Apple Music's Video Content Now Streams Free on T-Mobile

[MacRumors]

T-Mobile has announced that Apple Music and fifteen other additional streaming video providers, including various ABC, Disney, and FOX apps, are now covered by the carrier's Binge On program. Binge On now supports over 100 video services in the United States after launching eight months ago.

Binge On enables customers on a qualifying Simple Choice plan to stream unlimited 480p video from dozens of partnered services, led by Netflix, HBO NOW, Hulu, and YouTube, without any of the data consumed counting towards their monthly data bucket. Starting today, any Apple Music video content qualifies too.

The full list of new providers joining Binge On today include:

ABC
Apple Music
Big Ten Network
CEEK VR
DISH Anywhere
Disney Channel
Disney Jr.
Disney XD
D-PAN.TV
DramaFever
FOX NOW
FXNOW
NAT GEO TV
Shalom World
Sioeye
Tubi TV

T-Mobile expanded Binge On to PBS in June and thirteen video services in May, including NBC and video content from existing Music Freedom partners Google Play Music, Radio Disney, Spotify, and TIDAL, after adding 16 new Binge On and Music Freedom partners in April. YouTube, Google Play Movies, and others were added in March.

Apple Music's audio content has streamed for free on T-Mobile via Music Freedom since July 2015.

Article Link: Apple Music's Video Content Now Streams Free on T-Mobile

 

[powaking]

Sweet

 

[deany]

What a character he is, I bet his mobile number ends in 420

 

[keysofanxiety]

Legere is ridiculously passionate and so full of energy. He is T-Mobile; well, in the US, at least.

Frequent livestreams such as 'Slow Cooker Sundays' and always wears TMob branding/clothing every single day. You can see he's really encouraged so much customer and employee loyalty too. He always visits the troops on the ground. Most of his social media updates are followed by a sea of employees saying how proud they are to work for TMob.

A phone carrier is beginning to get an Apple-like cult following. That's like cheering on your favourite electricity company. A phone carrier can be cool and appeal to youngsters. This would have been unthinkable a decade ago.

Like him or not, he's a stunningly great CEO to already achieve what he has done.

 

[deany]

Yep he seems like a really good bloke - kind of like our Richard Branson actually.

 

[2457282]

Here is the question. If you can now stream pretty much all video and music for free and all text and phone calls are free, is it possible to dump your ISP and do everything via a tMobile account? For example can I my apple TV and ipad at home through a tmobile iphone? I currently burn through about 130 gig a month through my ISP, but most of that is music and video. So, if tmob does not cap the binge on feature, this could actually give me a good alternative.

 

[Northgrove]

Dislike. This goes against the principles of net neutrality. Sure it's awesome now that we're on MacRumors and this is positively affecting Apple Music, but next time it'll give another company you like disadvantages with the telco entering deals to make it cheaper to use a competitor.

In the worst case, it can completely kill off smaller actors in the market that may even be better choices if they were competing on fair grounds. No thanks.

 

[BeSweeet]

Here is the question. If you can now stream pretty much all video and music for free and all text and phone calls are free, is it possible to dump your ISP and do everything via a tMobile account? For example can I my apple TV and ipad at home through a tmobile iphone? I currently burn through about 130 gig a month through my ISP, but most of that is music and video. So, if tmob does not cap the binge on feature, this could actually give me a good alternative.

Via http://www.t-mobile.com/offer/binge-on-streaming-video.html:
"You still benefit with Binge On! When Binge On is enabled, you’ll get all the benefits of unlimited video streaming on your smartphone and when you use your phone as a mobile hotspot you can stream YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, HBO, Sling, ESPN, Showtime, Starz and other participating services for free, without counting against your smartphone mobile hotspot."

Dislike. This goes against the principles of net neutrality. Sure it's awesome now that we're on MacRumors and this is positively affecting Apple Music, but next time it'll give another company you like disadvantages with the telco entering deals to make it cheaper to use a competitor.

In the worst case, it can completely kill off smaller actors in the market that may even be better choices if they were competing on fair grounds. No thanks.

But it doesn't negatively affect those who are already using services that aren't whitelisted; nothing is different for these users, so they aren't affected in any way.

