Saving money while keeping your playlists fresh is basically a sport for college students. With rent prices climbing and textbooks costing more than a used car, finding ways to trim the fat on monthly bills is essential. If you’ve been wondering does apple music have a student discount, the short answer is yes. It's actually one of the better deals in the streaming world right now, mainly because Apple throws in a bunch of extras that most people forget to use.
Honestly, it’s not just about the music. In 2026, the value proposition has shifted. You aren't just paying for the 100 million songs or the fancy spatial audio that makes it feel like the drummer is sitting in your lap. You’re getting a whole entertainment bundle that, if bought separately, would probably cost you the equivalent of a few fancy lattes every single month.
The Cold Hard Numbers: What You’ll Actually Pay
Let's talk cash. Right now, the standard individual Apple Music plan will set you back about $10.99. That’s fine, but for a student, it's a bit of a stretch.
The student rate currently sits at $5.99 per month in the United States. If you’re in the UK, it’s roughly £5.99, and in Canada, it’s about $5.99 CAD. It’s essentially half off.
Wait. There is a kicker.
Apple bundles Apple TV+ with the student subscription for "a limited time," which in Apple-speak has actually meant "for years now." This is the part people miss. You get access to shows like Ted Lasso or Severance without paying a separate $9.99 subscription fee. When you add it up, you're getting about $21 worth of streaming for six bucks. That is a massive win for your budget.
Who Actually Qualifies?
Apple isn't just taking your word for it. You can't just type in your school's name and call it a day. To get the apple music student discount, you need to be enrolled in a degree-granting university or college.
- Undergrads? Yes.
- Post-grads? Yes.
- Associates degrees? Yes.
- High schoolers? No. Sorry, you’ll have to wait.
They use a service called UNiDAYS to check your status. It’s a third-party verification platform that basically pings your university’s database or checks your student email (.edu) to make sure you aren’t just a 35-year-old trying to save five dollars.
How to Get the Deal Without Losing Your Mind
The process is usually smooth, but tech is tech, so things can get glitchy.
- Open your Music app.
- Hit "Listen Now" or "For You."
- Tap the trial offer (even if you've had one before, sometimes it lets you reset).
- Choose Student.
- Tap Verify Eligibility.
This will kick you over to the UNiDAYS website. You’ll log in with your portal credentials or your student email. Once they give the thumbs up, it redirects you back to Apple Music. You’re in.
One weird thing to watch out for: If you are already on a Family Plan, you have to leave it to join the student plan. You can't be on both. If you're the "organizer" of a family group, it's even more of a headache because you'd have to disband the whole group. Usually, it's better to just let your parents keep paying for the family plan if that's an option. Free is better than $5.99.
The 48-Month Clock is Ticking
There is a catch that catches people off guard. You only get this discount for 48 months. That is four years.
Apple tracks this. Even if you take a break from the service for a year, the clock doesn't necessarily stop in their eyes if you're still verified. Once those 48 months are up, the system automatically flips you to the $10.99 Individual plan. You’ll get an email, but let’s be real, most of us ignore those until we see the bank statement.
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You also have to re-verify every year. Apple will send you a prompt around the anniversary of your sign-up. If you ignore it, you’ll lose the discount and the Apple TV+ access. It takes like 30 seconds to click the link and confirm you're still in school, so don't sleep on it.
What Most People Get Wrong
People often think that the "student" version of the app is a "lite" version. It isn't. You get everything.
You get the Classical music app for free. You get the high-fidelity lossless audio. You get the lyrics that scroll in real-time. There are no ads—Apple has stayed pretty firm on not ruining the experience with commercials, unlike the "free" tiers of other services.
Also, some people think they can share the free Apple TV+ access with their friends through Family Sharing. Nope. That specific perk is tied only to the student's Apple ID. Your roommates will have to get their own or just huddle around your laptop.
Why Choose This Over Spotify?
It’s the age-old debate. Spotify’s student deal is also great—it often includes Hulu (with ads) and sometimes Disney+.
If you are a hardcore movie buff, the Apple TV+ inclusion is higher quality (4K, no ads). If you’re deeply into the Apple ecosystem—like you have an Apple Watch or HomePods—Apple Music just works better. The integration with Siri is seamless. You can tell your watch to "play some chill lo-fi" while you're walking to class, and it just happens.
However, if your friends are all on Spotify and you care about "wrapped" season more than anything else, the social pressure might keep you there. Apple has "Replay," which is similar, but it hasn't quite captured the cultural zeitgeist the way Spotify's end-of-year stats have.
Troubleshooting the "Verification Failed" Nightmare
Sometimes UNiDAYS just refuses to cooperate. If you’re actually a student but it keeps saying you aren’t, check these things:
- Is your email primary? Make sure your .edu email is linked to your Apple ID.
- Are you on a VPN? Sometimes the verification site hates VPNs. Turn it off.
- Check the region. If your Apple ID is set to the US but your school is in the UK, it will fail every time.
If all else fails, you can actually contact Apple Support. They can occasionally manually verify you if you can upload a photo of your student ID or a tuition receipt. It’s a bit of a trek, but for a 50% discount, it's worth the 15 minutes of chatting with a rep.
Moving Forward With Your Savings
So, does apple music have a student discount? Absolutely, and it's one of the few things in 2026 that still feels like a genuine bargain. You get high-end music streaming and a premium TV service for the price of a sandwich.
Next Steps for You:
- Check your current subscription: If you’re paying $10.99, cancel it immediately and re-sign up through the student portal.
- Verify your .edu access: Make sure you can still log into your school email before you start the process.
- Download the Apple TV app: Since it’s included, you might as well start that series everyone’s been talking about.
- Set a calendar reminder: Mark 11 months from today to re-verify so you don't get hit with a surprise $11 charge next year.
The 48-month limit is the only real "downside," so if you’re a freshman, you’re golden until graduation. If you’re a super-senior, enjoy the cheap tunes while they last.