Pandora slashes prices on its premium music streaming service for students and the military

To better compete with rivals like Spotify and Apple Music, the music streaming service Pandora is cutting the prices on its Premium subscriptions for qualifying students and members of the military.

Pandora’s new pricing plans mean that students will pay $4.99 per month, a $5 discount to its $9.99 Premium product. The price includes the same features of on-demand music, ad-free listening, offline access and customizable playlists.

For military personnel, national guard reservists, family members and veterans, Pandora is offering a $7.99 per month price for the Premium service. It’s an offer that sets Pandora apart, as neither Apple Music nor Spotify offer military plans.

Both students and military will have their identity verified by SheerID to ensure that people who are trying to subscribe to the discount plan are who they say they are.

Each plan comes with a 60-day trial, which gives subscribers time to personalize the service to their liking — which increases the possibility of retention.