By Megan Bronner
In today’s digital age, students encounter multiple easily accessible streaming platforms. Long gone are the days of paying 99 cents for songs on iTunes. But the questions remains as to how much are students willing to pay.
The New York Times recently analyzed the four major music streaming services on the market: Amazon, Pandora, Spotify and Apple Music. The average rate for these streaming services runs about $10 a month, but Spotify and Apple Music both offer a student rate for half that price. Amazon is expected to come out with a new streaming service later this year that offers a full catalog of music for 10 dollars a month, making it very similar to its competitors. Pandora is also revamping its service in an effort to bring in more subscribers and compete with similar streaming companies.
At $5 a month, Spotify Premium is the cheapest option for students. Spotify Premium gives them access to thousands of songs, pre-made playlists, offline listening, unlimited skips and no ads. At the same discounted rate, students can also stream Apple Music, which offers similar services to Spotify but also gives subscribers access to music videos, concert films and live shows.
“I subscribe to the service mostly because of the offline listening feature,” Lindsey Garibaldi, FCRH ’17, said. “It’s nice to have access to your music without having to be connected to wifi or using your data. Online listening downloads the songs so that users can always have access to their music while on the go.
Another noteworthy feature included in Spotify Premium is the ability to skip songs and listen without ads. For this reason, Caroline Dunn, FCRH ’17, upgraded her Spotify to Premium after completing the free trial. “Paying for Spotify is definitely worth it,” said Dunn.
Eleni Koukoulas, GSB ’17, does not currently pay for any music streaming service. She takes advantage of the free version of Spotify and uses Pandora on occasion. “If I were to choose a streaming service to pay for, it would be Spotify Premium,” Koukoulas said “A Pandora subscription doesn’t seem as necessary, because you don’t have direct access to the music and can’t choose what songs you want to listen to.”
Overall, streaming services appear to be worth the price for students. With Spotify a clear frontrunner and Apple Music gaining substantial traction due to recent album releases exclusive to the service, listeners are taking advantage of student discounts.
In order to compete, Amazon and Pandora Media are trying to bring in more listeners by making their respective streaming services more affordable for people who are not avid music listeners. Pandora online radio launched Pandora Plus on Sept. 15, which, at five dollars a month, provides users with unlimited skips and the ability to replay songs ad free. This premium tier of Pandora has offline listening as well. For students, this service costs the same as Spotify and Apple Music. However, for those who have already graduated, Pandora’s latest service may have new appeal.
Amazon Prime members can currently listen to a limited selection of music through the website. However, the company is looking to introduce a full-fledged music service soon and charge $10 for each month of streaming. Time will tell if Pandora and Amazon can gain more subscribers and influence the stronghold that Spotify and Apple Music currently have over the streaming market.
For now, these three juniors are satisfied with the current streaming choices for students. Garibaldi and Dunn do not seem like they will be giving up their Spotify Premium subscriptions any time soon.
