Brayan Ruiz-Caballero, Arts and Entertainment Editor
For students who have been bored throughout quarantine or have a bit of spare change left over, entertaining streaming services directed at providing music or shows have now started offering student discounts.
The rise in streaming platforms has been a gradual growth over the past few years, and it may just be getting started. There is no longer a need to scour the internet to pirate the latest TV episode or illegally download the newest hot album.
Apple states that “Students enrolled in degree-granting universities and colleges can join Apple Music at a discounted monthly rate.” Meanwhile, there are streaming packages that include Spotify and Hulu under a single account for just five bucks a month if the person has a college email.
After asking around campus I found that just about every student has a Netflix account that they share with family or friends. Moreover, most students use music streaming services to keep up with the latest trends and releases at a small cost.
However, independent artists who may be struggling with being properly compensated for their material will have to gain a high number of streams on major streaming services to be able to pay bills.
So, if students are interested in directly supporting local musicians, then the site Bandcamp can be a wonderful platform to financially aid music projects. There is no sign-up fee and paying for a track or album goes straight to the artist’s pocket.
The process of transitioning from cable and cinema to the phone and laptop has caused a drastic increase in viewership, which entertainment companies have noticed as they are now producing original, exclusive material for their platforms.
For those who grew up without streaming services, it may seem daunting at first glance, but the user interface has been surprisingly easy to figure out. Amanda Shroyer, Senior Staff Assistant at the DSC Writing Center, said that she “will eventually give up cable due to more content moving digital.”
Furthermore, Nick Vitale, a peer-tutor at the Writing Center, expressed that he “like(s) that entertainment is going digital since it’s easy to access and navigate.” A straightforward reminder that consumers welcome simplicity over complexity.
Finally, it can be rejuvenating to just sit-down, and binge watch a viral show during these stressful times. Shroyer put it best when she said that streaming services offer college students discounts “To give students a much-needed break from class.”