Apple Watch owners are divided on Apple Music; points to broader trends

Research company Wristly conducted a survey of 1,350 Apple Watch owners about their use of Apple Music now that the streaming platform has ended its initial free trial period. The results showed that more than two out of three respondents tried the streaming service. It found 42% had either subscribed or planned to subscribe, while 20% tested it out but didn’t continue as paying customers.

While Apple Watch owners represent just a sliver of the Apple Music audience, it’s worth examining the figures since the people buying the debut model of the smartwatch are likely heavy Apple brand devotees. The survey also reflected sentiment about subscription music in general, with 27% of women and 14% of men stating that they had no interest in paying for streaming. That disinterest was more prevalent among the baby boomer age group at 28% compared with the 18- to 24-year-old group at 5%. The latest Nielsen 360 Music Report also pointed to ongoing price sensitivity to music subscriptions even as online listening continues to grow.