November 2, 2023, 1:12 p.m. |
Reading time: 3 minutes
In October 2021, Apple presented “Voice”, a cheaper alternative to its Music subscription. But now – just two years after its launch – the offer is being discontinued again.
With Apple Music, the company offers a music streaming subscription that allows you to access over 100 million songs. However, the offer costs 10.99 euros per month for individuals and is therefore not exactly cheap. In autumn 2021, Apple announced Voice, an alternative access that could be booked for just 4.99 euros. However, the offer had a few restrictions in use, which is why the hoped-for success did not materialize. Apple takes action and discontinues Voice.
Apple Music Voice can only be controlled via Siri
The concept of Apple Music Voice was completely new. The streaming service could only be played on Siri-enabled devices and could only be operated using voice commands. At launch, Apple made the following promise: “With the Apple Music Voice subscription, subscribers get access to a catalog of 90 million songs, tens of thousands of playlists (including hundreds of new playlists for different moods and activities, personalized mixes and genre-specific stations) and the Award-winning Apple Music Radio – all via Siri and for just 4.99 euros per month.”
However, personalization on the part of the user was just as limited as the operating options. They couldn’t choose which song or playlists they wanted to listen to, but had to make do with Apple’s suggestions. Apple described the process this way: “Apple Music Voice subscribers receive personalized suggestions for content based on personal preferences recorded via Siri and recently played songs.”
Premium features that could only be found in Apple Music’s large offering were also excluded. These included, for example, 3D audio and lossless audio, song lyrics and music videos.
In the end, Apple offered a very affordable music streaming access with Voice, but its use lacked the flexibility that many users wanted.
Also read: Spotify vs. Apple Music – which service is ahead?
Cheap music subscription can no longer be booked
Apple has so far marketed its Voice music streaming subscription in all major markets. It was available in Australia, Austria, Canada, China, France, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, Taiwan, Great Britain, the USA and Germany. However, Apple Music Voice can no longer be found on the provider’s website and can therefore no longer be booked. Also “9to5Mac“ reports the same approach within the USA. Existing subscriptions should therefore not be extended and should expire.
Apple has not made an official statement about the end of Voice. Accordingly, one can only speculate about the reasons behind the move. However, it seems very likely that the offer simply did not meet with the hoped-for interest among users.
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Alternative music streaming services
With Apple Music there is another music streaming offer directly in your own home. But the three big competitors Spotify, Amazon Music Unlimited or Deezer could also be an alternative for switching to another offer. In Germany, for example, there are YouTube Music, SoundCloud or RTL+ Music accesses that are somewhat less in focus.
However, a subscription to these providers is significantly more expensive than Apple Music Voice, especially since many of them have recently increased their prices. Users currently have to pay an average of 9 to 12 euros per month for access. Student subscriptions or access for families that are shared among several people are usually cheaper.