Apple Music Student Discount: What You Need To Know Before You Sign Up

Let’s be real for a second. Being a student is basically a full-time job that pays you in debt and overpriced textbooks. If there is one thing that keeps most of us sane during a 2:00 AM cram session, it’s music. But paying the full retail price for a streaming service when you're living on ramen? That's a hard pass. Luckily, the Apple Music student discount exists, though it’s honestly a bit more complicated than just clicking a button and getting cheap tunes.

Apple has changed the game a few times since they first launched this tier. It used to be just a simple price cut. Now, they've bundled in extra services like Apple TV+ to sweeten the pot, making it one of the better deals in the tech world. But if you don't verify your status correctly or if you're attending a school that isn't "officially" recognized by their verification partner, you're going to hit a wall.

The Actual Cost (and Why It’s Not Just About the Music)

Currently, the Apple Music student discount sits at $5.99 per month in the United States. If you're looking at that and thinking, "Wait, wasn't it $4.99?" you're right. Apple bumped the price a couple of years ago. It’s still a massive steal compared to the $10.99 standard individual plan.

What most people forget is the Apple TV+ inclusion. This isn't some trial. As long as you have an active student subscription to Apple Music, you get access to Apple’s original shows and movies for free. Shows like Severance or Ted Lasso are included. It’s basically Apple’s way of locking you into their ecosystem early, but hey, if it saves you ten bucks a month on a separate streaming sub, who cares?

The catch? You only get this price for 48 months. That’s four years. If you’re a "super senior" or heading into a PhD program that takes a decade, Apple eventually cuts you off and moves you to the standard pricing. They track this through UNiDAYS.

How the Verification Loophole (and Roadblock) Works

You can't just tell Apple you're a student. They don't trust you. Instead, they use a third-party service called UNiDAYS. This is where most people get stuck.

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To qualify for the Apple Music student discount, you need to be enrolled in a degree-granting university or college. This includes junior colleges and technical colleges in some regions, but it’s mostly geared toward traditional higher ed. If you have a .edu email address, you're usually halfway there. However, UNiDAYS sometimes requires you to be on your campus Wi-Fi or upload a photo of your student ID if your school's portal isn't playing nice with their API.

I’ve seen cases where students at smaller, vocational schools get rejected because their institution isn't in the database. If that happens, you have to contact UNiDAYS support directly. It's a hassle. You’ll end up sending scans of your tuition statement or a letter from the registrar.

Step-by-Step Reality Check

1. Open the Music app on your iPhone, Mac, or Android. Yes, Android users get the discount too.
2. Hit "Listen Now" and then tap the trial offer or your profile icon.
3. Select "Join Apple Music" and pick the Student tier.
4. Tap "Verify Eligibility." This redirects you to the UNiDAYS website.
5. Log in to your school's portal.
6. Once verified, you’re kicked back to the Music app to finalize your payment method.

The Geographic Pricing Reality

Pricing isn't universal. In the UK, it’s £5.99. In India, it’s significantly cheaper due to local market competition with services like Gaana and JioSaavn, often costing around ₹59. Apple adjusts these rates based on the local economy, so if you're studying abroad, you might want to check if switching your Apple ID region (which is a whole different headache) saves you more money.

What Happens When You Graduate?

Apple is surprisingly efficient at kicking you off the discount. UNiDAYS re-verifies your status periodically—usually once a year. You'll get an email asking you to re-confirm you’re still in school. If you ignore it, or if you’ve finally walked across that stage with your diploma, your bill will automatically jump to $10.99.

There is a small grace period, but don't count on it. Once those 48 months are up, the "Student" option simply disappears from your account settings. You're an adult now. Apple wants their full $11.

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Apple Music vs. Spotify Student: The Bitter Rivalry

You can't talk about the Apple Music student discount without mentioning Spotify. They are neck-and-neck. Spotify's student plan also costs $5.99 and includes Hulu (with ads).

If you care about audio quality, Apple Music is the winner because they include Lossless Audio and Spatial Audio (Dolby Atmos) at no extra cost. Spotify still hasn't launched "Hi-Fi" even though they've been promising it for years. If you're a movie buff, the Apple TV+ perk is probably more valuable than a version of Hulu that forces you to watch commercials.

But honestly? If your friends are all sharing Spotify Wrapped results in December and you want to be part of the social FOMO, Apple's superior bitrates might not matter to you. Apple has Replay, which has gotten better, but it still lacks that viral "cool factor" that Spotify has mastered.

Common Myths and Misconceptions

People think you can't get the discount if you're a high school student. Generally, that's true. This is for post-secondary education. However, if you are a high schooler taking dual-enrollment classes at a community college, you might qualify if you have a college ID and email. It’s a bit of a "your mileage may vary" situation.

Another weird thing: The discount applies even if you're on a Family Sharing plan, but it’s messy. If you are the "Organizer" of a family plan, you can't really use the student discount for just yourself while others pay full price on the same billing circle. It’s designed for individual accounts.

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Technical Troubleshooting

If your verification is failing, check your "Private Relay" settings if you're an iCloud+ subscriber. Sometimes Apple’s own privacy tools mess with UNiDAYS’ ability to see where you are. Turn off your VPN. Make sure your school's name matches exactly what is on your ID.

If you're an international student studying in the US, you need to make sure your Apple ID region matches the country of the university you're attending. You can't use a UK Apple ID to verify a US university enrollment.

Maximizing the Value

To really get your money's worth out of the Apple Music student discount, you should be diving into the Apple TV+ library immediately. Watch Silo. Watch Foundation. These are high-budget sci-fi shows that usually cost $9.99 a month on their own. By using the student deal, you’re effectively getting the music for free and paying a discounted rate for the TV, or vice versa.

Also, keep an eye on your 48-month clock. If you take a semester off, you might want to cancel the subscription and restart it when you're back in classes so you don't burn through your four years of eligibility while you aren't actually studying.

Actionable Next Steps

If you're ready to stop paying full price, here is exactly what you should do right now:

• Check your eligibility: Log into your school portal and ensure your .edu email is active and you can receive external emails.
• Clear your browser cache: Before hitting the UNiDAYS link, clear your cookies to prevent redirect loops, which are a common bug in the verification process.
• Audit your subscriptions: If you currently have an individual Apple Music plan, don't just "cancel" it. Go into "Manage Subscriptions" and "Change" it to Student. This keeps your library and playlists intact.
• Download the Apple TV app: Since it's included, sign in with the same Apple ID to verify that your free access has been activated alongside your music.
• Set a calendar reminder: Put a note in your phone for 11 months from today. That’s when you’ll likely need to re-verify, and you don't want to be caught off guard by a sudden price hike when the system thinks you've graduated.