YouTube is offering up a back-to-school deal to the many thousands of students about to flood onto college campuses for eight months of 8 a.m. lectures, late-night study sessions, and maybe probably a whole lot of caffeine consumption.
Current students at higher education instutitions can now get three months of YouTube Premium or YouTube Music Premium for free. Those who want to snag the deal must pick the service of their choice and sign up for YouTube’s already-discounted student plan ($4.99 per month for Music, $6.99 per month for Premium). Once they’ve signed on, their first three months are free.
As The Verge points out, with this particular deal, it makes more sense to grab the free three months of YouTube Premium, because YouTube Premium includes YouTube Music — but YouTube Music does not include YouTube Premium.
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For those who don’t know, YouTube Premium removes advertising on all videos, offers a couple technical perks like being able to keep videos playing when you minimize the YouTube app on mobile, and provides access to paywalled YouTube Originals. (It’s worth noting, though, that all YouTube Originals will be free to watch by 2020.) YouTube Music also provides ad-free listening to millions of songs, offers screen-off listening (normally, when you turn your phone screen off, YouTube automatically stops whatever’s playing), and other perks like seamlessly switching between some songs and their music videos.
A few more nuts and bolts about YouTube’s offer… The deal is only available to folks in locations where YouTube’s student discount subscriptions are available. Students also must be attending a school that offers verification of their status as a student through the third-party service SheerID. In order to maintain their student pricing going forward, students must re-verify each year that they’re actually still attending that school.
It’s not clear how long the deal will be available — YouTube just says it’s for a limited time only.
📢 ATTN: Students 📢
For a limited time, new members can enjoy 3 months of the #YouTubeMusic Premium or @YouTube Premium student plan in select territories, on us 😉. Let us know what you’re playing to get #BacktoSchool ⬇️ → https://t.co/8sFjizIxQ8 pic.twitter.com/OL71AEXRBd
— YouTube Music (@youtubemusic) August 8, 2019