 

[73b]

Dislike. This goes against the principles of net neutrality. Sure it's awesome now that we're on MacRumors and this is positively affecting Apple Music, but next time it'll give another company you like disadvantages with the telco entering deals to make it cheaper to use a competitor.

In the worst case, it can completely kill off smaller actors in the market that may even be better choices if they were competing on fair grounds. No thanks.

I'm pretty sure any provider who wants to can be a part of Binge On. The program itself is about unlimited streaming of 480p video, and SD vs. HD is not really a net neutrality issue.

 

[radiology]

Legere is ridiculously passionate and so full of energy. He is T-Mobile; well, in the US, at least.

Frequent livestreams such as 'Slow Cooker Sundays' and always wears TMob branding/clothing every single day. You can see he's really encouraged so much customer and employee loyalty too. He always visits the troops on the ground. Most of his social media updates are followed by a sea of employees saying how proud they are to work for TMob.

A phone carrier is beginning to get an Apple-like cult following. That's like cheering on your favourite electricity company. A phone carrier can be cool and appeal to youngsters. This would have been unthinkable a decade ago.

Like him or not, he's a stunningly great CEO to already achieve what he has done.

Very well said. Your post deserved more than a thumbs up.

I guess the only thing I would say is that he probably has a very good marketing team. They are on top of every possible thing that comes up that they can tag a long to help market the company. Kudos to them.

 

[mlabonte21]

Will there ever come a day where we can stream our itunes movie & tv shows over cellular?

It's incredibly lame that in 2016 we are forced to have to download our video content to storage.

People understand by now that streaming video eats up data. Slap a warning on it stating that fact and move on.

 

[oneMadRssn]

But it doesn't negatively affect those who are already using services that aren't whitelisted; nothing is different for these users, so they aren't affected in any way.

I think the main argument is that it's a slippery slope. Charging extra to access select services or specifically not charging the usual to access select services is a distinction without a difference, in the end net result in the same in both scenarios, which is that two competing services are being treated differently by the infrastructure that delivers them.

Right now T-Mobile seems to be "self-regulating" by letting any service into the Binge-On program, but the terms and application process aren't really clear. Further, T-Mobile can change their mind on a whim.

For example, what if John Legere one day happens to take a 1% interest in Spotify, and decides that Apple Music and YouTube Red are no longer part of the Binge-On program, and incidentally sees the value of his shares go up? The precedent he is setting today would allow for that tomorrow.

As another example, would you be ok with you if the electricity company says that electricity used by GE refrigerators is now free, but every other brand refrigerator is at the usual rate? Would it still be ok if it meant that your electricity company got a contract to buy a whole bunch of GE industrial transformers at below-market cost in order to do the refrigerator promotion? And you have a Kenmore refrigerator at the moment...

 

[autrefois]

So Apple is no longer for net neutrality?

 

[deany]

Will there ever come a day where we can stream our itunes movie & tv shows over cellular?

It's incredibly lame that in 2016 we are forced to have to download our video content to storage.

People understand by now that streaming video eats up data. Slap a warning on it stating that fact and move on.

Hi
I think a fair few people do in rural areas - I know we rely on cellular with a good signal in rural areas in the UK.
Cheers

 

[2457282]

Via http://www.t-mobile.com/offer/binge-on-streaming-video.html:
"You still benefit with Binge On! When Binge On is enabled, you’ll get all the benefits of unlimited video streaming on your smartphone and when you use your phone as a mobile hotspot you can stream YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, HBO, Sling, ESPN, Showtime, Starz and other participating services for free, without counting against your smartphone mobile hotspot."

Yes I understand, but in the fine print it also states the following

Once full-speed data allotment is reached, all usage slowed to up to 2G speeds until end of bill cycle.....Network Management: Service may be slowed, suspended, terminated, or restricted for misuse, abnormal use, interference with our network or ability to provide quality service to other users, or significant roaming. Customers who use an extremely high amount of data in a bill cycle will have their data usage de-prioritized compared to other customers for that bill cycle at locations and times when competing network demands occur, resulting in relatively slower speeds.

