Is the Apple Music Voice Plan Worth the Compromise?
The Apple Music Voice Plan lets you take advantage of the free music streaming service at a relatively affordable $ 4.99 per month. It costs the same as the Apple Music student plan (and is half the cost of a regular subscription), but it also removes several features, including the ubiquitous play button and other touchscreen elements. This means that if you are using the Apple Music voice plan, the only way to actually control playback is through Siri. Here’s what to consider before deciding if the Voice Plan is right for you.
What is Apple Music Voice Plan?
If you don’t mind using Siri for everything Apple Music, the new Voice Plan might be a good option for you. It’s especially perfect for those using a HomePod or HomePod mini to listen to music, but for those with other devices, it’s not an easy choice. When you open Apple Music, you won’t see any touchscreen controls, making it difficult to use on non-HomePod devices.
Could Siri be a good playback assistant?
Of course, Siri is now good enough to play most songs without having to repeat commands over and over. At least this is the case if you are requesting songs with English titles. But the moment you broaden your horizons and try to play international music, especially non-English tracks, Siri still has a lot to work on. Siri’s performance also drops if you’re not a native English speaker, so keep that in mind before signing up.
What’s the catch besides Siri?
The voice plan will not work with third party devices, including your Android phone, PS5, or Smart TV. Another major oversight is the time-synchronized lyrics, which is very interesting if you’re trying to sing along.
With Voice Plan, you will also lose spatial audio and lossless music. The benefits of spatial sound depend a lot on how well the track has been mastered, but lossless music isn’t really that big of a problem .
Unfortunately, you also have to say goodbye to downloading music to your Apple devices if you opt for the Voice Plan. It’s far from ideal if you usually use it when commuting, but it won’t bother you if you always listen when you have a good internet connection. And finally, you won’t be able to see what your friends are listening to on Apple Music if you usually like this feature.
Are there any other ways to get Apple Music at a lower price?
Yes! Apple regularly offers free trials and promotions; for now, if you’re a student, you can get the full version of Apple Music for $ 4.99 a month. Plus, if you purchase a new Apple device, you get six months of Apple Music for free .
You can also split the cost of the Apple One package with others to reduce the amount you pay for Apple Music, or do the same with a family subscription that costs $ 14.99 a month.
When Will Apple Music Launch Voice Plan?
To use the voice plan, you need to upgrade to iOS 15.2. At the time of this writing, iOS 15.2 is in the public beta, and the final release is close. If you want to use it immediately, you can subscribe to the iOS 15.2 public beta . Alternatively, you can wait until it becomes available to everyone.