Spotify vs Apple Music – Which is better?

Spotify vs Apple Music

In the realm of music streaming, Spotify and Apple Music are two of the most popular platforms, each boasting millions of users and extensive music libraries. While both services offer similar functionalities, they have distinct differences that cater to varying user preferences. This blog will explore these differences in detail, helping you decide which platform might be the best fit for your music listening needs.

Which is better: Apple Music or Spotify?

I’ll stick with Spotify forever, but after trying Apple Music, I can understand its appeal, especially for those who enjoy the nostalgia factor. As senior commerce editor Heath Owens puts it, “The interface reminds me of iTunes, so it feels like MY music saved to MY library on MY devices.” There’s a subconscious sense of ownership, especially for album lovers like him. He prefers Apple Music because it makes it easier to curate and maintain a personal library instead of relying on Spotify’s suggestions.
Both platforms have their strengths and weaknesses. Spotify is great for discovering new music and has an algorithm that keeps you engaged with minimal skips. The free version, which doesn’t require a credit card, initially attracted me to Spotify, and even after a free trial of Premium, I still don’t feel the need to pay for music.
On the flip side, Apple Music shines in audio quality. With features like spatial audio and lossless listening, it offers an immersive experience for true music lovers. While Apple Music lacks a free tier, the Apple One Bundle is a good deal for iOS users wanting access to multiple Apple services at one low price.

Apple Music vs Spotify: A Brief Comparison

Streaming Quality

When it comes to streaming quality, Apple Music has a clear advantage, offering lossless audio and spatial audio options with Dolby Atmos. Users can stream at resolutions up to 24-bit/192 kHz, providing a superior listening experience for audiophiles. In contrast, Spotify streams at a maximum of 320 kbps using the Ogg Vorbis format for premium subscribers. While Spotify’s quality is generally good, it lacks the high-resolution options that Apple Music offers.

Apple Music introduced high-resolution streaming alternatives at no additional cost. Apple Music now supports streaming 16-bit/44.1kHz, 24-bit/48kHz, and 24-bit/192kHz audio, as well as Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos content. Apple Music also streams content at 256kbps using a high-quality Bluetooth codec called AAC, which is significantly more efficient than most other open-source lossy options. By default, Apple Music will stream at the greatest quality possible, but quality will be reduced while streaming over cellular data. However, you can disable this quality throttle in the options.

With over 100 million songs, Apple Music lets you explore music from your favorite artists and discover new ones. It’s known for securing exclusive early releases from artists like Drake and Taylor Swift, thanks to its paid-only model, requiring a subscription after a three-month trial. Apple Music also offers on-demand radio shows, including Apple Music.

Spotify, with over 100 million songs and 40,000 added daily, rivals Apple Music’s catalog. However, Spotify goes beyond music, offering over 6 million podcasts, including exclusive shows like Joe Rogan’s. Additionally, premium users get 15 hours of audiobook listening each month. While Apple Music doesn’t offer podcasts, Apple Podcasts is available for free to all Apple device users.

Content and Recommendations

Both platforms boast extensive libraries with over 100 million songs. However, Spotify excels in its music recommendation algorithms. Its personalized playlists, such as Discover Weekly and Release Radar, are highly regarded for accurately predicting user preferences and introducing new music tailored to individual tastes. Apple Music also provides recommendations but does not match Spotify’s depth in music discovery.

Library Management

Library management might not be a feature that piques everyone’s interest, but for music collectors like myself, it plays a pivotal role in our listening experience.

Apple Music triumphs in this area as library management is inherently woven into its service. The ability to establish a virtual music archive and organize those songs into playlists or into dynamically crafted smart playlists is a major allure for Apple Music. In contrast, Spotify offers a rudimentary set of features for library management, which isn’t surprising, given that Spotify’s core focus revolves around playlists.

Moreover, Apple Music’s handling of pre-releases is far superior. When an artist announces a new album, users can pre-add it to their library and as new singles become available, they are ungrayed and ready to be streamed.

Features

In terms of features, both services have unique offerings. Apple Music integrates seamlessly with the Apple ecosystem, allowing for easy access across devices and robust Siri support for voice commands. On the other hand, Spotify shines with its social features, enabling users to share playlists easily and collaborate on them with friends. Additionally, Spotify offers a free ad-supported tier, which Apple Music lacks.

Spotify’s user interface is designed to provide rapid access to your own material. The home page displays your most recently played songs and playlists, which is what most people expect to see when they open a music app. Every aspect of Spotify’s design prioritizes your content, with suggestions appearing only after you’ve seen what you intended to watch.
Apple Music is likewise well-designed, albeit the number of tabs at the bottom of the screen might be overwhelming. It appears that Apple tries to show off all of the capabilities at first sight, but this often gets in the way of accessing your material.

Apple Music’s UI separates its features into distinct sections, as opposed to combining them into a single scrollable page like Spotify. The huge, vibrant artwork complements Apple’s design principles, making Apple Music and the company’s other products visually appealing.

Voice Assistants

Spotify is better integrated with various voice assistants beyond just Siri, including Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. This flexibility allows users to control their music across a wider range of devices. While Apple Music works well with Siri on Apple devices, it doesn’t offer the same level of cross-platform compatibility.

When comparing Spotify and Apple Music in terms of support for voice assistants, Spotify comes out on top. It is compatible with a wide range of voice assistants, including Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple’s Siri. This extensive compatibility allows users to control their music seamlessly across various devices and platforms. Notably, even Siri supports Spotify, although full functionality requires a Spotify Premium subscription.In contrast, Apple Music is primarily integrated with Siri. While it works well within the Apple ecosystem, it lacks support for other popular voice assistants like Google Assistant and Alexa.

This limitation means that unless you’re using an Apple device or HomePod, you won’t have the same level of functionality with Apple Music as you would with Spotify. Overall, if you rely on voice assistants in your daily life, Spotify’s broader compatibility and integration with multiple platforms make it the better choice for voice-activated music control.

Sharing is Caring

When it comes to sharing music, Spotify provides more robust social features. Users can easily share songs, playlists, and even create collaborative playlists with friends. While Apple Music allows sharing through social media platforms, its capabilities aren’t as extensive as Spotify’s.

Apple Music’s on-screen lyrics are bonny

While Spotify’s inclusion of on-screen lyrics is nicely integrated into the Now Playing screen, Apple Music’s full-screen presentation of the lyrics just seems more attractive with its bold text and pleasing gaussian blur background; like a classier-looking karaoke machine. With both streaming services, the lyrics highlight as the singer sings them, and you have the option to scroll through the lyrics and jump to a specific line in a song.

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Conclusion

For several years, Spotify was my preferred music service. However, their strategic shift towards podcasts and audiobooks has resulted in my growing disinterest. This, combined with the enhancements that Apple has made to their platform, has swayed my preference towards Apple Music, which I believe offers a superior service for true music aficionados.

In summary, both Spotify and Apple Music have their strengths and weaknesses. Spotify shines with its user-friendly interface, personalized playlists, and strong social features. On the other hand, Apple Music excels in exclusive content and audio quality options. Ultimately, your choice may depend on your specific preferences—whether you prioritize music discovery or exclusive releases. Both platforms offer free trials, so trying each service can help you determine which one aligns best with your listening habits and lifestyle.