Apple Music Voice Plan is being discontinued this month, and the auto-renew option will cease for existing customers.
The plan offered a lower-cost music subscription compared to Apple’s other tiers and competing audio streaming services like Spotify and YouTube Music. Existing subscribers will continue to have access through their final billing cycle. Apple will notify members before their service ends with more information and options to sign up for a different plan.
Apple posted clarifying details about the change on its support page, encouraging users to switch to an Individual, Student, Family Plan, or Apple One, which includes Apple Music and Apple TV+.
“We are focused on delivering the best, most robust music experience possible for our customers, with features like immersive Spatial Audio, Apple Music Sing with real-time lyrics, intuitive browse and discovery features, and so much more,” said Apple. “All Apple Music plans already work seamlessly with Siri, and we will continue to optimize this experience.”
Apple Music isn’t the only streaming service raising prices in recent years. The platform raised prices by a dollar in 2022, with Amazon Prime Music and Tidal following suit in 2023. Spotify has yet to increase costs, but according to TechRadar, it’s waiting on agreements from major record labels before doing so. Streaming services across entertainment mediums are raising prices, including Netflix, Hulu, Apple TV+, Max, Paramount+, and Peacock, causing some subscribers to reconsider how many platforms they pay for.
Apple’s Music Voice Plan enabled users to access Apple Music through Siri and cost $4.99 a month. The plan launched in 2021 as part of iOS 15.2 in the U.S., Australia, Austria, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, Taiwan, and the U.K. Members could sign up by asking Siri, who also controlled their listening experience.
Members can switch to a different plan before their subscription expires to avoid service disruption. Plans can be changed from your Apple device under settings. Tap Apple Music under “subscriptions” and select “see all plans” to confirm your choice. Plans start at $5.99 a month for a student plan, though check out Apple’s deals to see if you qualify for a few months of free service.