With the explosion of music streaming services, such as Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play Music and more, it can be a trying time for meagre data allowances. Phone plans with lots of data are becoming cheaper, but our need for data is growing.
Music streaming can easily chew through more than 100MB per hour, which means if you’re a music lover your data plan could be eaten up very quickly. This has given rise to phone plans that provide zero-rated streaming from selected services; in other words, the data you use to stream isn’t taken out of your plan’s monthly data allowance.
Phone plans with data-free music streaming
The leading providers in this space include Telstra, Boost Mobile, Optus and OVO Mobile. The services on offer differ slightly with each telco, and consist of:
- Telstra – Apple Music
- Boost Mobile – Apple Music
- Optus – Google Play Music, iHeart Radio, Spotify
- OVO Mobile – The Hit and Triple M radio networks
It’s important to note the company allegiances here. Boost Mobile uses the Telstra network, hence the similarities, while OVO Mobile uses the Optus network.
Telstra data-free music streaming
Telstra now offers all personal mobile customers unlimited, data-free streaming from Apple Music. This includes customers on 24-month contracts, on 12-month SIM-only plans, on mobile broadband, and on Telstra’s range of prepaid options.
Until very recently, Telstra also offered a a free six-month Apple Music subscription to new customers on selected mobile phone plans. If you signed up to an eligible plan before 28 December, 2018, and haven’t yet redeemed your free subscription, you’ll need to do so before 26 February, 2019 (via the Telstra 24×7 app, or My Account online portal).
| Brand | Features | Max Data**/billing period | Advertised Cost^^/billing period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
min. cost $588 over 12 month plan period |
30GB | $49 | Go To Site |
|
min. cost $828 over 12 month plan period |
60GB | $69 | Go To Site |
|
min. cost $1068 over 12 month plan period |
90GB | $89 | Go To Site |
 View all mobile plans listed on Canstar Blue |
**^^View important information | |||
Boost Mobile data-free music streaming
Boost Mobile deals exclusively in prepaid mobile phone plans, and all six of its prepaid options include data-free Apple Music streaming. Plans begin at $10 per month, up to $70, and include unlimited national talk and text, plus extras such as international calling.
As Boost Mobile is a Telstra-owned company, with plans running on Telstra’s 3G and 4G networks, it makes sense that Apple Music is also available with Boost’s plans. However, the data-free streaming offer doesn’t include your monthly Apple Music subscription fee – if you’re a Boost customer, you’ll need to sign up for the service yourself.
| Brand | Features | Max Data**/billing period | Advertised Cost^^/billing period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
min. cost $30 over 28 day billing period |
12GB | $30 | Go To Site |
|
min. cost $40 over 28 day billing period |
22GB | $40 | Go To Site |
|
min. cost $50 over 28 day billing period |
32GB | $50 | Go To Site |
| View all mobile plans listed on Canstar Blue |
**^^View important information | |||
Optus data-free music streaming
Optus branches out and offers data free music streaming on three of the biggest streaming services on the market (next to Apple Music): Spotify, iHeartRadio, and Google Play Music. Data-free streaming is included free on selected Optus postpaid plans, including 24-month phone contracts and 12-month SIM-only plans, and is available for $5 per month on month-to-month SIM plans.
Streaming speeds are limited to 512Kbps, but this is more than fast enough to stream music on Spotify. Optus also throws in other streaming extras, such as data-free Optus Sport and mobile TV streaming. If you’re on a prepaid plan, you won’t get data-free music or video, but plans do include up to 10GB of monthly data specifically for watching Netflix, Stan, and ABC iView.
| Brand | Features | Max Data**/billing period | Advertised Cost^^/billing period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
$30 My Plan Plus
min. cost $360 over 12 month plan period |
3GB | $30 | |
|
$40 My Plan Plus
min. cost $480 over 12 month plan period |
40GB | $40 | |
|
$50 My Plan Plus
min. cost $600 over 12 month plan period |
80GB | $50 | |
| View all mobile plans listed on Canstar Blue |
**^^View important information | |||
OVO Mobile data-free music streaming
OVO Mobile is a smaller plan provider using the Optus network, and deals in no-contract prepaid plans. One of the biggest perks from OVO – aside from its competitive plans – is the fact that its current deals come with unlimited, data-free access to its OVO play app, including live radio streaming.
Music-wise, you’ll get data-free streaming of the Hit radio network, which includes 2Day FM in Sydney, Fox FM in Melbourne, Hit 105 in Brisbane, and many more. You’ll also get unlimited data-free streaming from Triple M across the country, plus Buddha Radio, The Range, and more.
In addition to music streaming, OVO Play also provides data-free access to a range of sports, including Supercars, World Superbikes, Gymnastics, Chinese Super League, and e-Sports. OVO Mobile offers five prepaid plans, from $9.95 per month up to $49.95.
| Brand | Features | Max Data**/billing period | Advertised Cost^^/billing period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
min. cost $29.95 over 30 day billing period |
10GB | $29.95 | Go To Site |
|
min. cost $34.95 over 30 day billing period |
25GB | $34.95 | Go To Site |
|
min. cost $49.95 over 30 day billing period |
40GB | $49.95 | Go To Site |
| View all mobile plans listed on Canstar Blue |
**^^View important information | |||
Is a plan with data-free music streaming worth it?
Data-free music streaming is certainly a nice perk to have, and it’s available on a wide variety of phone plans already. However, you’re still required to pay a separate subscription for your streaming service: unless otherwise specified, these deals don’t pay for your access, just offer unmetered content. Subscriptions can cost upwards of $10 each month, so be aware of the potential cost before you sign up.
Another detail that’s often lost in the fine print: for most of these promotions, it’s only the music streaming itself that is data-free. This means that content such as advertisements, album art, and even downloading songs for offline listening can result in data usage that will be taken from your monthly gigabyte allowance.
In general, if you’re comfortably within your data limit every month, it makes little sense to switch. However, if you’re regularly exceeding your data cap and it’s thanks to your music addiction, a data-free streaming plan may be right for you.
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