Spotify vs Apple Music: Which app is best for Music?
When we talk about music streaming, Spotify is the first thing that comes across our mind but nowadays it is changing and many other music streaming platforms are on a rise. Apple Music is one of them and is emerging as a hot competition for Spotify.
When we look into the Spotify vs Apple Music debate we see that it comes with a different scenario because both these music streaming platforms are different but at the same time they have a lot in common. So here is a comprehensive comparison between these two to help you select the one that best suits you.
Spotify vs Apple Music Pricing Plans
One of the main factors in the selection of the music streaming platform is its affordability, pricing and its subscription plans.
Spotify Subscription Plans
Spotify offers 4 basic subscription plans to choose from:
Apple Music Subscription Plans
Apple Music also offers multiple subscriptions to choose from, moreover it is not an Apple exclusive, it works on Android as well.
Music Library
The Spotify vs Apple Music debate is incomplete if we don’t consider the content of the platform. One of the other main factors in the selection of the Music streaming service is its music library and catalog it offers. The variety, expanse and availability of exclusive content is what makes it easier for you to select what platform you will be choosing.
Spotify vs Apple Music Library
Spotify offers a huge Music library consisting of over 100 million tracks, 5 million podcasts and about 350,000 audiobooks. Moreover all of this is distributed across different genres and subgenres and different artists to choose from. It also includes the exclusive content only for Spotify.
On the other hand Apple Music’s Library is also huge and spans over 100 million songs and over 30,000 expert curated playlists. One standout features is the live radios and the interviews with popular artists.
Design and User Interface
Design plays an important role in the selection and the use of Dedicated music streaming platform. A clean and responsive interface is what attracts the users.
Spotify has a simple, easy to use and a unique design. The content on Spotify is divided into Home, Search, Library and the Premium sections for the ease of the user. Moreover Spotify keeps on changing its interface with the addition and removal of features. So it is one thing the users have to look for.
On the other hand Apple aims to provide a simple, elegant and aesthetic design that attracts the user. The recent update of iOS 17 has further enhanced the user experience. The content however is divided into sections of For You, Browse, Library, Radio and Search.
Sound Quality
When it is Spotify vs Apple Music, the sound quality is a very important and main deciding factor to decide which platform holds an edge over the other.
Spotify offers its users to choose from three sound qualities namely Normal (96 kbps) which is its default quality, High (160 kbps) and Very High (320 kbps). Spotify does not offer lossless music quality but has plans for it in the form of Spotify Hi-Fi. Moreover the absence of Dolby Atmos surround sound and spatial audio is a setback.
Apple music promises to be far superior than Spotify in sound quality with the presence of CD quality lossless audio and Dolby Atmos surround sound and Spatial audio features. Unlike Spotify in Apple music all songs can be played at lossless quality and it offers two basic sound streaming quality Standard and High (256 kbps).
Music Recommendations
In the Spotify vs Apple Music, it is seen that Spotify is famous for its recommendations due to its algorithm. In fact it knows you and your music taste better than yourself to create personalized and highly curated playlists for you. It recommends music from different genres and artists based on your taste.
While Apple music not having a great name in this field has now been doing some improvements and has a mix of algorithm and human curation in the recommendation of music so its recommendations are also huge.
Social Features
Spotify is designed in such a way that it focuses on the connectivity and sharing of the content. The options like Playlist sharing and making and observing playlists with friends are some of the standout features in it.
Apple music on the other hand also offers social sharing features but they are not as effective as Spotify. You can not see what your friends listen to in real time and it might bother some users.
Compatibility
Spotify also adds up some points to its name due to its compatibility across different platforms. Be it Android, iOS, PC, Mac, Smart TV or gaming consoles Spotify is available there for you to enjoy.
On the other hand Apple Music is highly centered on the Apple devices like iPhones, iPads and Mac.
Conclusion
Although both platforms offer a wide variety of features, both have some pros and cons as well. If we see the pricing then both of them are nearly alike with no such difference at all.The real difference is the sound quality and Apple Music emerges victorious in this field due to the advanced music streaming quality. Moreover, in design and user experience again Apple music has an upper hand while the social features and compatibility of Spotify makes it a good choice as well. Apart from these there are no noticeable differences that might bother you and you can easily select the platform which is best for you.