I did a little more digging and found this --

To provide the best possible experience for the most possible customers, and to minimize capacity issues and degradation in network performance, we manage significant high-speed data usage through prioritization. Specifically, customers who use more data than what 97% of all customers use in a month, based on recent historical averages (updated quarterly), will have their data usage de-prioritized compared to the data usage of other customers at times and at locations where there are competing customer demands for network resources, which may result in slower data speeds. Customers who use data in violation of their Rate Plan terms or T-Mobile's Terms and Conditions may be excluded from this calculation. Data features that may not count against the high-speed data allotment for some plans, such as certain data associated with Music Freedom, or Binge On, still counts towards all customers’ usage for this calculation. Data used for customer service applications such as the T-Mobile My Account app and the T-Mobile Tuesdays app do not count towards customers’ usage for this calculation. Smartphone Mobile HotSpot (tethering) data is also included in this calculation. Based on network statistics for the most recent quarter, customers who use more than 26GB of data during a billing cycle will be de-prioritized for the remainder of the billing cycle in times and at locations where there are competing customer demands for network resources. At the start of the next bill cycle, the customer’s usage status is reset, and this data traffic is no longer de-prioritized.

So, even with Binge On, you basically have a cap at 26gig. Which is about 20% of what I use, so this does not work to replace my ISP. I have answered my own question. But it's not the answer I wanted.

 

[naeS1Sean]

I don't even know why, but that guy annoys the hell out of me.

 

[kd5jos]

I think the main argument is that it's a slippery slope. Charging extra to access select services or specifically not charging the usual to access select services is a distinction without a difference, in the end net result in the same in both scenarios, which is that two competing services are being treated differently by the infrastructure that delivers them.

Right now T-Mobile seems to be "self-regulating" by letting any service into the Binge-On program, but the terms and application process aren't really clear. Further, T-Mobile can change their mind on a whim.

For example, what if John Legere one day happens to take a 1% interest in Spotify, and decides that Apple Music and YouTube Red are no longer part of the Binge-On program, and incidentally sees the value of his shares go up? The precedent he is setting today would allow for that tomorrow.

As another example, would you be ok with you if the electricity company says that electricity used by GE refrigerators is now free, but every other brand refrigerator is at the usual rate? Would it still be ok if it meant that your electricity company got a contract to buy a whole bunch of GE industrial transformers at below-market cost in order to do the refrigerator promotion? And you have a Kenmore refrigerator at the moment...

Your understanding of Net Neutrality leaves a LOT to be desired. You have confused "Net Neutrality" with "equally poor quality for everyone." Thankfully, it isn't that... yet. I live in Colorado. When going to work I can take a toll road that gets me there in 45 mins (470) Or I can take routes that get me there in 90 mins and pay nothing. I have the choice to decide what works best for me. AND I SHOULD DAMN WELL HAVE THAT CHOICE. That is what T-Mobile provides. You can use your own data plan and get the high quality video, or, you can Binge on and get the lower resolution video. Your distinction without a difference claim is BS. That is a HUGE difference. Big enough that companies charge 200% more for HD than they do for SD. There is a demonstrable quality difference, and therefore a demonstrable cost difference. You have NO IDEA what you are talking about. And the nonsense your represent NEEDS to stop.

As for the nonsense you spout about Spotify v.s. Apple Music, etc. And what would happen in this thing called reality? Shares would go down. Why? Because customer satisfaction drops. The MORE services available, the more draw you create. Your what if scenario may as well be, "what if the sun didn't rise tomorrow?" You are accusing someone of crime based off hypothetical nonsense. IF he commits a crime, investigate him. However, this approach of, "I can't like that because maybe someone might potentially do something wrong though I have no evidence and no reason to believe that's the case.." STOP THE NONSENSE.

Or double down in your case. Electricity used by GE.... Your example doesn't corolate AT ALL. Electricity is NOT the same as data. There is no preference to electricity types because there aren't "different types of electricity." The FACT is that data has different types. VoIP data is treated differently in some networks than regular data. AND YOU WANT IT TO BE. Otherwise you get lots of drops in your audio stream. It's frustrating to understand the audio, and if it's bad enough, it doesn't work. The engineering for audio streams and video streams IS AN EXTRA. IT TAKES EXTRA WORK. There are certifications based entirely on knowing how to do the extra work (class of service, Quality of Service, Jitter, , get educated, look it up). You don't just "get" more for free. I'm sorry entitled generation, but you need to learn that you don't just get something for nothing.

