Apple Music vs Spotify: Which is best?

Apple Music and Spotify are two of the most important music streaming platforms, however if you happen to’re seeking to subscribe to certainly one of them, what’s the distinction between the 2? 

Whereas Spotify has been round for longer than Apple Music, each apps function an enormous library of music and podcasts, tons of playlists and declare to have huge consumer bases. However which of the 2 is one of the best music streaming service?

Scroll down to find the variations between Apple Music and Spotify when it comes to worth, interface, audio high quality, options and extra… 

Pricing 

A person subscription to Spotify Premium is priced at $9.99 / £9.99 / €9.99 a month, or $4.99/£5.99/€4.99 a month if you happen to’re a pupil. Spotify additionally affords a Duo choice for {couples} at $12.99 / £13.99 / €12.99 a month, in addition to Household plans for as much as six customers at $15.99 / £16.99 / €15.99 a month. 

The streaming service does have a tendency to supply trial promotions for a month or three to those that haven’t tried Premium earlier than. 

Spotify has a free model of its service, which has the identical library however options adverts and doesn’t permit for the choice to obtain music. Free customers additionally can not select and play songs in any order and don’t have entry to the best bit-rate high quality both. 

Apple Music prices $10.99 / £10.99 / €10.99 a month for its particular person membership, or $5.99 / £5.99 / €5.99 a month for college students. The platform additionally affords a $16.99 / £16.99 / €16.99 a month Household plan for as much as six individuals and an all-in-one subscription to a number of Apple providers beginning at $16.95 / £16.95 / €16.95 a month with Apple One.

There’s no free model of Apple Music, however these seeking to save a bit of money can subscribe to the Voice plan for $4.99 / £4.99 / €4.99 a month to entry the service by means of the Siri voice assistant solely. 

Apple additionally runs promotions for its service, providing a 1-month free trial to new customers, or a six-month free subscription if you purchase sure Apple units. 

To summarise, Spotify cheaper for people and affords one of the best financial savings for {couples}, whereas Apple Music comes with a prolonged free trial if you happen to’re an Apple consumer. Each providers are on par for college students and households with regards to value within the UK, nonetheless. 

Consumer interface 

Spotify makes use of a black background with white textual content to distinction in opposition to it. So far as we are able to inform, there isn’t a ‘mild’ theme that reverses these colors.

The iOS and Android apps for Spotify could be a bit tough to navigate at occasions, however function sections like ‘Your Library’ which is the place you’ll be able to entry saved songs, albums and playlists. ‘Search’ you see the newest charts, releases and Spotify-curated playlists, and ‘Residence’ exhibits a mixture of curated content material primarily based in your listening preferences, new releases, not too long ago performed content material. 

Apple Music has a a lot brighter consumer interface, although the transparency results and album paintings are introduced very equally to Spotify’s when a monitor is taking part in. 

The primary sections within the app embody ‘Hear Now’ for not too long ago performed music and proposals, ‘Browse’, ‘Library’, ‘Search’ and a separate ‘Radio’ button. 

Music and podcast catalogue

Spotify helps music, podcasts and has expanded to supply audiobooks. You possibly can entry a list of over 100 million songs together with these podcasts and audiobooks with a free account or Spotify Premium. 

Nevertheless, solely Premium members can play songs in any order, obtain music, hear ad-free and stream at as much as 320kbit/s by means of the desktop, cellular and pill apps. Free customers are restricted to a decrease high quality 160kbit/s. 

Spotify doesn’t provide a lot in the way in which of unique music exterior of its Spotify Classes recordings. Nevertheless, the service has a rising record of unique podcasts. 

Apple Music affords its personal Apple Music Classes Content material and has performed host to unique content material from the likes of Taylor Swift, Drake, Pharrell Williams and extra prior to now. 

Extra usually talking, subscribers can entry over 100 tens of millions songs and 30,000 playlists on Apple Music, together with stay radio and curated playlists. Nevertheless, there are not any podcasts or audiobooks, with these as an alternative discovered within the Apple Podcasts and Apple Books apps, respectively. 

One in every of Apple Music’s greatest strengths is its audio high quality. The streaming service helps lossless resolutions of 24-bit/48kHz or Hello-Res lossless at 24-bit/192kHz for CD-quality streaming, though none of Apple’s wi-fi headphones can play lossless audio, whereas the HomePod audio system can, however solely as much as 24-bit/48kHz. That’s a little bit of an personal objective by Apple.

Spotify has confirmed that it is going to be getting lossless audio with its highly-anticipated HiFi tier. Nevertheless, this has but to launch as of spring 2023.

Apple Music additionally helps Spatial Audio, a function that makes use of dynamic head-tracking to create a extra immersive listening expertise with the assistance of Dolby Atmos. 

Options 

Each Spotify and Apple Music provide an in depth vary of curated playlists, content material and proposals that will help you to find and take heed to new music. 

Spotify additionally affords options just like the Improve button that provides advised tracks to your playlists, in addition to a Mix function to generate a playlist with each your and a pal’s music tastes. 

Apple Music has stay radio stations, whereas each apps help voice instructions with the assistance of Siri. 

Nevertheless, by far probably the most talked about Spotify function is Wrapped – the app’s end-of-year breakdown of your listening habits from the previous yr. Apple Music affords the same expertise with its annual Replay function, which incorporates comparable stats and a personalised playlist to assist reduce the FOMO when Wrapped drops every December. 

Units 

Each Spotify and Apple Music are appropriate with a spread of units. 

Every service is appropriate with iOS, Android, Mac and Home windows, together with an online participant that permits you to entry your music on a browser wherever you’re. Spotify Join permits a fair wider breadth of help on wi-fi audio system and music programs, although you’ll be able to connect with units with AirPlay 2 on Apple Music, however the identical might be stated of Spotify too.

The 2 streaming providers are additionally out there to play on supported TVs (though Apple Music will not be as intensive), vehicles, recreation consoles (together with the PS5 and Xbox Collection X) and smartwatches, in addition to natively on Sonos audio system.  Given the breadth of compatibility that Spotify affords, it will get the win right here.

Verdict 

General, Spotify and Apple Music provide comparable providers. They’re priced equally, and have roughly the same-sized catalogue.

The primary advantages Apple Music has are audio high quality, with lossless resolutions and Spatial Audio supported on the platform, and stay radio. The app additionally comes with a prolonged free trial if you choose up sure new Apple units. 

Spotify, in the meantime, is cheaper on its customary Particular person plan and ties in podcasts and audiobooks in addition to music. There’s additionally the attract of Spotify Wrapped, with Apple’s Replay not fairly getting the identical hype when December rolls round. It’s additionally extra extensively out there than Apple Music is if you consider Spotify Join help.

If it’s entry to larger high quality audio, then Apple Music is the higher choice, although you’re considerably restricted in listening to that larger high quality audio on Apple units.

In fact, Spotify affords a free plan too, so if you happen to’re trying to avoid wasting money in 2023 and don’t thoughts hitting shuffle and sitting by means of adverts, Spotify Free is your finest wager.