.SiriusXM announced its new full-price subscription rates for impacted audio plans are effective Feb. 24, 2026, applying to purchases made on and after that date and renewals processed on and after that date. SiriusXM also says the U.S. Music Royalty Fee for satellite plans that include music is being adjusted from 21.4% to 19.98%.

What SiriusXM is telling subscribers

• Plan impact is broad, but not uniform. SiriusXM lists multiple plan families whose standard rates “will increase,” and also notes that some specific plans “will see a decrease in the billed rates,” including the Music Plan, Platinum Forward and Platinum Next (single-vehicle monthly billed), and Family Friendly Advantage Platinum (non-EV).

• Timing is renewal-driven. Subscribers are billed the new rate the next time their plan renews on and after Feb. 24, with the FAQ flagging exceptions tied to trial-to-paid and promotional transitions.

• Promotions are treated as a separate pricing state. SiriusXM says a current promotional rate is not impacted during the promo term; the new standard rate applies once the promotion ends (if that end date is on or after Feb. 24).

• Rates vary by plan and are not published as a consolidated rate card in the FAQ. SiriusXM directs subscribers to emailed or mailed notifications and the Online Account Center for plan-specific changes and notes billing information is only available within 60 days of the next billing date.

• Third-party billing remains a separate channel. For subscriptions billed through Apple App Store, Google Play, or another retailer, SiriusXM says subscribers must manage the subscription through that billing provider.

• A concrete example is provided in Marine. SiriusXM says the standard rate for Sirius Marine Voyager with Music and Entertainment audio increases by $1.00 per month (inclusive of the U.S. Music Royalty Fee), and Voyager with Platinum audio increases by $1.01 per month, while other Marine Weather and Fish Mapping rates remain the same.

U.S. Music Royalty Fee update

SiriusXM says the satellite music royalty fee percentage is being adjusted from 21.4% to 19.98% effective Feb. 24, 2026, and separately explains that the fee is included in advertised prices and automatically included in the cost of a subscription when applicable. The company also notes an 8.8% royalty fee for streaming plans and lists plan categories that are not charged the fee.

SiriusXM also publishes a chart showing monthly royalty fee amounts by plan, and the amounts move in different directions depending on the package (some increase, some decrease).

INSIDER TAKE

SiriusXM’s Feb. 24 update is a clear illustration of price architecture management: broad plan pricing updates paired with a recalibration of a fee line that many customers experience as part of the total price.

What’s most relevant for subscription operators is not just the new price, but the mechanics SiriusXM emphasizes:

1. Renewal timing is the real customer experience. The FAQ repeatedly anchors to renewals processed on and after the effective date, plus edge cases tied to trials and promotional transitions. This is where misunderstanding tends to show up as service tickets, disputes, and cancellation intent.

2. Promotions operate like a separate price book. SiriusXM’s message is effectively: “promo stays intact, standard changes at conversion.” That separation is a common pattern in subscription pricing systems and it drives how operators need to think about cohorts and lifecycle messaging.

3. Billing channels dictate control points. By explicitly pushing App Store and Google Play subscribers back to the platform, SiriusXM is signaling the practical limits of what the merchant of record can change, message, or remediate inside those ecosystems.

4. Fee design is being handled as part of pricing, not an afterthought. SiriusXM’s royalty fee language frames the charge as included in advertised prices and tied to underlying royalty costs. Regardless of the rationale, this reinforces that fee lines affect perceived price and need to be treated as part of the subscription pricing surface area.

5. The company is acknowledging non-uniform movement. SiriusXM notes a handful of plans will see decreases in billed rates, and its published royalty-fee chart shows mixed movement by plan. That combination is a reminder that “pricing change” at scale is often a portfolio exercise, not a single directional move.