Apple Music vs Spotify - Which streaming service you should go for in 2024?

Well, one cannot deny the fact that Apple Music and Spotify are the two most popular music streaming apps out there! While both the apps offer a similar catalog of music, making a choice between these two services might be a tad difficult for users. They often ask if Apple Music is better than Spotify or why Spotify is better than Apple Music? But there’s nothing to worry about as we are here to answer all your questions! So, without any further ado, let’s take a look at a detailed comparison of Apple Music and Spotify to see is Apple Music better than Spotify or if is it vice-versa. To truly understand which of these juggernaut music-streaming services is right for you.

Key differences between Spotify and Apple Music in 2023

We have compared Apple Music and Spotify on the basis of price, features, availability, and more. Read the blog further to know the differences between Spotify and Apple Music in detail!

1.  Apple Music vs Spotify Premium Music Library:

The chatter between Spotify vs Apple Music, and which service has a better music library is an ongoing one. With an impressive 60 million songs library, Apple Music takes lead over Spotify's 50 million+ figure. Both the platforms offer early access to certain albums from time to time, and Apple Music sometimes even offers exclusives for certain music videos. Another notable feature of Apple Music is integration of the iTunes Library. With this feature, any music that you purchased via the iTunes Store or uploaded to iTunes Match will appear in your Apple Music library. So this means that you can browse your own music alongside Apple’s standard catalog.

Spotify also lets you play music from your device in the Spotify app, but it only works for local files. While Spotify offers podcasts within the app, Apple splits podcasts into a dedicated Podcasts app. If you wish to know more about this app, you can read the full review of the  Spotify app here.

Talking about the library limit, Apple Music allows you to store as many as 1,00,000 songs, while Spotify has a limit of 10,000 songs. So is Apple Music better than Spotify in this aspect, indeed it is.

Winner: Apple Music

2. Apple Music vs Spotify Premium User Interface:

When it comes to UI, Spotify has the best user interface. Its layout is much cleaner and better organized than Apple Music. The homepage of Spotify gives you instant access to content. When you open the app, you get recently played songs and playlists. It also provides you with suggestions on the basis of your listening habits.

Apple Music is also well-designed, but all the different tabs at the bottom of the screen tend to to get in the way of accessing your content. Apple Music’s interface divides its features into separate sections, rather than integrating them into a single scrollable page like Spotify. However, the colorful artwork makes Apple Music quite attractive to the eyes.  If you wish to know more about this app, you can read the full review of the  Apple Music app here. In this battle of Spotify vs Apple Music, the one mentioned below standouts as the winner.

Winner: Spotify

3. Apple Music vs Spotify Premium Availability:

Both Spotify and Apple Music are available across popular devices such as iOS, Android, and Windows. However, Spotify also offers support with devices such as Smart TVs, Amazon devices, Samsung Gear, Xbox, PlayStation, and more. Apple Music, on the other hand, works best with Apple products.

Winner: Spotify

4. Apple Music vs Spotify Premium Music Discovery:

Music discovery is an aspect that determines the true difference in the Spotify vs Apple Music dialogue. Spotify is one great app that provides a lot of useful tools for finding music according to your preferences and taste. This popular streaming service has tailored playlists like Discover Weekly and Release Radar that are automatically updated each week with new songs based on your listening habits. With Spotify, you can also create, share, and follow playlists of any kind — including those shared by friends — with a simple click. Additionally, with the Collaborative Playlist feature, you can create playlists with your friends.

Talking about Apple Music, when you register, you are required to tap on floating red circles highlighting different genres of music and artists so that the service can get a sense of your taste. Using the Account tab, you can reselect your favorite genres and artists anytime.  Clicking on the 'For You' heart brings up a list of regularly updated playlists such as Get Up!, Chill, New Music, and Favourites. The playlists are curated by a “team of experts’’ as claimed by Apple.

Spotify and Apple Music also feature radio stations based around your favorite genres, artists, or tracks. Apple Music also has a separate station called Apple Music 1, which is hosted by actual DJs and is available for listening in real time.

In our opinion, Spotify’s algorithmic recommendations for new music based on the listening habits of users is the most on-point. Also, Discover Weekly and Release Radar segments give it the edge over Apple Music. So, until Apple Music can compete with this algorithm-based approach, we will give Spotify the win.

Winner: Spotify

5. Apple Music vs Spotify Premium Quality:

Apple Music streams at 256Kbps in AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) format, while Spotify offers the Ogg Vorbis format at 320Kbps for Spotify Premium users, and up to 160Kbps for people with a free account. The streaming quality for both the apps are good for casual music lovers. However, if you live in an area with an unstable internet connection, you can rely on Spotify’s variable streaming quality options to get an uninterrupted playback experience.

Spotify also lets Premium users download and save up to 10,000 songs at a time on up to five different devices. So is Apple Music better than Spotify in the Apple Music vs Spotify quality race, well in this aspect too, Spotify takes the cake.

Winner: Spotify

6. Apple Music vs Spotify Premium EQ Functionality:

The possibility of customizing the music via equalizer is another key determinant of the winner in the battle between Spotify vs Apple Music. Spotify’s graphical equalizer allows you to tailor the sound of your music as per your preference. You also get several presets to choose from, if you like.

On the other hand, Apple Music doesn’t really offer any extensive EQ functionality. In fact, all you get are a list of EQ presets to choose from, which are only available to iOS users via the Settings app.

Winner: Spotify

7. Apple Music vs Spotify Premium Price and Subscription Options:

An individual Apple Music plan costs $9.99/month, which is the same as Spotify Premium’s $9.99/month rate. For other Apple Music vs Spotify premium plans, check below:

Apple Music
Individual plan: $10.99/month
Family plan: $14.99/month
Student plan: $4.99/month

Spotify
Individual plan: $9.99/month
Duo plan:  $12.99/month
Family: $15.99/month
Student plan: $4.99/month

Winner: Draw

Apple Music vs Spotify 2023: Who’s the winner?

So, is Apple Music better than Spotify? Or who really is the winner in the conversation of Spotify vs Apple Music? After comparing both the streaming services, it won’t be wrong to say that Spotify tops the race. While Apple Music has come a long way since its inception, Spotify reigns supreme due to its easy accessibility and brilliantly fresh music discovery playlists. Apple Music's exclusive releases and human-curated playlists make it a tough competitor, but as of now, Spotify still has the edge.
What do you guys think about the Apple Music vs Spotify 2023 race? Let us know in the comments section below.

By Manish

Content Strategist at MobileAppDaily

With a mixture of literature, cinema, and photography, Manish is mostly traveling. When he is not, he is probably writing another tech news for you!