Apple Sells $49.99 AI Usage Packs, Starting With Logic Pro
Apple now charges $49.99 for extra Apple Intelligence usage in Logic Pro. Here is how the packs work and what is still unclear about other AI fees.
Apple has started charging for extra use of its AI features. A Logic Pro update adds a “Buy More Usage” option that sells an Intelligence Usage Pack for a one-time price of $49.99, according to The Verge, MacRumors and 9to5Mac. Logic Pro is the first Apple app to sell extended AI usage.
Until now, Apple Intelligence features have been free on Apple devices. Apple has said for months that some of them would eventually cost money past a usage limit, without giving a date or a price.
How the usage packs work
The packs apply to features that run on cloud-based AI models. According to The Verge, Apple says the Logic Pro assistant’s limit depends on the complexity of the conversations a user has with it. That assistant can start a new song, set up a vocal track from a single prompt or refine an active project.
The terms Apple lists on its website, as quoted by 9to5Mac and The Verge:
- The pack is a one-time purchase, not a subscription.
- It works only for the Apple Account used for iCloud at the time of purchase, and Family Sharing is not supported.
- Unused usage rolls over from month to month and expires 12 months after purchase.
- Extra usage is consumed only after a user reaches the monthly limit.
To buy a pack, users choose Logic Pro from the macOS menu bar, then Intelligence Features, then Show Usage, then Buy More Usage. MacRumors reports that packs are open to people with an active Apple Creator Studio subscription in the United States, Canada, Brazil, France, Germany, India, Mexico and the United Kingdom.
More apps are expected
Only Logic Pro has the option today. The Verge and 9to5Mac report that other Apple Creator Studio apps are expected to get it this month, including Pixelmator Pro, Final Cut Pro and Motion. Pages, Keynote and Numbers are also due to gain access to Apple’s AI chatbot.
What it means for Apple Intelligence fees
Apple has not announced pricing or timing for extra usage of its other server-based features. MacRumors lists Siri AI, Image Playground, the Extend and Reframe options in Photos, and shortcuts built with natural language in the Shortcuts app as features whose expanded access will be available for a fee. Apple says daily limits vary by feature, request complexity, system demand and other factors it has not specified.
Apple has confirmed that expanded access to those features will eventually come with select iCloud+ plans, according to MacRumors. The current U.S. prices are $0.99 a month for 50GB, $2.99 for 200GB, $9.99 for 2TB, $29.99 for 6TB and $59.99 for 12TB. MacRumors notes that it is unclear whether those prices will change. Because Apple has said extra usage will come with “most” plans, the 50GB plan seems unlikely to get it.
The Logic Pro pack may not count toward that iCloud+ benefit. An Apple support document says the Logic Pro assistant is powered by Google Gemini, and MacRumors concludes that it is therefore not treated as part of Apple Intelligence.
