Spotify

Spotify’s ad-supported free tier and various Premium plans bring music streaming to the masses. While Spotify doesn’t have the best sound quality (yet), its library is vast, with over 70 million songs, thousands of playlists, and over two million podcast titles.

• Streaming with options
• It is simple to share music.
• Option for a free tier
• Additional Premium Options
• Large podcast library
• More costly
• Poor audio quality
• Only available in a few countries

Apple Music

Apple Music subscribers have access to more than 75 million songs, exclusive music videos, and curated playlists from around the world. You can also listen to Apple Music 1 for exclusive interviews with Zane Lowe, Ebro Darden, and other artists.

• Premier streaming
• Music without advertisements
• Improved audio quality
• 24 hour radio stations
• Listening both online and offline
• There is no free tier
• Podcast library is limited
• Restriction on protected songs

Spotify and Apple Music are two of the most popular streaming services, providing users with access to millions of songs, podcasts, and exclusive music content. While deciding which service is best for your listening needs can be difficult, it all boils down to what you’re looking for in a music streaming service: better audio or more versatility. Continue reading to learn more about what each platform is currently offering.

Spotify vs. Apple Music: Subscription options

Spotify and Apple Music both offer a variety of subscription plans based on your and your family’s listening habits. While only Spotify provides a free, ad-supported tier with limited streaming options, Apple Music allows new users to try any of its paid plans for three months at no cost.

All you have to do is go to Apple.com and click on Start Your Free Trial. Select the desired plan> Click on Try it for free. When your free trial period expires, you will be charged for your chosen plan the following month. It’s also worth noting that Apple Music’s free trial period has been extended to five months until January 31, 2022. Spotify, in addition to its free tier, offers a one-month free trial when you sign up for any of the platform’s Premium tiers. After the trial period expires, you’ll be charged the regular price of the plan you selected.

Both Spotify and Apple Music offer Student and Individual subscriptions for $4.99 and $9.99, respectively. Spotify’s Student plan is identical to its Individual tier in that it offers ad-free streaming, offline listening, and on-demand playback. The only distinction? It’s half the price. Apple Music’s Student plan, like its Individual plan, provides the same traditional Apple Music experience at a lower cost.

Apple Music has also recently announced a new Voice Plan subscription tier, which costs $4.99/month and is built around Siri’s power. Users can sign up for the Voice Plan with Siri by saying, “Hey Siri, start my Apple Music Voice trial,” or through the Apple Music app. Users who subscribe receive the same benefits as those who subscribe to the Individual plan, as well as the ability to request songs from the entire Apple Music catalog to be played across Siri-enabled devices such as the HomePod mini speakers, AirPods, and iPhones. The Siri-enabled Voice Plan is also compatible with CarPlay.

Furthermore, both Spotify and Apple Music provide Family Plans, which allow multiple listeners from the same household to create separate profiles. Spotify’s Family Plan is $15.99 per month and allows for up to six different profiles to be created under the same account. Subscribers also receive a Family Mix, which includes favorite tracks from each profile, as well as the standalone Spotify Kids app for younger listeners. Apple Music’s Family Plan, on the other hand, supports up to six users.

If you aren’t ready to commit to the full Family Plan, Spotify also has a “Duo” premium subscription tier for $12.99 per month, which includes two Premium accounts and access to the Duo Mix.

Spotify vs. Apple Music: The key differences

Aside from the different subscription plans, the main differences between Spotify and Apple Music are the audio quality and content libraries available on each platform.

Standard-quality Apple Music tracks are 256 kbps AAC files, the same format as tracks purchased from iTunes, which means that even the “lowest quality” songs available on Apple Music sound slightly better than anything currently available on Spotify. Apple Music also has a “lossless” feature that allows subscribers to listen to higher-resolution files ranging from “CD-quality” 16-bit/44.1kHz to “Hi-Res Audio” 24-bit/192kHz.

In comparison, Spotify streams songs at 96 kbps, 160 kbps, and 320 kbps in the Ogg Vorbis format, with Premium subscribers receiving the highest audio quality. While none of these quality levels currently compare to Apple Music’s “lossless” selections, this is expected to change with the upcoming Spotify HiFi rollout.

There are also some significant differences between the Spotify and Apple Music libraries, particularly in terms of podcasts. While Apple Music claims to have a larger music catalog with 90 million songs versus Spotify’s more than 70 million songs, Spotify adds new artists on a daily basis and boasts upwards of four billion curated, ever-evolving playlists.

Users can also look for playlists based on genre, international charts, or mood. Furthermore, with the recent acquisitions of podcast production companies such as Anchor, Gimlet Media, Parcast, and The Ringer, Spotify now hosts over 3.2 million podcast titles.

Apple Music also has a diverse selection of genre- and mood-specific playlists, and it appears that more genre categories and hidden gems are added on a regular basis. Furthermore, Apple Music allows users to buy songs they like and add them to their iCloud Music Library, as well as provide subscribers with access to exclusive music video content.

It’s also worth noting that, where Apple Music falls short on podcasts, it easily outperforms Spotify on radio. Apple Music 1 radio, formerly known as Beats 1, is available only to Apple Music Premium subscribers. Apple Music 1 broadcasts a 24-hour mix of pop, rap, and indie music, as well as exclusive artist interviews and presenters such as Zane Lowe, Ebro Darden, and Matt Wilkinson.

Spotify vs. Apple Music: Which service is right for you?

Both Spotify and Apple Music have massive music catalogs and are compatible with Android and iOS devices, making either streaming service a solid choice. And, as with the Apple Music vs. YouTube Music debate, it truly comes down to personal preference.

If you enjoy podcasts, Spotify might be the best service for you. Spotify also provides users with access to its entire podcast catalog within the app, whereas Apple Music restricts most of its podcast content to the dedicated Podcasts app.

On the contrary, if you’re an audiophile who hasn’t committed to TIDAL but still wants access to higher-quality music, Apple Music is the next best option. As previously stated, this may change when Spotify launches its Spotify HiFi tier, and we will keep you updated if it does.