Apple discontinues cheap Apple Music Voice Plan
The hitherto cheapest means of accessing Apple Music is no more. Apple has announced that it is killing off the $4.99 per month Apple Music Voice Plan.
Introduced back in 2021, this tier allowed for access to the entire Apple Music catalog, but only via Siri, and the discontinuation of this plan means that the cheapest generally available Apple Music subscription is now $10.99 (although students have a $5.99 option). So, what does this means for anyone currently on the Apple Music Voice Plan?
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Apple says that it will be turning off auto-renew for existing Voice subscribers, but existing subscribers can continue to use their plan until the end of their billing cycle. For anyone currently using a trial of the Voice plan, the company says that "you can continue on your plan for the duration of your first billing cycle".
No reason has been given for the decision to kill off the Apple Music Voice Plan, so it's not clear if it is based on low usage, or just Apple’s desire to make more money. On a support page about the discontinuation, the company says:
Beginning in November, Apple will discontinue the Apple Music Voice plan. 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. All Apple Music plans already work seamlessly with Siri, and we will continue to optimize this experience.
Apple encourages those affected by the change to switch to another Apple Music plan such as Individual, Student or Family. The company is also pushing Apple One which includes Apple Music, Apple TV+, and more.