Can’t decide between Apple Music and Spotify? Let’s find out what’s best for you.
Spotify and Apple Music are undoubtedly two of the biggest and most popular music streaming services available right now. With over 100 million songs each and a very wide catalog, you can find exclusive content from top artists like Taylor Swift, BTS, and Drake, listen to podcasts such as The Joe Rogan Experience and Huberman Lab, to even music documentaries with behind-the-scenes footage on the platforms.
Both apps have adopted music discoverability functions which give users recommendations based on their most listened-to artists and genres. While the differences are subtle, some features may determine which platform you choose to subscribe to.
Music library and availability
At first glance, the availability of both platforms may not appear significantly different. Hosting millions and millions of songs and content, Spotify and Apple Music both have licensing agreements with major recording labels like Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, and Warner Music Group. Therefore, finding popular, widely loved music artists is very easy on both platforms.
Addressing missing music
While Spotify and Apple Music offer vast catalogs, occasional absences of specific artists or albums can occur. This usually stems from regional licensing agreements or independent deals.
Spotify Sessions: To fill gaps, Spotify offers “Spotify Sessions,” where artists re-record popular, hard-to-find songs exclusively for the platform. This unique content helps address availability issues.
Apple Music’s strategy: Apple Music offers its exclusive content, but it currently lacks a direct solution for missing albums or artists. However, Apple Music boasts a larger selection of older albums, compilations, and artists, particularly those recently removed from Spotify.
With availability and its podcast offering, Spotify wins by a landslide. Currently, Spotify has the most podcasts of any service, offering 5 million podcasts, twice the size of Apple Music’s catalog. Apple Music has 2.5 million podcasts. So if you love podcasts, Spotify may win you over.
Winner: Spotify
Audio quality
Without a doubt, Apple Music wins the audio quality competition. Apple Music’s library contains mostly lossless streaming. This means that audio data is compressed and transmitted in a way that preserves the sound identical to the source material.
In simple terms, the sound quality is on par with listening to a CD of your favorite artist from your device. Some albums on Apple Music can be streamed at hi-res lossless, which has superior sound quality than even CDs.
Arguably, Apple Music’s best audio feature may be spatial audio where the audio quality seems like the artist is singing directly to you. All features like lossless, hi-res lossless, and spatial audio are included with Apple Music at no additional charge.
In 2021, Spotify announced a revolutionary feature: lossless music streaming named Spotify HiFi. Pop stars and experts were recruited to promote the new feature. Fast forward, HiFi is still MIA. Spotify fans might argue that art demands patience, especially for something as revolutionary as HiFi.
But until then, the highest audio quality setting Spotify offers is approximately 320kbit/s, only for Spotify Premium users. While the distinction between lossless and 320kbit/s isn’t distinguishable, spatial audio is quickly becoming the new industry standard in music streaming.
Winner: Apple Music
Price and value
As for many long-term customers of any service or product, brand loyalty often boils down to the price. With similar price points for both Spotify and Apple Music, you have the flexibility to explore and choose the features offered in each paid tier.
| Plans Available | Apple Music | Spotify Music |
| Student plan | $5.99 | $5.99 |
| Individual plan | $10.99 | $10.99 |
| Family plan | $16.99 | $16.99 |
| Spotify Duo | N/A | $14.99 |
Now, both services offer discount student plans at $5.99 a month, with Spotify also offering access to Hulu in this tier. Additionally, they both also have a family plan at $16.99 a month for up to six family members, with Spotify including the ability to block explicit music. Both also have an individual member plan for $10.99 a month.
Now, both music services offer discount student plans at $5.99/month, and individual plans at $10.99/month. Rates for both family plans are identical at $16.99/month. While the Apple Music family plan allows for up to five family members, the Spotify family plan allows for up to six family members. Depending on the size of your needs, this may determine your choice.
Spotify Duo option
Now, Spotify also has one additional featured plan – Spotify Duo. This premium feature allows two accounts for $14.99 a month, which is perfect for couples or those looking to save a few bucks and share accounts. Spotify does stand out as the only 2-person option, granting access to the entire Spotify music library just for signing up. However, there is the exception of ads.
Apple One subscription
Lest we forget that Apple Music does offer generous free trial plans. For Apple Music, the best rates may come from their Apple One subscription bundle which allows access to all things Apple in one place – Apple Arcade, Apple TV, Apple Music, iCloud+, and more. The decision ultimately comes down to a draw based on price and value, depending on your personal needs.
Winner: Spotify
User interface and features
For user interface (UI) and mobile app design features, users tend to favor the platform they use. Apple Music’s user interface is consistent with iOS updates, while Spotify undergoes frequent changes, often without notice. Such controversial features are Spotify’s Tik-Tok-inspired interface with looping videos and Spotify’s A/B testing with freemium users offering exclusive features not even available to premium users are among them.
However, Spotify’s like or dislike feature aids in music discoverability, a feature that was lacking in Apple Music, until recently. This category is another draw and you have to take the good with the bad, choosing whatever works for you.
Winner: Draw
Compatibility and devices
Both Apple Music and Spotify are compatible with all devices. Both Spotify and Apple can be used on iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows. Depending on the smartwatch model, Spotify and Apple Music can also be used on both. For Android users, Spotify may be the better option because of the audio quality maintenance across devices. Users of Apple Music on Android devices have complained about audio in the past. The integration of Apple Music or Spotify music on smart speakers and home audio systems varies from brand to brand.
Additional factors
Customer support
If you ever run into trouble, you will have better luck connecting with Apple Music’s Customer Support. Currently, Spotify does not offer support by phone. Instead, Spotify relies on a user-operated forum available to listeners who need assistance. Alternatively, Spotify users can message support on social media. In contrast, Apple Music has worldwide technical support over the phone.
Personal music taste and listening habits
For many years, Spotify was light years ahead with its discoverability features. In recent years, Apple Music has finally managed to keep up and even surpassed Spotify in certain areas. Spotify delivers music suggestions based on other listeners’ habits that have similar taste profiles, using AI to generate daily and weekly playlists automatically.
With Apple Music, a user finds that recommended songs are recommended much slower than Spotify. That’s because the algorithm learns each user’s preferences and taste profile to curate individual music suggestions. Whether you’re on Spotify or Apple Music, one thing is for sure, with both, you are likely to find new songs that you wouldn’t find elsewhere.
Existing ecosystem integration
Apple Music, as the name suggests, seamlessly integrates with Apple devices running on iOS, although it is also compatible with Android and PC. In contrast, Spotify doesn’t cater specifically to one ecosystem. If you’re worried about how well your music app integrates with your devices, opt for the one that works best with your primary music device.
Social and sharing features
Apple Music’s social functionality is far behind what Spotify’s is. Spotify allows subscribers to follow friends from Facebook and see their listening history. When you screenshot on Spotify, you’re also encouraged to share on social platforms. While Apple Music lacks the same level of social media integration, it still allows users to see what their friends are listening to and share playlists easily.
Bottom Line
In the end, there’s no judgment here whether you lean more toward Apple Music or Spotify. This information is for anyone wondering if Apple Music or Spotify is the right music streaming service for them. Trying the free trials is a great way to explore before committing.
Remember, both platforms have unique features and benefits, so the best choice depends on your individual needs. Whether you prioritize a clean interface like Apple Music’s, or the social connection of Spotify, take advantage of the free trials to help you make an informed decision.
