Apple has announced Apple Music Voice, a cheaper version of its music streaming platform, but users are required to use their voice only in order to benefit from the price cut.
Apple Music Voice (via, The Telegraph) was announced during Apple’s live event on October 18, 2021, and is a cheaper version of the company’s music streaming service, Apple Music. However, in a baffling decision, the price cut only applies to users who are willing to use just their voice to navigate the service.
The price cut finds the service starting at £4.99 p/m in the UK and $4.99 in the US as opposed to the usual £9.99 p/m or $9.99 p/m. The only requirement is that the cheaper plan will require the use of voice searching, which includes asking Siri for recommendations and using Siri for full-playback controls. Having potential users locked out of a cheaper plan because of the requirement to use their voice seems a bit of an odd choice that only excludes.
In a press release, Oliver Schusser, Apple’s vice president of Apple Music and Beats said “With Siri actively used on hundreds of millions of devices worldwide, we are thrilled to add this new plan that delivers an effortless music experience just by using your voice and makes Apple Music accessible to even more people around the world.”
To activate the plan, users can use their voice by saying, “Hey Siri, start my Apple Music Voice trial” or sign up through the app itself. There is also a 7-day trial available that is offered to non-subscribers who request the music through Siri. The plan goes live “later this Fall”