Honestly, being a student usually means you're constantly looking for ways to make your money stretch just a little bit further. You've probably seen the ads or heard friends talking about it, but the Apple Music student subscription is legit one of the best deals in tech right now. It's not just about getting songs for cheap; it’s basically a massive entertainment bundle that Apple hides behind a university verification wall.
Most people think it’s just a $5.99 monthly bill for tunes. It’s actually more.
The "Freebie" Nobody Mentions
The wildest part? If you're on the student plan, you get Apple TV+ for free. Seriously. Apple doesn’t shout this from the rooftops, but as long as you have an active student music sub, you can watch Ted Lasso or Severance without paying that extra $12.99 a month everyone else is stuck with. It's a weirdly generous move for a company that usually charges for every little thing.
You won't even see Apple TV+ listed in your "Active Subscriptions" on your iPhone. It just... works. You open the TV app, sign in with your student Apple Account, and the "Subscribe" buttons just disappear.
How the Apple Music student subscription actually works
You can’t just tell Apple you’re a student and call it a day. They use a service called UNiDAYS to do the heavy lifting. Basically, you have to prove you’re actually enrolled in a degree-granting college or university.
The verification is pretty quick if your school is in their system. You’ll usually just log into your university’s portal or use your school email address. If you’re at a smaller school or something specialized, you might have to upload a photo of your student ID.
The 48-Month Wall
There is a catch. You can't stay on this plan forever. Apple caps the Apple Music student subscription at 48 months. That’s four years. Even if you’re doing a PhD or you’re a professional student, once you hit that 48-month mark, Apple kicks you over to the standard Individual plan, which currently sits at $10.99.
- The Price Tag: $5.99 per month.
- The Limit: 48 months total (doesn't have to be consecutive).
- The Perk: Free Apple TV+ access.
- The Catch: No Family Sharing. This is just for you.
Why it beats Spotify for some people
Spotify is great, don't get me wrong. But Apple Music has been leaning hard into high-end audio lately. If you have decent headphones, the Lossless Audio and Spatial Audio (Dolby Atmos) make a noticeable difference. It’s included in the student price. Spotify has been promising "HiFi" for years and still hasn't quite landed it for everyone.
Plus, there’s Apple Music Classical. If you’re a music major or just like studying to Vivaldi, they have a dedicated app that’s way better at searching for specific movements and conductors than a standard music app.
Keeping the discount alive
Apple is going to bug you once a year to re-verify. Don't ignore that email. If you let it lapse, they'll charge you the full $10.99 the very next month. Usually, you just have to click a link in the email, log back into UNiDAYS, and you're good for another 12 months.
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If you happen to graduate or leave school, you’re supposed to tell them. If you don't, the annual check will catch you eventually.
Setting it up the right way
If you’re already paying for a full-price subscription, you can switch. You don't need to cancel and start over. Just go into your iPhone settings, tap your name at the top, hit "Subscriptions," and select the Apple Music entry. There’s an option to "See All Plans." Pick the student one, and it’ll walk you through the UNiDAYS setup.
One thing to keep in mind: if you’re currently part of an Apple One bundle, switching to the student plan might actually be more expensive or lose you storage. Apple One bundles things like iCloud storage and Arcade. The student music plan is strictly Music + TV+. If you need that 200GB of cloud space for your projects, stick with the bundle.
Regional Weirdness
This isn't available everywhere. While it’s in over 80 countries, the price varies. In India, it might be around 59-60 Rupees. In the UK, it’s £5.99. The Apple TV+ perk also depends on whether that service is actually live in your country.
If you're traveling or studying abroad, make sure your Apple Account region matches where your bank account is. UNiDAYS gets really cranky if your school is in the UK but your Apple Account is set to the US.
What to do next
Check your current subscription status in your iPhone settings. If you’re still in school and paying $10.99, you’re literally throwing away $5 every month and a free movie streaming service.
Get your university login ready and head over to the Music app to start the verification. It takes maybe five minutes, and the savings hit your account immediately on the next billing cycle. Just remember to download the Apple TV app afterward to make sure you're getting your money's worth of free shows.