So, in the end, your rant is hollow, you have no facts (like I do), and you really need to stop this entitled approach to data. Net Neutrality is a myth. It's a "let's pretend so that the uneducated can feel entitled."

 

[mlo0its]

I think the main argument is that it's a slippery slope. Charging extra to access select services or specifically not charging the usual to access select services is a distinction without a difference, in the end net result in the same in both scenarios, which is that two competing services are being treated differently by the infrastructure that delivers them.

Right now T-Mobile seems to be "self-regulating" by letting any service into the Binge-On program, but the terms and application process aren't really clear. Further, T-Mobile can change their mind on a whim.

For example, what if John Legere one day happens to take a 1% interest in Spotify, and decides that Apple Music and YouTube Red are no longer part of the Binge-On program, and incidentally sees the value of his shares go up? The precedent he is setting today would allow for that tomorrow.

As another example, would you be ok with you if the electricity company says that electricity used by GE refrigerators is now free, but every other brand refrigerator is at the usual rate? Would it still be ok if it meant that your electricity company got a contract to buy a whole bunch of GE industrial transformers at below-market cost in order to do the refrigerator promotion? And you have a Kenmore refrigerator at the moment...

I don't think using a slippery slope logical fallacy and then providing another analogy, also based on that fallacy, to further prove the original line of thought, is a valid argument. In your first example, you are using a scenario that, although is possible, focuses on the least likely event to happen. so applying that logic to my life, I shouldnt do anything that has the remote possibility in the future of producing a less than desirable outcome. The only purpose of this comment is in pointing out the fallacy of the logic presented. thank you

 

[jlc1978]

Dislike. This goes against the principles of net neutrality. Sure it's awesome now that we're on MacRumors and this is positively affecting Apple Music, but next time it'll give another company you like disadvantages with the telco entering deals to make it cheaper to use a competitor.

In the worst case, it can completely kill off smaller actors in the market that may even be better choices if they were competing on fair grounds. No thanks.

The flip side is non-competitive companies using a bogus Net Neutrality argument to deny consumers a choice in the marketplace. Offering lower resolution data at no charge while still offering the option of streaming in whatever resolution a company chooses is not a net neutrality issue.
[doublepost=1469545894][/doublepost]

As another example, would you be ok with you if the electricity company says that electricity used by GE refrigerators is now free, but every other brand refrigerator is at the usual rate? Would it still be ok if it meant that your electricity company got a contract to buy a whole bunch of GE industrial transformers at below-market cost in order to do the refrigerator promotion? And you have a Kenmore refrigerator at the moment...

Sure, as I can either change my refrigerator or keep service at the level I previously chose. I, as a consumer, have more choices is such a case and can decide for my self what is the better deal.

to the electricity example, companies can get breaks on price for accepting a lower tier of service, similar, in concept, to TM's lowering the resolution of the streams.

 

[oneMadRssn]

Your understanding of Net Neutrality leaves a LOT to be desired. You have confused "Net Neutrality" with "equally poor quality for everyone." Thankfully, it isn't that... yet. I live in Colorado. When going to work I can take a toll road that gets me there in 45 mins (470) Or I can take routes that get me there in 90 mins and pay nothing. I have the choice to decide what works best for me. AND I SHOULD DAMN WELL HAVE THAT CHOICE. That is what T-Mobile provides. You can use your own data plan and get the high quality video, or, you can Binge on and get the lower resolution video. Your distinction without a difference claim is BS. That is a HUGE difference. Big enough that companies charge 200% more for HD than they do for SD. There is a demonstrable quality difference, and therefore a demonstrable cost difference. You have NO IDEA what you are talking about. And the nonsense your represent NEEDS to stop.

