Spotify offers a premium student plan that gives students access to Spotify Premium for just $5 per month. This is a great deal considering Spotify’s regular premium plan costs $10 per month. However, you don’t have to be a student to take advantage of this discounted rate.
Here are some clever ways to get the Spotify student discount without being enrolled in school.
1. Use Someone Else’s the Student ID
One of the easiest ways to get a student discount from Spotify is to borrow a student ID from a friend or family member who is currently enrolled in college or university. Spotify allows you to upload a picture of your student ID when signing up for the discount.
As long as the name, photo, and college on the ID match up with your Spotify account info, Spotify will approve the discount. Just make sure to ask the student first before using their college ID! Also, keep in mind that you can only use one student ID per Spotify account.
2. Use an Old Student ID
If you’ve graduated from college within the past few years, try using your old student ID. Spotify does not verify if the ID is currently active. As long as your old student ID looks legitimate, Spotify will likely approve the discount.
This trick works best if you’ve graduated college recently, like within the past 1-2 years. Using an ID that expired 5+ years ago likely won’t fool Spotify.
3. Enroll in One Online Class
You don’t have to be a full-time college student to qualify for Spotify’s discount. Even being enrolled in a single online class is enough to make you eligible. Many community colleges and online education platforms like Coursera offer flexible and affordable class options.
Enroll in a short online course or class, even if it’s just for a month. As soon as you get your student ID information, sign up for Spotify Premium Student and upload your new college ID. You can then drop the class after getting approved for the discount.
4. Use a Fake Student ID
While we don’t recommend lying or misrepresenting yourself, creating a fake student ID is a morally ambiguous trick to get the Spotify discount. Many online template services allow you to customize fake student IDs with your picture and info.
Make sure to use a real college and enter a graduation date that’s at least 1-2 years in the future. Double-check that there are no errors on the ID before uploading it to Spotify for verification. Using a fake ID this way can be risky but does work.
5. Have a Current Student Add You to a Family Plan
Many college students have Spotify Premium for Students and can add up to 5 family members to their account. Ask a niece, nephew, younger sibling, or family friend who is currently a student if they can add you to their Premium Student family plan.
As long as they haven’t reached the 5-user limit, they can add you to their plan and you’ll get access to Premium for just $5/month. Keep in mind this gives the main account holder control over your Spotify account.
6. Contact Spotify Customer Support
Honesty is the best policy here. Reach out directly to Spotify’s customer support and explain your situation – you want the student discount but you’re not enrolled in college. More often than not, Spotify’s support reps will apply the discount to your account anyway as a courtesy.
Be extra nice on the call or live chat and politely ask if they can help you get the student pricing. Flex your negotiation skills – many customers have succeeded in getting the discount this way.
7. Partner With a Student Entrepreneur
Some ambitious college students have cleverly figured out how to sell access to their Spotify Premium for Students plan. They build websites or social media accounts advertising the student base Spotify plans family slots for non-students.
Search online for “Spotify student subscription” or check Craigslist to find students offering their family plan slots. This option provides access to the student discount while also supporting young entrepreneurs.
8. Use a Spotify Promo Code
While not as cheap as the student discount price, you may be able to use a Spotify promo code to lower your monthly Premium cost. Spotify occasionally offers promo codes for 15-30% off Premium plans.
Check sites like RetailMeNot and Offers.com for valid Spotify promo codes before signing up. You can combine the promo savings with discounted Spotify gift card deals for the best possible rate.
9. Split a Family Plan with Friends
While you can’t create a family plan as an individual, you can join someone else’s family plan. Go in with a group of 5 or 6 friends and have someone set up a Spotify family plan. Split the total cost each month.
Even if the main account holder pays full price for their Premium access, the other members will get their subscription for the discounted family rate of $15/month. Divvying up the cost saves everyone money compared to paying for Premium individually.
