Apple Music offers a student subscription at a reduced price of 5.99 euros per month, maintaining full access to premium features such as lossless audio quality. Available for students enrolled in colleges or universities, this plan saves users 5 euros compared to the standard subscription. While it competes closely with services like Spotify and Amazon Music, it’s particularly advantageous for those integrated into the Apple ecosystem, though Spotify may be preferable for podcast lovers.
Music is an essential part of daily life for many, especially students. With tight budgets during their academic years, students often need to be frugal. Recognizing this, many music streaming services provide discounted subscriptions tailored for students, and Apple Music is among them.
But how does Apple Music’s student offer stack up against its competitors? Let’s explore the details.
Apple Music for Students: Key Features
The student plan from Apple Music allows you to enjoy all the premium features at a lower cost. This includes the same functionalities found in the standard individual subscription:
Apple Music promotes its lossless audio quality and its proprietary audio format, ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec). Users can stream music at three different quality levels:
The ‘High Quality’ setting utilizes the popularly used AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) codec. If you’ve used Spotify before, you’re likely familiar with this format. Although a bitrate of 256 kbit/s may appear lower compared to some rivals, the audible difference between 256 and 320 kbit/s in compressed audio is minimal. For lossless audio, you can connect wired headphones using an adapter, like Apple’s Lightning to 3.5 mm.
Other features of Apple Music do not significantly differentiate it from other services. Most popular streaming platforms offer ad-free listening, offline access, and lyrics in their premium options. While the feature allowing lyrics to sync with the beat is a nice touch, it’s not groundbreaking. Consequently, Apple Music is on par with Spotify Premium Student and student plans from similar services.
Eligibility for Apple Music Student Subscription
To qualify for the Apple Music student subscription, you must be enrolled in a college or university. There are no restrictions based on the type of degree; both Bachelor’s and Master’s students are eligible. Even prospective doctoral candidates may qualify in many cases. This subscription can last for up to 48 months, but you must confirm your student status annually.
Requirements to Subscribe
Before enrolling in the Apple Music Student plan, you need to meet a few prerequisites. An Apple ID and your login credentials are required, along with a student email address and login information to verify your eligibility.
How to Verify Student Status
If you’re ready to subscribe to Apple Music as a student, you may encounter two scenarios. If you’re an existing Apple Music user, you can easily upgrade your plan through any Apple device, such as an iPhone or iPad.
New to Apple Music? Here’s how to get started:
You will need to verify your student status through external services like UNiDAYS or SheerID. Regardless of the provider, you’ll need an official document from your university, such as a current enrollment certificate or timetable displaying your name and the institution’s name.
Once verification is successful, expect to receive a purchase confirmation via your Apple email. This confirmation will provide all essential details, including the subscription plan, its start date, trial period, and the price following your trial month.
Comparing the Top Music Services: Who Comes Out on Top?
How Much You Save with Apple Music for Students
The student subscription for Apple Music is priced at just €5.99 per month. In contrast, a standard individual subscription costs €10.99, giving you savings of €5. This pricing aligns Apple Music with services like Amazon Music and Spotify for students.
Who Should Consider Apple Music & Alternative Options
Numerous music streaming platforms now offer special subscriptions for students. Since Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Spotify are quite similar in price and features, you may wonder who should take advantage of these offers.
The answer is straightforward. If you’re already embedded in the Apple ecosystem and use devices like an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, then Apple Music for students is a great option. It’s also beneficial if you’re keen on lossless audio quality and own the necessary gear.
However, if you’re looking for a service that provides both music and a broad selection of podcasts, Spotify Premium Student might be a better choice. While Apple Music does offer podcasts, the selection is more limited, and you’ll need to access them via a separate app, ‘Apple Podcasts’.