As for the nonsense you spout about Spotify v.s. Apple Music, etc. And what would happen in this thing called reality? Shares would go down. Why? Because customer satisfaction drops. The MORE services available, the more draw you create. Your what if scenario may as well be, "what if the sun didn't rise tomorrow?" You are accusing someone of crime based off hypothetical nonsense. IF he commits a crime, investigate him. However, this approach of, "I can't like that because maybe someone might potentially do something wrong though I have no evidence and no reason to believe that's the case.." STOP THE NONSENSE.

Or double down in your case. Electricity used by GE.... Your example doesn't corolate AT ALL. Electricity is NOT the same as data. There is no preference to electricity types because there aren't "different types of electricity." The FACT is that data has different types. VoIP data is treated differently in some networks than regular data. AND YOU WANT IT TO BE. Otherwise you get lots of drops in your audio stream. It's frustrating to understand the audio, and if it's bad enough, it doesn't work. The engineering for audio streams and video streams IS AN EXTRA. IT TAKES EXTRA WORK. There are certifications based entirely on knowing how to do the extra work (class of service, Quality of Service, Jitter, , get educated, look it up). You don't just "get" more for free. I'm sorry entitled generation, but you need to learn that you don't just get something for nothing.

So, in the end, your rant is hollow, you have no facts (like I do), and you really need to stop this entitled approach to data. Net Neutrality is a myth. It's a "let's pretend so that the uneducated can feel entitled."

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. That what you said is nonsense. There is no different types of data. It's all 1s and 0s, whether it is VoIP or porn. Just because the data can be treated differently doesn't mean it should be. What about encrypted data? You can't tell what it is just by looking at it.

As for your highway example, there is a physical limit to how many roads can be built - it's a scarce resource. While bandwidth in some ways is also a scarce resource, we aren't even close to 1% of the physical limitation. For all intents and purposes, it is an unlimited resource going forward for a while.

I don't think using a slippery slope logical fallacy and then providing another analogy, also based on that fallacy, to further prove the original line of thought, is a valid argument. In your first example, you are using a scenario that, although is possible, focuses on the least likely event to happen. so applying that logic to my life, I shouldnt do anything that has the remote possibility in the future of producing a less than desirable outcome. The only purpose of this comment is in pointing out the fallacy of the logic presented. thank you

Why do you assert that is the "least likely event"? Even though John Legere is nice and all, he is still driven by a profit motive, is he not? I think my scenario is far more likely than his zero-rating plan working out to be a good thing in the long term for consumers.

Sure, as I can either change my refrigerator or keep service at the level I previously chose. I, as a consumer, have more choices is such a case and can decide for my self what is the better deal.

to the electricity example, companies can get breaks on price for accepting a lower tier of service, similar, in concept, to TM's lowering the resolution of the streams.

I actually think you have less choice in that scenario. One competitor is muscled out due to collusion between a utility and another competitor.

 

[BeSweeet]

Yes I understand, but in the fine print it also states the following


I did a little more digging and found this --


So, even with Binge On, you basically have a cap at 26gig. Which is about 20% of what I use, so this does not work to replace my ISP. I have answered my own question. But it's not the answer I wanted.

All of that's only in regard to your non-Binge On usage if you're on the unlimited high-speed data plan. You originally said "if tmob does not cap the binge on feature, this could actually give me a good alternative." So you're right: T-Mo does not cap Binge On usage.

As another example, would you be ok with you if the electricity company says that electricity used by GE refrigerators is now free, but every other brand refrigerator is at the usual rate? Would it still be ok if it meant that your electricity company got a contract to buy a whole bunch of GE industrial transformers at below-market cost in order to do the refrigerator promotion? And you have a Kenmore refrigerator at the moment...

Interesting example. I wonder how many customers are switching to service B because service A isn't whitelisted. If the amount is small, the disadvantages for non-whitelisted services seem relatively minor.

 

[Carvensno]

Wow you get to watch the 480p videos you want. What a honor! lol smh

 

[kd5jos]

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. That what you said is nonsense. There is no different types of data. It's all 1s and 0s, whether it is VoIP or porn. Just because the data can be treated differently doesn't mean it should be. What about encrypted data? You can't tell what it is just by looking at it.

