College students drawn to Spotify because of its education discount can now consider Apple Music as a viable option too.
Apple will begin offering college students a reduced price membership to its streaming music app, TechCrunch reports. The discounted membership will cost $4.99 per month in the U.S. instead of $9.99. That’s the same amount Spotify charges students for access to its ad-free Premium service.
Students must be enrolled in an eligible college or university to get the discount. The reduced rate will apply for up to four years following sign-up. Those four years don’t have to be continuous — if a student takes a year off, he or she can sign up for the student discount again when they return to school. Graduate students are eligible for the half-price plan as well.
Read more: Streaming Showdown: Apple Music vs. Spotify vs. Pandora vs. Rdio
This Fan-Made Apple Concept Art Is Too Awesome to Be Real
The Apple Music student discount is said to be available in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Denmark, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. The option is already live in Australia and New Zealand, and will be arriving in the other mentioned regions later on May 6, according to Engadget.
The change comes just ahead of June’s Worldwide Developers Conference, where Apple is expected to unveil a refreshed version of Apple Music. Apple’s decision to add a cheaper tier aimed at students could help it compete against Spotify, which boasts 30 million paid subscribers compared to Apple Music’s 11 million.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Why Trump’s Message Worked on Latino Men
- What Trump’s Win Could Mean for Housing
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- Sleep Doctors Share the 1 Tip That’s Changed Their Lives
- Column: Let’s Bring Back Romance
- What It’s Like to Have Long COVID As a Kid
- FX’s Say Nothing Is the Must-Watch Political Thriller of 2024
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision
Contact us at letters@time.com