If you’re also one of those who love having access to a music streaming platform wherever you go, you may be well-familiar with Spotify and Apple Music. It is known that most emerging artists on Spotify try to grow their profiles and increase their fan base with real Spotify promotion. But is Spotify worth it? Or maybe, Apple Music?
Spotify was launched in 2006, even before Apple Music launched in 2015. Needless to say, both are competitors and have a massive user base. They both even have almost the same music library. All this may make it harder for you to decide which one is better. Therefore, in this article, we’ll shed light on the key differences between Spotify and Apple Music that you need to know to make an informed decision.
Spotify vs. Apple Music: Price
What’s great about Spotify is that you have access to a 100% free plan. However, your listening experience will be disrupted by ads, and you will also have to deal with intrusive ads in the app. If you want no ads, you can avail of the premium tier.
However, Apple Music doesn’t offer any free plans and has even increased the prices because of the rise in licensing costs. For instance, Apple Music’s annual plan costs $109.99 per year, and Spotify’s costs $99 per year. The family package is $16.99/month for 6 accounts on Apple Music and $15.99/month for 6 accounts on Spotify. Even the price for students has escalated by 1 dollar in Apple Music. Spotify is priced at $4.99/month for students, and Apple Music at $5.99/month.
Winner: Spotify
Spotify vs. Apple Music: Music Library
Apple claims to have more than 100 million songs, as opposed to Spotify, which claims to have over 80 million songs. Not to mention, this 80 million figure on Spotify also includes podcasts. Since Apple Music has a separate podcast service, it only includes music.
In addition to music, you can find videos on Apple Music, including live performances of your favorite artists. You also have access to Apple-exclusive digital radio stations and talk shows that you can tune into anytime. Furthermore, you can sync your specifically curated music library across all your Apple devices by connecting it to the cloud. However, you can’t do the same on Spotify since it doesn’t support the cloud.
Winner: Apple Music
Spotify vs. Apple Music: Availability
What’s great about Spotify is that it has wide availability compared to Apple Music. Of course, being an early player in the industry, you can expect this from Spotify.
You can use Spotify not only on phones, Macs, PCs, and tablets but also on your game consoles like Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One Series, PS4, and PS5. This may be great for gamers who want a fun gaming experience. In addition, Spotify is also available on smartwatches like Samsung and Google Wear OS wearables, Fitbit, Garmin, and even Apple Watch. In comparison, Apple Music is primarily exclusive to Apple devices from HomePod and Apple Watch to Apple TV 4K.
Winner: Spotify
Spotify vs. Apple Music: Social Sharing
If you’re one of those who love sharing your favorite music with others and listening to others’ playlists, social sharing may be an important factor for you.
Spotify is quite advanced in social media sharing. You can easily share content on your Facebook account by connecting your Spotify account to Facebook. You can also share Spotify music on your Instagram Stories in a breeze. One of the best smart features of Spotify is that it creates a scannable QR-type code that you can share with anyone, and as soon as they scan it using their phone camera, the same music will quickly play on their device.
On the other hand, Apple Music’s social media sharing is quite basic compared to Spotify. However, you can share music with another registered Apple Music user over Airdrop. You can also create links for music or playlists you want and send them to your family members and friends. The “For you” section in the Apple Music app shows you the “Friends are listening to” section, so you can explore it to look at what songs your friends enjoy.
Winner: Spotify
Spotify vs. Apple Music: Sound Quality
There’s no doubt that high-quality music uses more mobile data. However, listening to top-notch quality music may be a priority for most individuals.
With Spotify, you can expect sound quality at three different rates – 96kbps, 160kbps, and 320kbps in the Ogg Vorbis format. Keep in mind that you need to be a premium subscriber to access the 320kbps quality.
On the other hand, Apple Music uses ALAC in 16-bit/44.1kHz (CD-quality) up to 24-bit/192kHz (premium quality) for exceptional user experience. When your device is connected to Wi-Fi, it automatically switches to high quality. If you’re connected over mobile data, the Apple Music app will use the low settings. However, you can change the settings in the app. Even better, you can take advantage of the spatial audio with Dolby Atmos through Apple Music. This way, you will get a full 3D kind of audio experience, but make sure you use Airpods for a better overall experience.
Winner: Apple Music
Spotify vs. Apple Music: User Interface
The user interface is essential to improve anyone’s experience and make it easier to use the app. Therefore, let’s examine whether Spotify or Apple Music wins for the most user-friendly interface.
Spotify uses a darker theme, and Apple Music uses a light-colored, white theme. The album covers are large enough on both apps to make it convenient for users to spot the right song and play it quickly.
All the main tabs, such as library, radio, and homepage that help you navigate the app are at the bottom of the screen on both apps. You can also search for a lyric on Apple Music to help you find a song.
Winner: Draw
Conclusion
Both Spotify and Apple Music have their own perks, and it’s up to every individual to choose what they prefer the most. For instance, if you are looking for a budget option and sound quality isn’t a problem, you can go for Spotify. On the other hand, Apple Music may be right for you if the price isn’t an issue, but you can’t compromise on quality and music collection.
