The music streaming industry is booming. Gone are the days when we had to rely on the internet to get the music to listen to offline. Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube Music, and Amazon Music have all taken the music industry by storm. Spotify is currently the market leader by a significant margin. Apple Music, on the other hand, comes pre-installed on millions of iPhones, providing it a major advantage over the competition. If you’re having trouble deciding between the two, keep reading to learn everything about the distinctions. Here’s a full detail of Spotify vs Apple Music.
Read also: 12 Spotify Tips and Tricks Every User Should Know
Spotify vs Apple Music
The comparison will take into account cross-platform compatibility, user interface, features, listening experience, sharing, price, and other factors. Let’s get this party started.
Cross-Platform Availability
Music streaming businesses rely heavily on cross-platform accessibility. You’ve paid for a music subscription and want to enjoy it on all of your devices. This round is easily won by Spotify.
Spotify can be accessed via desktop, mobile, and the web. On iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, Apple Watch, Galaxy Wear, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and Google Chromecast, you can listen to Spotify. Spotify does not currently support Amazon Fire TV or Fire TV Stick.
Apple Music is available on Android, iOS, Mac, Apple Watch, and the company’s smart speaker, the HomePod.
You should look at What is Spotify? Stream Millions of Songs
User Interface
This is one that Spotify has nailed. The app has a lovely, fluid UI with a few gradient accents here and there. Spotify alters the gradient color to set the mood based on the selected album or song.
Many consumers have remained loyal to Spotify solely because of its attractive user interface. The software navigates through choices using conventional bottom tabs.
The Library menu on Spotify was recently redesigned. Albums, Playlists, and Podcasts are now easily distinguishable.
With iOS guidelines, Apple Music is simple to use. It comes with a white theme by default and supports iOS 14’s dark mode.
All the important options, such as Library, Browser, Search, and so on, are located at the bottom of the page. My main beef with Apple Music is the company’s decision to bury the Music options under the Settings app on the device.
Song Suggestions
Every music streaming service is concentrating on improving suggestions and auto-playlists. It’s the same with Spotify and Apple Music.
Spotify is well-known for its excellent song selections. Simply choose your favorite songs and artists, and prepare to be wowed by Spotify’s music recommendations.
During the first setup, Apple Music prompts you to select your music preferences. Now, go to the ‘For You’ section of the app, and it will offer playlists, songs, and new music based on your preferences.
You can use the Browser menu to find new songs and albums based on language. It’s a single menu with a vertical combination of banners, playlists, and music.
In terms of content, I found Spotify to have a significantly larger collection of English music than Apple Music. Naturally, it differs depending on the region. Many things will be subjective because they are based on personal interests and preferences.
Listening Experience
Both Apple Music and Spotify provide high-quality 320 kbit/s music. The default download settings for Spotify, on the other hand, are set to Normal (96 kbit/s). Change the setting to ‘Very High’ in the Settings.
The player screen on Spotify is well-designed, with large buttons that are easy to see and understand. When your phone is connected to the automobile Bluetooth, Spotify also offers a revamped player screen. It has a simple design with large icons to assist you in getting things done while driving.
Lyrics support is available on Spotify for both regional and English music.
Apple Music uses a simple player UI, with only the most basic functions at the bottom. The casting functionality only works with Apple devices like the Apple TV and HomePod speaker due to the limited nature of the Apple ecosystem.
Special Features
Podcasts are available on Spotify in addition to music. If you listen to podcasts on a daily basis and don’t want to download a separate app, Spotify is the way to go. With Spotify’s strong push into the podcast sector, the experience will only improve.
Spotify also has a feature called Group Listening. You can form a group, invite a friend to start a song, and then everyone can listen to it on their own devices.
Hapless playback, data saver mode, built-in equalizer, social connection, and more are among the features. Unfortunately, you cannot download a single song from an album. In the downloads area, you may either download the entire album or add the song to a playlist.
Apple Music takes advantage of other Apple services because it is a built-in service. Siri shortcuts are supported, as well as radio integration, automated downloads, and the ability to set volume restrictions, among other features.
You can simply identify songs playing in your environment using Shazam, which is now owned by Apple and open them in the Apple Music app.
Price: Spotify vs Apple Music
Spotify has three different subscription tiers. Individual premium costs $10 per month. The Student plan is 50% discounted at $5 per month, while the Family plan is $30 per month and allows you to add up to five other members. An ad-free experience, exceptional music quality, and limitless downloads are among the new features. These prices are for the United States and may differ in other countries.
For the first three months, Apple Music is free. After that, a personal plan costs $10 per month, and a family plan costs $15 per month, with the ability to add up to five more people to the group.
Apple has also offered Apple One plans, which include Apple Music, Apple TV, Apple Fitness, and iCloud storage in addition to Apple Music.
Wrap Up: Spotify vs Apple Music
Still can’t tell the difference between the two? Let me try to make the answer as simple as possible for you. If you’re firmly invested in the Apple ecosystem, Apple Music is the way to go. Spotify continues to improve its cross-platform availability, functionality, and user interface.
