Zhidx (WeChat public account: zhidxcom)
Compiled by | Sun Xiaowen
Edited by | Cheng Qian
Zhidx reported on November 10 that, according to technology media outlet 9to5Mac on November 9, Apple had launched AI usage packs for the AI assistant built into its software. The first purchase option was made available in the music production software Logic Pro,with the packs priced at US$49.99 (approximately RMB 334).
▲Logic Pro usage page (Source: 9to5Mac)
The AI assistant built into Logic Pro cancreate tracks based on natural-language instructions, add effects and move music clips. It can also answer music production questions such as how to use compressors and record instruments. It candirectly perform some software operations and has a degree of Agent capability.
This AI usage pack is intended forusers with a valid Apple Creator Studio subscription. The additional allowance will begin to be used once the allowance included for the current month has been exhausted. Creator Studio is Apple's suite of creative software subscriptions. In the United States, it is priced at US$12.99 per month (approximately RMB 87) or US$129 per year (approximately RMB 862). The subscription includes a certain amount of AI usage, and users can purchase additional usage as needed.
According to Apple's official support documentation, this AI usage pack is a one-time purchase and will not renew automatically. Unused allowance can be carried over month to month, and the pack expires 12 months after purchase. The usage pack is tied to the Apple Account signed in to iCloud at the time of purchase, andFamily Sharing is not supported.
Apple's support documentation states that the assistant is powered by Google Gemini and is currently in Beta,with American English as its only supported language. Users can find the “Buy More Usage” option by selecting “Intelligence” and then “Show Usage” from the app's menu.
At present, only the price of this AI usage pack has been announced,with no details on how much usage it provides. When the usage page is opened, users can only see a progress bar. After clicking to purchase, a pop-up displays the price and subscription requirements, but does not list the number of additional calls or tokens.
▲AI usage pack purchase pop-up (Source: 9to5Mac)
Apple's documentation on its official website states that usage consumption depends on the features used, the complexity of requests and system requirements, and the same allowance does not guarantee the same output every time.
Some users on X also questioned whether Apple's AI is worth paying extra for. Corey Quinn, chief cloud economist at cloud cost consultancy Duckbill, quipped that Apple should get the product right before considering charging additional fees.
▲Corey Quinn's quip (Source: X)
Another user on X was puzzled about which features people were using that could exhaust the monthly allowance.
▲Another X user's comment (Source: X)
Previously, Apple had disclosed its plans to charge for additional usage of some AI features. On November 3, Apple CEO John Ternus said on the earnings call that features such as Siri AI and smart photo editing that rely on server-side models would have usage limits. Users needing a higher allowance could pay for expanded usage in the future.
In January this year, Apple launched Creator Studio, bundling creative software such as Logic Pro, Final Cut Pro, and Pixelmator Pro into a single subscription. On November 5, the AI assistant launched with Logic Pro 13.0 and was available only to Creator Studio subscribers; users who had purchased Logic Pro as a standalone perpetual license also needed to subscribe separately.
However, according to feedback from internet users overseas, the assistant sometimes makes operations more cumbersome. Music creator Peter Kirn wrote in a blog post that when he tried to ask the assistant to remove silent portions from an audio file, he instead received a set of manual step-by-step instructions. For some basic editing tasks, structuring prompts and waiting for the assistant to understand and execute them also took more time than working directly in the software.
▲A user asks for silent portions of an audio file to be removed, and the assistant returns manual operating instructions (Image source: CDM blog)
At present, the Mac version of Logic Pro is the first to offer a way to purchase this AI usage pack. Users with valid Creator Studio subscriptions in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, India, Mexico, and Brazil—in these eight countries—can purchase it. Users in mainland China can subscribe to Creator Studio, but some AI features are restricted, and the AI usage pack cannot yet be purchased there.
Conclusion: Charging on top of subscriptions makes creators a new avenue for Apple to grow service revenue
The AI usage packs Apple is now selling are aimed at subscribers whose monthly allowances are insufficient. For these creators, purchasing additional usage can prevent their work from being interrupted when the allowance runs out. However, a single pack costs nearly as much as four months of the monthly subscription fee, the purchase threshold is fairly high, and the exact allowance has not been announced, making it difficult for users to determine whether it is worth the cost.
Earlier this year, Apple first bundled creative software into a subscription and then began selling additional AI usage, gradually expanding its range of paid services for content creators. Its pricing model has also become more granular: subscriptions provide the software and a basic AI allowance, while frequent users pay for usage beyond the allowance, and the frequency with which creators use AI has therefore become a new avenue for Apple to increase service revenue.
Source: 9to5Mac, X
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