YES, there IS a difference in data. I even illustrated it. If you don't classify data, voice traffic sounds like crap. This is called a fact, and is demonstrable. Your argument from ignorance does nothing to change the fact. A car and a sledge hammer are made of metal, that doesn't make them the same thing. Your encrypted data analogy further demonstrates you have literally no idea what you are talking about. Just because you can't tell what encrypted data is... SO THE FARK WHAT? Who cares, and WHAT is that supposed to prove. That because I can't distinguish what two different objects are made of that I should treat them the same? Where do you come up with this nonsense?

As for your highway example, there is a physical limit to how many roads can be built - it's a scarce resource. While bandwidth in some ways is also a scarce resource, we aren't even close to 1% of the physical limitation. For all intents and purposes, it is an unlimited resource going forward for a while.

Wrong on SO many levels. Recited like some one that has NO experience with what they are talking about. The reality is, first, your 1% is a myth. We've had to move circuits to OC-768's because the OC-192's are saturated. DWDM helps, but doesn't fix it all. Security devices are running at 90% in MANY CORE NETWORKS. Where do you get this nonsense, cite your source. I work in the core every day and know first hand the realities that major telecoms face.

Why do you assert that is the "least likely event"? Even though John Legere is nice and all, he is still driven by a profit motive, is he not? I think my scenario is far more likely than his zero-rating plan working out to be a good thing in the long term for consumers.

Economics 101. People are flocking to T-Mobile because of the "un-carrier" concept. I'm not basing this on John's good intentions. I'm telling you that if people flock to a resource provider for a reason, and the resource provider no longer provides the reason, people go elsewhere. If fewer people by the product, stock drops.

I actually think you have less choice in that scenario. One competitor is muscled out due to collusion between a utility and another competitor.

I don't care what you think, the facts don't support what you think. And no, there's no "collusion." Unless you have evidence? Didn't think so...

 

[Porco]

This depends on how they're doing things, and I must declare my ignorance of that, and would welcome anyone replying if they know... That is:
If they're doing practical deals so that they can cache content so it isn't a major cost to either the cell network or the content provider, then that is sensible - but I totally get the concerns about net neutrality here, and if, alternatively, or even additionally, it's doing deals to give some content providers prerential treatment for anti-competitve reasons (i.e. they get a boatload of cash to do so in order to crowd out rivals who don't want to do that) then it might seem like a win for users now, but ultimately it isn't.

The video sounds positive, and I like that they signed it too, yes that is cool.

 

[nutmac]

The list of free video streaming partners are now so vast that it has become harder to name one that isn't free. I think that in itself speaks volumes about net neutrality.

Well, if I really try, there are some glaring omissions (source: App Store's top video streaming categories):

1. AMC
2. Apple iTunes (rental)
3. BET
4. Cartoon Network
5. CBS
6. CMT
7. CNN
8. CW
9. E!
10. Food Network
11. Golf
12. HGTV
13. IFC
14. MLS
15. MTV
16. PGA
17. Rugby
18. Smithsonian
19. Syfy
20. TBS
21. TNT
22. Twitch
23. UFC
24. VH1
25. Viceland
26. Vimeo
27. Xfinity

Regarding never ending net neutrality discussion, yes, T-Mobile is technically in violation of net neutrality principle. But practically speaking, is T-Mobile harming those that are not participating in Binge On partnership?

It is a complicated question to answer, largely because:

• T-Mobile is not a dominant carrier. If AT&T or Verizon offered a similar feature, it would be a lot more controversial.
• The participation is open to any video streaming service that provides legal contents with 1.5 Mbps throttled stream.
• T-Mobile is not charging customer nor partners for this feature.
• Customers can opt out with T-Mobile app, website, or SMS (although I doubt anyone but those on unlimited do).
• This benefit requires customers be on 3GB or higher (in practice, 6GB or higher as 3GB is no longer offered) plan. T-Mobile's 6GB plan is quite generous, with 20GB data rollover and many zero rated services (most music streaming and App Store downloads do not count toward data usage). In effect, most customers on 6GB plan probably do not worry about how much data they use regardless of whether video service is Binge On partner or not.