How to use an iTunes gift card to pay for an Apple Music subscription

Even though iTunes itself is technically no longer around, iTunes gift cards are still valuable and can be used for many newer Apple products and platforms. 

If you're familiar with Spotify or Amazon Music, or any other subscription-based music streaming services, then you probably have already heard of Apple Music.

And if not — It's a subscription-based music and audio streaming service. Apple Music is $4.99 a month for students, $9.99 a month for an individual plan, and $14.99 a month for a family plan. For a small monthly fee, you get access to tens of millions of songs and other audio, like podcasts and recorded broadcasts.

Here's how to use an iTunes gift card to pay for Apple Music.

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

iPhone 11 (From $699.99 at Best Buy)

iPad (From $329.99 at Best Buy)

iTunes Gift Card (From $25 at Best Buy)

Apple Music (From $9.99 at Apple)

How to use iTunes gift cards to pay for Apple Music

1. Open the App Store on your iPhone or iPad running the latest iOS.

2. Tap "Today" in the bottom menu, and then tap your profile icon in the top-right corner.

3. Tap "Redeem Gift Card or Code."

4. Tap either "Use Camera" to scan the code on the back of your card using your camera, or tap "You can also enter your code manually" to type in the code on the back of your card. 

5. Tap "Redeem."

6. Open the Apple Music app on your iPhone or iPad running the latest iOS. The music icon looks like a multicolored music note.

7. Tap "For You" at the bottom of the screen.

8. Tap the trial offer to get Apple Music free for three months, as long as you haven't signed up in the past.

9. Select the type of subscription you want. Then, tap "Start Free 3 months."

10. Sign in to your iCloud account, if needed.

11. Select your Apple ID balance as your payment method.

Here's how to add an iTunes gift card to your account if you already have an Apple Music subscription:

1. Open the Apple Music app on your iPhone or iPad.

2. Tap the "For You" tab at the bottom of the screen.

3. Tap your profile icon in the top-right corner.

4. Tap "Redeem Gift Card or Code."

5. Redeem your gift card using your camera or by manually entering the code. Tap "Redeem."

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:

• How to make a playlist on Apple Music by adding and organizing your favorite tracks

• How to share an Apple Music subscription between up to 6 people using the Family Sharing feature

• How to change your Apple Music plan in 3 simple steps

• How to put a song on repeat on your iPhone in Apple Music or Spotify

• How to cancel subscriptions on your iPad through the Settings app

Steven John

Freelance Writer

Steven John has been a freelance writer for more than a dozen years and has been a regular contributor to Business Insider since 2017. His work includes a focus on the tech world, covering companies including Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Google, and others. He also reviews restaurants, shares how-to cooking articles, and writes general interest pieces.Steven also writes for publications including Architectural Digest, The Daily Beast, Forbes, and more. In the past, he also wrote for New York Magazine, Mashed, U.S. News & World Report and other outlets. He runs his own outdoor lifestyle site, Dad Gear Review, and co-hosts the Fact Trekkers podcast with his son. He has had two novels published, Three A.M. and Outrider. He graduated from Emerson College with a degree in communications focused on filmmaking.He is an avid outdoorsman and can be frequently found in a kayak or on a mountain trail, often with his family along for the adventure.Expertise:Tech industryTech hardwareOutdoorsCookingRestaurantsDIYPopular articles:Microsoft: A history of the software giant co-founded by Bill Gates, its products and services, jobs, layoffs, and moreYouTube is a major entertainment force. Here's the platform's history, plus how to create a channel and upload videos.Inside the life and career of Bill Gates, the Microsoft co-founder, billionaire, and philanthropistTim Cook net worth: How the Apple leader earns and spends his moneyBecoming an Amazon seller is a simple process. Here's what's involved, plus how you make money and get paid.

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