Apple expanded Apple Music to four new countries on September 30, 2026, adding availability in Albania, Brunei, Burkina Faso and Pakistan, bringing the service’s total reach to 172 countries and regions. For Pakistan, the launch comes roughly 11 years after Apple Music’s original global unveiling in June 2015, a gap that reflects Apple’s historically cautious approach to expanding the service into emerging markets.
The launch follows months of beta testing during which Apple Music displayed Pakistan specific subscription pricing and accepted PayPak payments on iOS. Pakistani users can now subscribe to an individual plan at Rs. 379 per month or a family plan at Rs. 649 per month, with each plan including a one month trial. Apple Music had previously been available on Android devices in Pakistan for years, but iOS based payment processing for the service had not functioned in the country until this recent rollout.
Pakistan’s streaming market has changed considerably since Apple Music’s original 2015 launch elsewhere. Spotify entered Pakistan in 2021, while YouTube Music has operated in the country for longer still, with both services having built subscriber bases, established local payment partnerships, and integrated with Pakistani telecom carriers over that period. Spotify’s entry into the market involved direct integration with Pakistani payment networks, while YouTube Music operated through Google’s existing data centre presence in the region.
The expansion also lines up with a broader move in Apple’s services strategy. Three of the four newly added countries, Albania, Burkina Faso and Pakistan, were also simultaneously added to the list of regions where iCloud+ now includes Apple TV and Apple Arcade at no additional cost, positioning Apple’s bundled subscription offerings as an added value proposition in price sensitive markets. For Pakistani iPhone users, the arrival of Apple Music gives them a native option to pair with their existing Apple ecosystem, joining Spotify and YouTube Music as a third major streaming service now available in the country.
Follow the SPIN IDG WhatsApp Channel for updates across the Smart Pakistan Insights Network covering all of Pakistan’s technology ecosystem.
