Apple Music Or Spotify For Students? (Quick Comparison)

Apple Music and Spotify offer their users an incredible amount of audio content to enjoy; however, both services can be costly for students.

Thankfully, by signing up for a Student Plan, students can use the service at a discounted rate, and in this article, we take a look at both plans and compare them so that you can work out which one is best for you!

Everything you Need to Know About Spotify & Apple Music for Students

Apple Music and Spotify offer students discounted memberships provided they can prove their eligibility. Students get great perks in addition to the general member benefits on both services! The duration of your Student Plan will differ depending on whether you choose Spotify or Apple Music.

What is Cheaper for Students: Apple Music or Spotify?

Being a student is often one of the best times of your life, but it can be tough! It’s likely that you’ll find that money can become a real issue.

Spotify and Apple Music know that student life cannot be complete without music – whether it’s music to play at a student party or music to listen to while you cram for that next exam, there’s no doubt that music is a necessity to get you through those years of learning.

To make things easier on students’ wallets, both Spotify and Apple Music offer Student Plans that allow the younger generation to take advantage of these music streaming platforms at a discounted rate.

We also have an article on whether Apple Music for students is worth it.

Here’s How Much the Student Plan is on Apple Music:

• A Student Plan with Apple Music costs $5.99 per month.
• Verification of enrollment on a higher education course is required.
• This discount lasts for 48 months.
• Additionally, you can also get a free subscription to Apple TV (limited time only).
• The Apple Music ‘Individual Plan’ costs $9.99 per month.

A crucial step to gaining access to an Apple Music Student Plan is verifying your eligibility.

“To qualify for an Apple Music student subscription, you must be a student studying a bachelor degree, post-graduate degree, or equivalent Higher Education course at a University, College (U.S. only) or Post-Secondary School (Canada only). Junior, technical colleges, and special courses are also eligible in Japan.”

[Source: Support.Apple.com]

If you believe you are eligible and want to know how to sign up for a Student Plan with Apple Music then simply follow the steps below:

1. Launch the Apple Music app on your device.
2. Navigate to ‘For You’ or ‘Listen Now’
3. Select ‘Trial offer’ followed by ‘Student’
4. Next, you need to select ‘Verify Eligibility’
5. The UNiDays website will now open, and you’ll need to enter your student details, once complete you’ll return to the Apple Music app.
6. Now sign in with your Apple ID or create an Apple ID if needed.
7. Follow the onscreen prompts and enter your payment method.
8. Finally, select ‘Join’

Here’s How Much the Student Plan is for Spotify:

• A Student Plan with Spotify costs $4.99 per month.
• Verification of enrolment on a higher education course is a mandatory requirement.
• This discounted price is valid for up to 4 years but must be renewed each year.
• Currently, the Student Plan with Spotify includes a subscription to both Hulu and Showtime, normally $6.99 and $10.99 per month.
• An individual Spotify Premium account costs $9.99 per month.

If you’re interested in a Student Plan with Spotify, then follow the steps below to sign up:

1. Complete the verification process by heading to Spotify SheerID page.
2. Fill out your details, including your country and the higher education institute you are enrolled with.
   • If you cannot find your college or university, then, unfortunately, you are not eligible for the Student Plan.
3. Next, you’ll be prompted to access your institute’s web portal or upload documentation that proves you are enrolled at that university or college.
4. You will have to wait a few days until SheerID process your eligibility verification, but once complete, you will receive a confirmation email.
5. This email will grant you access to the Student Plan and all the other benefits that come along with it.
   • The Student Plan discount can be applied to both new and existing Spotify accounts.

Please also read our article about Apple Music and battery usage.

What are the Differences Between the Two Student Plans?

Not all student discounts are made equal, and there are some major differences between the plans that Apple Music and Spotify offer.

1. Apple Music and Spotify offer Student Plans, however, Spotify is cheaper.
2. Both services allow access to TV entertainment for no extra cost.
   • Apple Music allows students to take advantage of Apple TV.
   • Spotify grants access to Hulu and Showtime.
3. Spotify’s Student Plan lasts longer than Apple Music.
   • Apple Music only offers its Student Plan for 48 months, whereas Spotify can be extended for up to 4 years.
4. Apple Music grants students higher music playback quality with a growing catalog of lossless (high-quality, compressed audio) audio content.
   • Spotify is still yet to update and give their users high-definition, lossless, audio formats. 

Are there any Limitations to the Student Subscriptions?

One of the most fantastic aspects of both Apple Music and Spotify’s student subscriptions is the fact that they grant the user the same experience as any other full-paying member.

Whether you sign up to Spotify as a student or Apple Music, you’ll get all the great features that you’d expect if you were paying full price.

A Student Plan with either one of the music streaming giants will be exactly the same as an individual plan, though it’ll cost you a lot less.

Moreover, as you’ve seen above, students get added extras such as TV subscriptions thrown in, too!

The main limitation that comes with a Student Plan is how long you’ll have access to the discounted rate.

It’s important to remember that you cannot have a Student Plan with Apple Music or Spotify forever, and you need to renew the plan each year. 

Renewing your plan each year requires you to prove once again that you are still a student and currently enrolled at a college or university. If you are unable to provide this verification, then wave goodbye to your student discount and any free TV subscriptions that were included.

However, so long as you do prove your eligibility, you can enjoy your student plan up until the maximum duration of your respective plan – 4 years for Spotify and 48 months for Apple Music.

Check out our article about storage space and Spotify!

So, should Students Choose Apple Music or Spotify?

When it comes to deciding whether Apple Music or Spotify is right for you as a student, you need to weigh up exactly what’s important to you.

5 considerations to keep in mind when deciding between Apple Music or Spotify:

1. Are you already an existing member on one of the platforms?

If you already have an account with either Apple Music or Spotify, then the chances are that you’ve invested quite a bit of time creating playlists and finding your favorite artists and albums.

Switching to another platform may be time-consuming and complicated. You want to concentrate on your studies, not recreate your entire music library. 

Both music platforms have incredible libraries, so the chances are that you’ll find everything you’re looking for from either service, but you’ll also need to adapt to using a new app and start from scratch.

2. How long do you think you’ll be studying?

The duration of your studies may well be a crucial deciding factor for selecting which Student Plan you go for.

Spotify offers a whopping 4 years, so if you know your course will last more than two years, it may well be worth subscribing to Spotify over Apple Music which only offers 48 months.

3. Your choice may depend on what you like to watch.

Both services have realized that students like to watch TV as well as enjoy great music, and this is why Apple Music students get access to Apple TV while Spotify students get Hulu and Showtime.

So when it comes to deciding between the two, it makes sense to consider the difference between what the TV subscriptions offer you. 

4. How important is audio quality to you?

Apple Music has a definite edge over Spotify when it comes to playback quality. Apple Music has invested in providing its users with high-definition audio content and has lossless audio format tracks. However, you’ll need to have the right audio gear in order to reap the benefits of this high-fidelity experience.

Spotify, on the other hand, does not provide this service to their users, so if you want to hear every detail of some of your favorite artists, then Apple Music may be for you.

5. Every cent counts.

Spotify is cheaper per month than Apple Music. Apple Music increased the cost of their Student Plan across all countries in 2022, and that extra dollar does add up, especially if you’re a student.

If you’re really watching your bank account and trying to keep a little money back for more student supplies (or great experiences), then Spotify may be your best bet. 

Sources

How to get an Apple Music Student Discount — get a Cheaper Monthly Subscription

Apple Music’s Student Plan is Getting More Expensive in the US, UK, & Canada 

Get an Apple Music Student Subscription

Spotify Premium Student