Apple Music Voice Plan: $4.99/Month for HomePod & AirPods

Apple Launches Affordable "Voice Plan" for Apple Music

In 2019, Amazon pioneered a cost-effective method for streaming Amazon Music with the introduction of a free, ad-supported service exclusively accessible through Echo speakers. Now, Apple is responding with the unveiling of a new, budget-friendly version of its Apple Music subscription, termed the “Voice plan.”

A Voice-Activated Experience

Unlike Amazon’s offering, the Voice plan is not gratuitous. Instead, it presents a more accessible, $4.99 monthly subscription that restricts music access solely to Siri voice commands.

As detailed during Apple’s October event, the Voice plan will enable users – initially in 17 countries – to utilize Siri for playing songs, playlists, and stations within Apple Music upon its release later this autumn.

Content and Features

The service will also incorporate a selection of newly curated playlists tailored to moods and activities, alongside personalized mixes and genre-specific stations.

Users will be able to request music for occasions like dinner parties or for relaxation at the day’s end, for instance. Apple confirmed that hundreds of new playlists will be made available.

Competition and Catching Up

Competitors such as Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pandora already provide similar functionalities – and have done so for several years. Therefore, this move represents Apple’s effort to align with the existing market landscape, expanding its collection of editorially curated playlists focused on mood and activity.

Currently, Apple’s editorial choices are largely concentrated on its “Made for You” series, which includes personalized playlists like Favorites Mix, Chill Mix, New Music Mix, and Get Up Mix.

Designed for HomePod and AirPods

While Apple states the Voice plan can be utilized across “all your Apple devices,” it is demonstrably optimized for the HomePod, mirroring Amazon’s free music streaming for Echo devices.

Using voice commands on a phone, tablet, or computer with a screen may not be practical, but the service could appeal to those who primarily listen via AirPods and prefer voice control.

The service will also be compatible with CarPlay, alongside iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Watch.

User Interface and Guidance

Subscribers will encounter a customized app interface displaying music suggestions based on their preferences and a queue of recently played tracks via Siri.

A dedicated section, “Just Ask Siri,” will guide users on optimizing Siri for Apple Music functionality.

Subscription Options

The new plan complements the existing Apple Music Individual plan ($9.99/month) and Family plan ($14.99/month). Like the Individual plan, the Voice Plan is limited to a single user per subscription.

It grants access to the complete Apple Music catalog, encompassing over 90 million songs.

Availability and Trial

The service will initially launch in Australia, Austria, Canada, mainland China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, Taiwan, the U.K., and the U.S.

Apple has not specified a precise launch date beyond “later this fall.”

Non-subscribers who request music through Siri will be offered a seven-day free trial, without automatic renewal.