Apple Music Guide for Chinese Students Abroad: Setup to Migration
Key Takeaways
- Student discount: $5.99/month — verify through UNiDAYS, includes free Apple TV+
- No geo-restrictions worldwide — unlike NetEase/QQ Music, Apple Music works everywhere
- Migrate old playlists easily — use ClipTunes to transfer NetEase/QQ Music playlists in 1 minute
- Lossless + Spatial Audio — included in the standard subscription at no extra cost
Bottom line:For overseas Chinese students, Apple Music usually wins on stability and ecosystem fit; migrate old playlists first, then optimize settings.
Why Apple Music is Perfect for Chinese Students Abroad
As a Chinese student studying overseas, you probably face an awkward situation: the music apps you have used for years (NetEase Cloud Music or QQ Music) suddenly stop working properly abroad — many songs turn gray and cannot be played. Apple Music solves this problem completely. Here is why it is the best choice for students:
Student Price: Only $5.99/Month
The Apple Music student plan costs just $5.99/month — almost half the regular $10.99/month price. It also includes a free Apple TV+ subscription, so you can stream shows and movies too. This price is very student-friendly — it is actually cheaper than a NetEase Music membership plus a VPN service combined.
Works Everywhere, No Geo-Restrictions
This is Apple Music's biggest advantage for students abroad. Whether you are in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, or anywhere in Europe, the Apple Music library is exactly the same. No songs will ever turn gray. Going home for holidays or traveling to another country? Apple Music keeps working perfectly.
Lossless Audio and Spatial Audio
The standard Apple Music subscription includes lossless audio (ALAC format, up to 24-bit/192kHz) and Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio. Put on your AirPods Pro or AirPods Max, and the Spatial Audio experience is truly amazing. All of this is included in the $5.99 student price — no extra charge.
Best Experience on iPhone
If you use an iPhone (most Chinese students do), Apple Music offers the best experience:
- "Hey Siri, play my playlist" — voice control anytime
- AirPods auto-connect and auto-switch between devices
- Apple Watch can play music independently (great for running without your phone)
- CarPlay gives you the best in-car music experience
- Deep integration with Lock Screen and Control Center
How to Sign Up for Apple Music Student Discount
Apple Music uses UNiDAYS to verify student status. Here are the steps:
- Open Apple Music: On your iPhone, open the Music app or find the Apple Music subscription option in Settings
- Choose the Student plan: On the subscription page, select "Student" ($5.99/month)
- Verify your student status: The system will redirect you to UNiDAYS. You will need to:
- Sign up or log in to UNiDAYS with your university email (.edu)
- Select your school name
- Complete verification (usually takes just a few seconds)
- Start listening: After verification, your Apple Music student subscription is automatically activated
Good to know:
- Most overseas universities are covered by UNiDAYS (North America, Europe, Australia, and major Asian universities)
- The student discount is available for up to 4 years
- You need to re-verify your student status once a year
- If your school is not on the UNiDAYS list, try contacting Apple Support for manual verification
First Thing to Do: Bring Your Old Playlists Over
After subscribing to Apple Music, the first thing you want to do is migrate your playlists from NetEase or QQ Music. There are two ways to do this:
Method 1: Use ClipTunes — Paste a Link, Done in 1 Minute (Recommended)
ClipTunes is the easiest tool to transfer NetEase/QQ Music playlists to Apple Music. It is super simple:
- Get the playlist link: Open NetEase/QQ Music, go to the playlist you want, tap Share, and copy the link
- Paste into ClipTunes: Open ClipTunes and paste the link
- Auto matching: ClipTunes reads all the songs in your playlist and finds them in Apple Music
- One tap to create: Check the results and tap to create your Apple Music playlist
The whole process takes less than 1 minute, with a 90%+ match rate. If you have multiple playlists, just repeat the steps. ClipTunes gives you 3 free uses, then you can unlock unlimited use with a one-time purchase.
Method 2: Apple's Official Migration Tool
Apple also offers an official music migration tool, but it only supports transfers from Spotify, YouTube Music, and other international platforms. If you were already using Spotify, you can use Apple's tool directly. But if your playlists are on NetEase or QQ Music, this tool will not help — in that case, ClipTunes is your best option.
Essential Apple Music Settings for New Users
After subscribing and migrating your playlists, here are some settings you should turn on right away to improve your listening experience:
Turn On Lossless Audio
- Open iPhone Settings, then tap Music
- Find "Audio Quality"
- Turn on "Lossless Audio"
- You can set quality separately for Cellular, Wi-Fi, and Downloads
- Suggestion: Set Wi-Fi to "Hi-Res Lossless," Cellular to "High Quality" (saves data), and Downloads to "Lossless"
Turn On Spatial Audio
- Put on your AirPods Pro or AirPods Max
- Go to iPhone Settings, then Bluetooth, then tap the "i" next to your AirPods
- Find "Spatial Audio" and choose "Fixed" or "Head Tracked"
- When playing songs that support Dolby Atmos, Spatial Audio will activate automatically
Download Songs for Offline Listening
Download songs on Wi-Fi so you can listen on the subway, on flights, or anywhere without internet:
- Open a song or playlist
- Tap "+" to add it to your library
- Tap the download button (cloud icon)
- The song downloads to your device and can be played offline
Tip: Turn on "Automatic Downloads" in Settings, then Music — all songs you add to your library will download automatically.
Recommended Chinese Music Playlists on Apple Music
Apple Music has many great Chinese music playlists. Here are some worth following:
- Chinese Pop Hits (Apple Music editorial): Updated weekly with trending Chinese songs
- New Chinese Music: Latest Chinese song releases — great for staying up to date
- Chinese Classics: Classic Chinese songs from the 90s to 2010s
- Chill Chinese: Relaxing Chinese songs perfect for studying or unwinding
- Apple Music 1 Radio: Global live radio that occasionally features Chinese music specials
You can also search for your favorite artists — Apple Music usually has curated "Essentials" and "Radio" stations for them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: My school is not on the UNiDAYS list. What can I do?
Try contacting Apple Support (through the Apple Support app or website chat) with your student ID or enrollment proof. Manual verification is sometimes possible. Also, UNiDAYS keeps adding new schools, so check back later.
Q: Does Apple Music have enough Chinese songs? What about Jay Chou?
Yes, the Chinese music library is very complete. All of Jay Chou's official albums are on Apple Music, along with JJ Lin, G.E.M., Mayday, Joker Xue, and other popular artists. Overall, Apple Music covers about 95%+ of Chinese songs — more than enough for daily listening.
Q: How long does the student discount last?
The student discount is available for up to 4 years. You need to re-verify your student status through UNiDAYS once a year. After graduation, the price goes back to the standard $10.99/month. If you continue to graduate school, you can keep the student discount.
Q: Can I migrate all my NetEase Music playlists?
Yes. Use ClipTunes to migrate each playlist one by one — just copy the share link and paste it. Each playlist takes less than 1 minute. ClipTunes offers 3 free playlist transfers, then a one-time purchase unlocks unlimited use.
Continue Reading (ClipTunes Hub)
常见问题
Ready to move your playlists?
Use ClipTunes to convert AI text lists and migrate playlists from major music platforms.