The music streaming industry is not an easy one to be in, but Spotify is seemingly doing everything it can to remain competitive. The company recently brought free unlimited browser streaming as well as previously offering a free mobile radio-like version of its service, and now it's launching a special student discount on its premium subscription.

US college students can now receive 50% off Spotify's premium service, dropping the total from the usual $10 down to $5 a month. Students will need to give their name, enrollment information, and other information requested by popular verification service SheerID. The particular discount is only available for 12 months at a time, in which case eligible students can simply apply for the deal again for up to 3 additional years, according to reports.

Based on data from a recent report, the streaming industry could be in trouble because of yearly subscription fees being higher than most listeners typically spend. However, at $60 a year, Spotify's new student plan comes within what some analysts feel is a more realistic yearly purchase total for the average music listener.

While Spotify certainly has some catching up to do, it still remains the fourth most popular service of its type in the US, according to a recent  Edison Research survey. It still remains to be seen whether or not the student discount plan will really bolster the company's user attach rate, as some have suggested, a very similar program was launched in the UK by Spotify with a less than notable impact on sign-ups and paid subscriptions.