In Tokyo's Chiyoda-ku is the traditional school Otonokizaka High. Second year student Kosaka Honoka discovers the school will be closed in three years. In order to avoid being closed, the school must increase its number of prospective students.

Honoka and friends form a school idol group to entice more students to attend. When pointed out their group could have the opposite of their desired effect, Honoka becomes dispirited.

Honoka's group idol name is "µ's" and the group debuts their first song. Their popularity grows at school, and they have their first concert.

µ's completes their first concert in an empty auditorium. In attempt to get a massive crowd for their next performance, Honoka tries to recruit Hanayo.

µ's is now at 6 members with the addition of Hanayo, Rin, and Maki. The group attempts to make their idol group into a proper school club. However, they are informed another idol club exists, and must negotiate with them.

µ's has officially become a school club! The student council vice president asks Honoka why she is leader, if she does not have any responsibilities in the group. So, the group sings and dances to determine their new leader!

The girls learn the idol festival, 'Love Live!' is going to be held, and immediately set their sights on performing. The girls are permitted by the director they can perform if they do not fail their final exams.

The school is threatened to be closed. In order to protect Otonokizaka High, Eli looks for ways to make the open campus a success. When trying to help the group's success, Umi tries to get Eli to teach them how to dance.

µ's grows to nine members with the addition of Eli and Nozomi. The group's School Idol ranking is rising to 50th, but they must reach 20th place to participate in Love Live! They must take drastic measures to reach their goal.

Honoka suggests the group stays overnight at Maki's summer home to practice. When the girls arrive they ignore their training and go play on the beach, instead.

It is a new semester and the group is ranked 19th, which is high enough to be considered for Love Live! µ's next event is at the school festival, but they are forced to perform on the roof.

µ's cancels its school festival concert after Honoka collapses. Honoka learns the group has been revoked from entry into Love Live. However, due to their success, the school is going to admit new students next year.

Honoka quits being a School Idol after she failed to realize Kotori was suffering. µ's goes on hiatus, and Honoka is left without a goal. Honoka arranges for Umi to meet her, and tells her how she really feels.

Having avoided the closure of Otonokizaka High, the members of μ’s return to their everyday lives. News of a second Love Live reaches the girls. This time teams that win their regional preliminaries move onto the finals.

Once again μ's begins pursuing the Love Live. Just as they're getting started, a new rule is announced declaring only previously unperformed songs can be sung at the regional preliminaries. In order to write a new song in just under a month, the girls head to the mountains on a camping trip! Naturally, they stay at Maki's cabin.

The Love Live regional preliminaries are just before the girls. Because the group is free to choose any location for their performance, Honoka suggests they perform at school, but Nico and Hanayo insist they cannot win unless they choose a location with greater impact.

μ's makes it through the regional preliminaries. Learning their rivals A-RISE have made it through as well, the girls become even more fired up. Meanwhile, for some reason Nico begins skipping practice. Suspicious of her actions, the girls follow Nico to a supermarket where they witness her shopping for groceries.

While the second years are away on their school trip, Rin is selected to be the temporary leader. However, instead of living up to the members' recommendations, Rin seems unenthusastic and bewildered. When her opinion as the leader is demanded over a trivial disagreement during practice, she is unable to handle the situation.

μ's is invited to perform as a guest at the Akihabara Halloween event. They need local support to win the Love Live. By putting on a impressive performance, μ's hopes to close the gap between themselves and A-RISE before the final preliminaries.

A physical examination reveals Honoka has gained weight. Umi scolds her for her carelessness, and when she attempts to put on the outfit from the first concert...

When μ’s has trouble agreeing on a song for the final preliminaries, Nozomi suggests writing a love song. The members are shaken by the idea of performing and unfamiliar genre, but Eli is suprisingly supportive.

The day of the final preliminaries, the second years try to make their way to the event after giving an address from the student council at the school's information session, but their means of transportation are paralyzed due to the snow. The girls try walking through the snow to reach the event, but...

On their first shrine visit of the year, Honoka and her friends run into A-RISE, who give them words of encouragement for the Love Live. Yes, µ's had won the Tokyo regional final preliminaries. Teams participating in the event can post a catch phrase on their team introduction page.

When Yukiho and Alisa are accepted into Otonokizaka High, the girls discuss the future of μ’s. Nico says idols keep their name even after losing members, but Hanayo says it's not μ’s without all nine members.

When the Love Live ends, so will μ's. The day before the event, the members reach a unanimous decision. As usual, the girls gather on the roof and end their practice amidst a friendly atmosphere, but when they realize it's their last practice together, they find themselves unable to go home and end up spending their last night together at school at Honoka's suggestion.

Today is graduation. Having finally finished her farewell address, Honoka heads to school in high spirits. At the gates she meets Rin and her friends. They head to the club room together, where they find a trophy and flag.