Streaming is broken. In the olden days, you just bought a film or album and that was that – you then owned it forever, and you could do with it what you saw fit. But now we're only ever renting our movies and tunes from a great Blockbuster Video in the cloud.
It's an expensive business. Because no one service has all the content or features you might want, many of us shell out for multiple every month.
According to a recent study, British people have an average of 3.3 streaming subscriptions each – that's the highest in Europe. With subs costing around £10 a month each, the costs soon add up.
If you're looking to save some money, then good news – there are some ways to stream for free. Whether it's the few remaining free trials, a perk of a mobile contract or a fringe benefit of a bank account, some streaming services are available without having to pay a penny.
Here's how to get your streaming fix without breaking the bank.
How to get free movie and TV streaming services
How to get free Disney+
Vodafone's Entertainment plans come with free access to either Disney+ Premium or Amazon Prime for the duration. So if you sign up for a 24-month 30GB Red + Entertainment plan (which costs £29 a month), you'll get either service free for the whole two years.
Entertainment plans are available either with a phone or SIM-only, so you could use one to get the new iPhone 17.
Get free Disney+ from Vodafone
Lloyds offers Disney+ as part of its Club Lloyd Lifestyle Benefits. You'll need a Club Lloyd current account, which costs £5 a month (unless you pay in over £2000 in a month, in which case the fiver is refunded). But it's only a Standard with Ads subscription to Disney+, which means you'll have to suffer adverts.
How to get free Apple TV+
Apple TV+ is one of the few streaming services to still have a free trial. To activate it, open the Apple TV app or visit the Apple TV+ website. Sign up for an Apple TV+ account – you'll need to provide payment details, though no money will change hands initially.
Then start watching. Remember to cancel before the seven-day period elapses if you want to avoid paying.
Get a free Apple TV+ 7-day trial
Alternatively, Barclays offers free Apple TV+ as part of its Barclays Blue account, which also promises cashback on everyday spending and better savings rates. But it costs £5 a month, and you'll have to pay in a whopping £800 per month in order to keep the account.
Get free Apple TV+ from Barclays
You can also get a free three-month trial of Apple TV+ when you buy certain Apple products like iPhones, iPads and Mac computers (but not AirPods).
Get free Apple TV+ with an eligible Apple product
How to get free Prime Video
Vodafone's Entertainment plans offer you a choice of either Disney+ or Amazon Prime (which includes Prime Video). And because it includes SIM-only deals, you won't need to sign up for a new phone (though you can if you want). But while they have plenty of benefits, Vodafone's SIM-only deals aren't the cheapest around.
Get free Prime Video from Vodafone
You can also get Prime Video for nowt as part of the Amazon Prime free trial, which is still going. But if you've tried it before – maybe to snag some deals during the Prime Day sale – you won't be eligible.
To take advantage, sign up on the Amazon Prime page, and you'll get 30 days' free Prime Video, along with free next-day delivery, Amazon Music, and all the other benefits of Prime.
Get the free Amazon Prime trial
How to get free music streaming services
How to get free Apple Music
Like Apple TV+, Apple Music comes free for three months with eligible Apple products. These include iPhones, iPads and AirPods like the new AirPods Pro 3.
Get free Apple Music from Apple
EE customers can also get Apple Music for free, but for six months. This applies to new and existing EE customers. You'll need to be a Consumer customer with a EE pay monthly or SIM-only phone plan on a 12-month or more minimum term.
To take advantage, log in to your EE account online or though the EE app, and go to Plan & Add-ons > Add-ons > Get more add-ons. Alternatively, you can text Music to 150.
How to get free Spotify
This is an easy one – just sign up for Spotify's free tier. It's one of the few remaining music streaming services with a free option, though it does include adverts and doesn't give you complete control over playback. But it has had some improvements lately, including better controls through the app and the ability to search for individual tracks.
You can also sign up for a three-month free trial of Spotify Premium. Premium will soon add lossless quality, which might be included in this trial when it rolls out (we're still awaiting confirmation).
Get free Spotify Premium from Spotify
- What is Spotify Lossless? How do you get it?
How to get free Amazon Music
Like Spotify, Amazon Music has a free tier, called Amazon Music Free, appropriately enough. But you'll have to put with adverts. You will need an Amazon account.
Get free Amazon Music from Amazon
Amazon frequently gives free Amazon Music Unlimited trials around big sales events like Prime Day and Black Friday – these can often be as long as four months. Amazon's Big Deal Days sale takes place 7-8th October, so keep a look out around then.
MORE:
These are the best TV and movie streaming services
The best music streaming services
Hi-res music streaming services compared: which is best?
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