The world of digital music streaming has revolutionized the way we listen to music and podcasts. In the age of digital music streaming services, there are two behemoths of the industry: Spotify and Apple Music. Both of these services have been around for a while now and have built up a massive user base. However, which service is better? In this article, we will be comparing Spotify and Apple Music across a range of criteria to see which service comes out on top.
Apple Music vs Spotify: Music Library
Apple Music vs Spotify: Discovering Music
Apple Music vs Spotify: Interface and User Experience
Apple Music vs Spotify: Sound Quality
Apple Music vs Spotify: Device Compatibility
Final Verdict: Who Is the Winner? Apple Music or Spotify?
Extra Tips: How Can I Transfer Apple Music to My Spotify App Free Version?
Apple Music:
Apple Music offers four subscription plans: Apple Music Student, Voice, Individual, and Family. Each plan has unique features and prices. Unlike other conventional music streaming plans, the Apple Music Voice plan only allows you to play music using Siri commands (can only use the plan across Apple devices). The plan has other limitations as well. You can't download music for offline listening, create playlists, view song lyrics, or even watch music videos.
Spotify:
Spotify Premium has five tiers: Free, Individual, Duo, Family, and Student. The biggest difference from Apple Music is that Spotify has a free version. This is very important for users. And Spotify's individual, student and family plans are a dollar cheaper than Apple Music. But Apple Music subscribers can enjoy lossless sound quality without upgrading, and if you pursue high-quality music, this dollar is very worth it for you.
Not only that, Spotify's subscription plans for users with different needs are also more thoughtful. For example, there is a two-person plan. Think of it like two Spotify Individual subscriptions for the price of $16.99. The only catch here is that both people buying into the Duo plan must be living under the same roof.
Apple Music provides access to a vast library of over 100 million songs and 30,000 playlists, as well as live radio and expertly curated playlists. However, it doesn't offer podcasts or audiobooks, which can be found instead in separate Apple apps, namely Apple Podcasts and Apple Books.
On the other hand, Spotify offers not only music but also podcasts and audiobooks. Both free and paid users can access over 100 million tracks and 5 million podcast titles. Since introducing the podcast feature in 2015, Spotify has experienced remarkable growth and now offers an impressive 4.7 million podcasts as of Q4 2022, making it the leading podcast platform. Spotify features popular shows as well as exciting original content that might convince you to remain a loyal listener.
Another thing to consider when choosing between Spotify and Apple Music is how easy it is to discover new music. Both services have algorithms that suggest music based on the user's listening habits. Spotify's Discover Weekly playlist is a fan favorite, as it offers a personalized playlist of new music every week. Apple Music has a similar feature called New Music Mix, which suggests new music based on the user's listening habits.
However, Spotify takes discovering new music to the next level with its social features. Users can follow their friends and see what they are listening to, as well as share their own playlists with others. They can also follow popular artists and see what they are listening to, as well as get recommendations from them.
Apple Music does not have the same level of social features as Spotify, but they do have a dedicated team of music editors who curate playlists and highlight new music.
Overall, while both services offer personalized music suggestions, Spotify's social features make it easier to discover new music in a fun and engaging way.
The user interface and overall experience of a music streaming app can make a huge difference in how enjoyable and easy it is to use. Let's take a closer look at how Spotify and Apple Music compare in this regard.
Spotify has a clean and simple UI that is easy to navigate, with a white and green color scheme. The app has five tabs at the bottom of the screen: Home, Search, Your Library, Premium, and Settings. One of the standout features of Spotify's app is its Discover Weekly playlist, which is updated every Monday and contains 30 songs that the app thinks you'll love based on your listening habits. Spotify also offers a variety of curated playlists, such as Daily Mixes and Release Radar, which are tailored to your tastes.
Apple Music's UI is more visually appealing than Spotify's, with a black and pink color scheme and a sleeker design. The app has five tabs at the bottom of the screen: For You, Browse, Radio, Library, and Search. One of the standout features of Apple Music's app is its integration with Siri, allowing you to control the app hands-free using voice commands. Apple Music also offers a variety of exclusive content, such as live performances and documentaries, which can only be accessed through the app.
Aesthetics and preferences are very subjective. Therefore, in terms of interface design and user experience, they seem to be in a tie. The focus is on the user's preferences.
Sound quality is an important factor when it comes to choosing a music streaming service. Let's take a closer look at how Apple Music and Spotify compare in this regard.
Apple Music streams music at 256 kbps, which is a higher bitrate than the standard 128 kbps used by many other streaming services. Additionally, Apple Music uses the AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) format, which is considered to be of higher quality than the MP3 format.
Apple Music also offers a feature called "Lossless Audio", which streams music in CD quality, or 16-bit/44.1kHz. For those who want the best possible sound quality, Apple Music also offers "Hi-Res Lossless Audio", which streams music at 24-bit/192kHz.
