Apple Music is the cheapest it's ever been, and it's ad-free. Here's how to get it

If you've been swithering about subscribing to Apple Music, Apple is about to launch a much cheaper version specifically for Siri – so you'll be able to use it with your HomePod mini, your AirPods, AirPods Pro and AirPods Max, your iPhone, your iPad, your Apple TV and CarPlay.

It's not the full Apple Music, which is interesting – because it sounds very much like the way I currently use my Apple Music subscription.

The new tier is called Apple Music Voice Plan, it's due in iOS 15.2, and you'll be able to sign up by saying "Hey, Siri, start my Apple Music Voice Plan trial".

Siri's going for a song

According to MacRumors, the Apple Music Voice Plan could arrive in an iOS update as early as next week – although right now it's unclear whether it'll be US-only to begin with or available internationally. The US price will be $4.99 per month; we'd expect dollar-to-pound parity when it goes live here in the UK.

So if you're paying half the usual price, do you get half the experience? Yes and no. You get access to the same massive library of music – 90 million songs and counting – and to Apple Music Radio. But you don't get lossless or spatial audio, downloads for listening offline, music videos, lyrics or an Android version. And you can't control Apple Music with your device: it's Siri or nothing. If you try to control things on your iPhone, iPad or Mac you'll be invited to subscribe to the full-fat version.

The lack of lossless or spatial audio is a deal-breaker for me, and if you like to listen on the best wireless headphones it's probably a deal-breaker for you too. But for everyday listening this looks like it's going to be a really good deal.