Apple Rumored To Be Working On Services Bundle With Music, TV, And More

Rumors have insisted since last year that Apple was working on negotiating deals with publishers and music producers to bundle content together in a single subscription offering for customers. The rumor has gained steam as indications in iOS 13.5.5 beta hint that Apple is again working on a services bundle. That bundle is rumored to feature Apple Music, Apple TV+, and more offered under a single subscription.

The assumption is that Apple would offer all of its available services in a single bundle at a lower price than buying them individually. Currently, Apple users could purchase a Family Sharing subscription to Apple Music, News+, and TV+ that would add up to around $30 per month. The new Apple bundle is expected to include all of those offerings for less money.

It's also possible that the bundle could include a subscription to Apple Arcade, which currently sells for $4.99 per month. The hints inside of iOS 13.5.5 include references to "bundle offer" and "bundle subscription" that have never been seen in previous iOS versions. The references found inside of the beta software are related to the management system of Apple's services subscriptions leading to the assumption that a discounted bundle is coming.

Despite the references, there is a possibility that the bundle subscriptions could be a long way off. Apple Music signed new deals with music publishers this year that reportedly didn't include an agreement to pair the service with other Apple services in a bundle. It's certainly possible that Apple plans to launch bundles that simply don't include Apple Music or that as long as the music publishers get the same cut from bundle subscriptions, how the music service is sold is irrelevant. If Apple does intend to launch its bundled services this year, the most likely place to hear about the move would be at WWDC 2020, which will be an all-digital event happening this month.