Spotify streams music at a lower bit rate than Apple Music. It offers several different sound quality options for streaming, ranging from Normal (96 kbps) to Very High (320 kbps). The Normal quality option is the default setting, but you can change it to High (160 kbps) or Very High if you have a Premium subscription. The Very High option provides the best sound quality, but it also uses the most data.
Apple Music should be the winner of this round, and its lossless and high-resolution lossless audio capabilities make it the decisive reason for being chosen by enthusiasts. Although Spotify has always been rumored to support high-definition music, it has not yet seen actual action and may be launched in the future.
Apple Music is designed to be closely integrated with the Apple ecosystem. It's the default music player on iPhones, iPads, and Macs, so if you're an Apple user, it's a no-brainer. In terms of portable device compatibility, Apple Music works seamlessly with all Apple devices, including the Apple Watch, AirPods, and HomePod. Additionally, Apple Music is available on Android devices, so you're not limited to using it only with Apple products. The downside is that it's not as versatile as Spotify in terms of compatibility with other devices.
Spotify, on the other hand, is known for its cross-platform compatibility. It's available on all major platforms, including iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux. This means you can use Spotify on virtually any device, whether it's a smartphone, tablet, laptop, desktop, or smart speaker. Spotify also supports a wide range of third-party devices, such as gaming consoles, smart TVs, and car infotainment systems, which makes it a great choice if you want to access your music library from multiple devices.
In terms of device compatibility, it's hard to say who the winner is, as both platforms offer excellent support for various devices. It ultimately depends on your needs and preferences. If you're an Apple user and want a music streaming service that works seamlessly with your Apple devices, then Apple Music is the obvious choice. However, if you use multiple devices and want a more versatile music streaming service that works across all platforms, then Spotify is the way to go.
It's important to keep in mind that both Apple Music and Spotify allow for offline playback, enabling you to save your favorite songs, albums, and playlists to your smartphone and listen to them even if your device isn't online. With a maximum of 100,000 tracks, Apple Music does allow you to download music for offline playback across 10 different devices at once. With a limit of 10,000 songs on up to five devices, Spotify falls short in this area.
Both Spotify and Apple Music are excellent music streaming services, each with its unique features and strengths. Spotify has a more extensive library of podcasts and is known for its personalized playlists and music discovery features, while Apple Music has better sound quality and is more seamlessly integrated into Apple devices. Ultimately, the choice between the two services depends on personal preference and the features that are most important to the user.
However, based on the comparison above, Apple Music wins in terms of sound quality and compatibility with Apple devices, while Spotify wins in terms of podcast content and personalized playlists. It's also worth noting that Spotify's free version with ads and limited features gives it an edge over Apple Music, which doesn't have a free version. Therefore, it's recommended that users evaluate their personal preferences and needs before choosing which service to subscribe to.
Here we introduce a very useful trick by the way. If you plan to cancel your Apple Music subscription and worry that your carefully crafted playlist will become inaccessible, then you can choose to convert all these Apple Music songs to MP3 format and upload them to the free version of Spotify. Spotify supports importing and using files local to your computer. Compatible file formats include MP3, M4P, and MP4.
Apple Music is encoded in a special format, and if we want to successfully convert Apple Music to a normal audio format, we need the help of third-party tools. TunePat Apple Music Converter is a very good choice.
Key Features of TunePat Apple Music Converter
Download songs, albums, playlists, and podcasts from Apple Music. Convert Apple Music songs to MP3/AAC/WAV/FLAC/AIFF/ALAC. Preserve the original quality of the songs after conversion. Keep ID3 tags including Title, Album, Artist, etc. Downloaded Apple Music can be transferred to a USB drive, SD card, etc.Would like to convert Spotify songs to MP3 format, install TunePat Spotify Converter Now!
Step 1 Run TunePat Apple Music Converter. Follow the instructions to log in to your Apple ID to access the Apple Music library.
Step 2 Finish the customization of output parameters by clicking the "Settings" button, including but not limited to the output format, output sound quality, output path, output file name, etc.
Step 3 Open the Apple Music playlist or album you want to convert, click the "Add to list" button on the lower right, and TunePat will automatically read the titles into a new pop-up window. Tick off the items you want to get and select "Convert Now" to start converting. Just be patient and wait for the conversion to complete.
Step 1 Open the Spotify desktop app and click on the arrow next to your account name.
Step 2 Select "Settings" from the drop-down menu.
Step 3 Scroll down to "Local Files" and turn on the "Show Local Files" option.
Step 4 Click on the "ADD A SOURCE" button to find the folder where your music is downloaded and choose the targeted music files.
Step 5 Tap the Local Files option in the navigation pane on the left side of the app to access your local music files.
Step 6 Choose the songs you want to play, and you can add them to your playlists if desired. These songs will play like any other song in your Spotify library.
