In the world of music streaming two giants stand tall: Spotify and Apple Music. As an Apple user you might be wondering which service deserves your subscription among the best music streaming services. In this comparison we’ll go deep into the features, sound quality, user experience and ecosystem integration of both services to help you make a decision.
User Interface and Experience
Spotify: The Green Machine
Spotify’s interface is iconic with its green and black colour scheme. The app is easy to use and navigate through your library, discover new music and access your favourite playlists.
Features:
Home Feed: A personalised dashboard that updates with new releases, recommended playlists and recently played tracks.
Search: Powerful search with filters for songs, albums, artists, playlists and podcasts.
Your Library: Easy access to your saved music, created playlists and followed artists.
Apple Music: Sleek and Simple
Apple Music’s interface is pure Apple – clean, minimal and integrated with iOS and macOS. The white background (with an optional dark mode) and simple layout is a joy to use for Apple fans. The Apple Music app’s design and functionality are aesthetically pleasing, with updates promising further improvements
Features:
Listen Now: A feed of music recommendations based on your listening history.
Browse: A view of new releases, charts and genre specific content.
Radio: Access to Apple Music 1 (formerly Beats 1) and other live radio stations.
Music Library and Content
Spotify: An Ocean of Music
Spotify has an enormous library of over 82 million tracks, including podcasts and more recently audiobooks. The platform’s strength is in its discovery features and user generated content.
Features:
Huge playlist ecosystem, both algorithmic and human curated
Collaborative playlists to share with friends
Podcast integration with exclusive content
Apple Music: Quality Over Quantity
Apple Music’s library is slightly smaller at 75 million tracks but often gets exclusive releases and content from big artists. The platform also integrates with your existing iTunes library. With the Apple Music library, you can enjoy an extensive collection of songs and seamlessly manage both the Apple Music catalog and your personal music collection.
Features:
Integration with your personal music library
Exclusive album releases and artist content
Live lyrics for real-time karaoke
Spotify: Basic to HiFi
Spotify has various audio quality options to fit different internet connections and data plans:
Normal: 96 kbps
High: 160 kbps
Very High: 320 kbps
Spotify has announced a HiFi tier with CD quality lossless audio but it’s been delayed.
Apple Music: Lossless Audio and Beyond
Apple Music is ahead of the game with lossless audio and Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos at no extra cost:
AAC 256 kbps (standard)
Lossless Audio (up to 24-bit/192 kHz)
Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos
Apple Music Spatial Audio, launched with Dolby Atmos technology, creates a surround sound experience and enhances music playback on compatible devices automatically.
Discovery and Recommendations
Spotify: The Algorithm
Spotify’s recommendation engine is the best in the business, powered by its advanced algorithms and huge user data.
Features: Personalized Playlists
Discover Weekly: A playlist updated every Monday
Daily Mix: Multiple playlists for different moods
Radio: Artist and song based radio stations for continuous discovery
Apple Music: Human Curation
Apple Music relies more on human curation for its recommendations, with a team of experts creating playlists and featured content.
Features:
New Music Mix: A weekly playlist of new music based on your tastes
Friends Mix: See what your friends are listening to
Apple Music 1 radio: Live radio with industry leading DJs and artists
Apple Music Replay: Provides annual music streaming summaries and user statistics, helping users reflect on their listening habits and compare with services like Spotify Wrapped
Social Features and Sharing
Spotify: Sharing is Caring
Spotify has always been about social music:
Easy sharing of tracks, albums and playlists on social media
Collaborative playlists for group curation
Activity feed to see what friends are listening to (optional)
Apple Music: Playing Catch Up
Apple Music was lacking in social features but has improved:
Can see what friends are listening to in the ‘Listen Now’ tab
Share playlists and favourite songs to social media or via messages
Profile customization options
Additionally, Apple Music personalizes user experiences based on individual listening habits, offering features like Apple Music Replay to summarize users’ music activities.
Ecosystem Integration
Spotify: Platform Agnostic
Spotify’s strength is its platform agnosticism:
Works on iOS, Android, Windows, macOS and web browsers
Integration with smart home devices and speakers
Spotify Connect for device switching
Additionally, Spotify is working on the anticipated Spotify HiFi plan, which aims to introduce lossless audio support.
As expected Apple Music is strongest within the Apple ecosystem:
Deep integration with iOS, macOS and watchOS
Siri voice control for hands-free use
Seamless syncing across all Apple devices via iCloud
Pricing and Plans
Spotify Premium:
Individual: $9.99/month
Duo (2 accounts): $12.99/month
Family (up to 6 accounts): $15.99/month
Student: $4.99/month
Apple Music:
Individual: $9.99/month
Family (up to 6 accounts): $14.99/month
Student: $4.99/month
Voice Plan (Siri-only): $4.99/month
Both services have annual plans and are part of their respective bundles (Spotify Premium comes with Hulu and Showtime for students, Apple Music is part of the Apple One subscription bundle).
So Which One Should You Choose?
Ultimately, the choice between Apple Music vs Spotify comes down to your personal preferences and how deep you are in the Apple ecosystem. Here’s a quick summary to help you decide:
Choose Spotify if:
You want advanced music discovery features
You listen on multiple non-Apple platforms
You like podcast integration and social sharing
Choose Apple Music if:
You’re deep in the Apple ecosystem
You like human curated playlists and exclusive content
You want highest audio quality without paying extra
Both have free trials so go ahead and try before you buy. Whatever you choose you’ll have millions of songs at your disposal to soundtrack your life.