10. Use a Student’s Hulu Bundle Deal
Students who sign up for Spotify Premium Student get ad-free Hulu bundled in for free. Ask a college friend if you can use their Hulu login info that they received through their Spotify plan.
This way you can take advantage of the Hulu deal while only having to pay your friend each month for the Spotify subscription. Hulu normally costs $7-12 per month on its own.
11. Sign Up with a .edu Email Address
When you register for a Spotify Premium APK Student account, Spotify will verify if the email you used matches a list of valid .edu email addresses. You can create a fake student email by entering your name on a school’s directory page and using the temporary .edu address.
Some online colleges like the University of the People let anyone generate a .edu email address through their website. Use a disposable or forwarded email linked to the fake .edu address when signing up for Spotify.
Just make sure to continue checking it so you don’t miss any important verification messages. This method works well as long as the email looks authentic.
12. Use a VPN Set to a College Town
A VPN (virtual private network) masks your device’s location by routing your web traffic through different servers around the world. Free VPNs often have limited servers, but paid services let you choose a specific city or country.
Sign up for a paid VPN service and connect to a server located in a classic US college town like Boston, Austin, or Berkeley. Then open Spotify’s website to register for a student account. Spotify will think you’re signing up from a college campus based on the VPN IP address.
13. Attend a Spotify Event on a College Campus
Spotify often hosts pop-up events and concerts on college campuses to promote Spotify Premium Student memberships. These campus marketing events are open to the public, not just students.
Seek out a Spotify event at a nearby university. When you arrive on campus and connect to the WiFi, open the Spotify app and register for an account. With Spotify seeing that you signed up through a college’s network, they will likely enable the student discount.
14. Wait for a Free Trial Offer
To attract new subscribers, Spotify may offer one month of free Premium access. Keep an eye out for these limited-time deals and take advantage when they pop up. You can also look out for Spotify ads offering 3 months free for new Premium subscribers.
Sign up during one of these free trial periods, then cancel before getting charged anything. Hopefully, by the time your free trial ends, Spotify will offer another free month or discounted period. Just remember to set a cancellation reminder so you can go back to being a free user once the trial is up.
Bonus Tip: Appeal a Rejection Email
If Spotify rejects your student discount eligibility, don’t give up immediately. Reply to the rejection email politely asking them to reconsider and approve you for the discount. Providing a brief explanation (or sob story) for why you need the lower student pricing can help gain sympathy.
Emphasize that you’re a huge Spotify fan but can’t afford the standard Premium price. There’s a chance the customer support rep reviewing the appeal may override the initial rejection and apply the student discount to your account. Persistence and kindness pay off.
Conclusion
While Spotify wants to verify students to keep their discounted rate exclusive, there are still ways for non-students to get the lower Premium price. Trying tricks like using someone else’s college ID, faking a student email address, joining a friend’s family plan, and sharing Hulu logins can score you a cheap Spotify subscription. Or appeal to customer service’s better nature.
Just remember – always get permission before using someone else’s student status for your benefit. Review Spotify’s terms of service first so you’re aware of any potential downsides of these crafty techniques. With the right strategy, you can get Spotify’s sought-after student pricing without setting foot in a classroom.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Spotify student discount?
The Spotify student discount offers Premium access for just $5 per month, half the price of a regular Premium membership. It’s only available to college students in the US.
Do you have to verify student status?
Yes, Spotify requires verification of current student enrollment status, usually by uploading a college ID. Non-students can bypass this using the tricks detailed in this article.
Can you use someone else’s student ID for the discount?
While not encouraged, you can use a friend or family member’s valid college ID to get the Spotify student discount. Just make sure they consent to you using their student status.
Does the discount work for online students?
Yes, the Spotify student discount works for online students as long as your college issues a university email address and digital ID card. These can be used to verify student status when signing up.
What happens after you graduate?
The discounted Spotify Premium for Students price is valid for up to four years after you graduate. Just make sure your account is already activated with student status before you graduate.