to keep reloading your balance if going this route.
- Family sharing access depends on the organizer’s subscription – Your access will be cut off if they cancel.
- Carrier offers can change – Double check the details with your mobile provider.
- PayPal requires an existing account – You’ll need to fund your PayPal before using it with Apple.
- You can’t share listening progress between different accounts – Your listening activity won’t carry over if switching payment methods.
Understanding these caveats will ensure you don’t get unexpectedly cut off from the service. As long as you keep up with payments or balance refills, you’ll be able to keep listening!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
Here are answers to some common questions about using Apple Music without a credit card:
Can I get Apple Music for free?
Apple Music doesn’t have a permanently free tier, but new users can access a free 3-month trial. After the trial, you need an active subscription.
Does Apple Music work with Android devices?
Yes! There is an Apple Music app for Android smartphones and tablets. You can use all the same features and payment methods.
What happens after the 3-month free trial?
After the trial ends, your subscription automatically renews to the paid individual plan ($9.99/month) unless you cancel it beforehand.
Can I use a virtual debit card?
Maybe. Some virtual card services do work with Apple Music, but support can be hit or miss. Be sure to test card capabilities first.
Is there a student discount for Apple Music?
Yes! Students can sign up for Apple Music at a discounted rate of $4.99/month to save some money.
Can I share my Apple Music membership?
Through Family Sharing, up to 6 people can share a single Apple Music membership. This allows access without separate payments.
Can I cancel at any time?
Yes, you can cancel an Apple Music subscription instantly at any time to stop payments going forward. Just access your account settings.
Conclusion
I hope this article clearly explained the main methods you can use to signup for Apple Music without needing a credit or debit card! The free trial, gift card credit, PayPal, Family Sharing, mobile carrier billing, and iTunes credit provide plenty of convenient payment options for both iOS and Android users to access Apple’s huge catalog of music.
Remember to monitor your remaining trial time, balance, or shared membership status to avoid accidental charges. With the right preparation, you’ll be able to enjoy Apple Music’s library and features without ever handing over your payment information.