Apple Music nears launch of $4.99 Voice Plan

Apple appears very close to rolling out the Apple Music Voice Plan, a cheaper tier that lets users access music only via the Siri voice assistant.

The new tier has now appeared in the notes for the soon to be released iOS 15.2 operating system update.

In October, Apple announced that it would add the lower priced plan later this year.

Designed around Siri’s voice controls, the new Apple Music Voice Plan will include access to all playlists, personalized mixes, genre stations, and Apple Music Radio for $4.99 per month – half the usual Apple Music $9.99 per month tier.

This half-priced plan seems designed to compete with Amazon Music Unlimited $3.99 plan which unlike the Apple Music Voice Plan is tied to just a single device. Another target may be Spotify and free streaming offering which is growing in popularity as more new users try Spotify via podcast listening as well as TIDAL’s new free tier.

Some in the industry have questioned if the addition of lower priced and free music offerings will lead to less revenue for artists and creators.

Bruce Houghton is Founder and Editor of Hypebot and MusicThinkTank and serves as a Senior Advisor to Bandsintown which acquired both publications in 2019. He is the Founder and President of the Skyline Artists Agency and a professor for the Berklee College Of Music.