Music streaming has changed the way music is heard around the world. Not only is it convenient, but you also have access to millions of songs, as long as you’re connected to the internet. Apple Music and Spotify are two of the biggest streaming services right now.
So, which one is better? Let’s find out.
Sound
The entire catalog in Apple Music uses the Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC), which provides top-notch audio quality while also offering Dolby Atmos, which provides spatial audio for a lot of the tracks. The sound quality on Apple Music is just amazing, especially on Apple devices. However, the hi-res audio isn’t supported on Windows.
Spotify uses the Ogg Vorbis format and supports different bitrates depending on the internet speed as well as the option you choose. However, the highest bitrate is only available to users of the Premium tier. There are rumors that this might change once Spotify adds lossless audio through a feature called ‘Music Pro.’
High-fidelity music depends higly on internet bandwidth, we find the Internet Ultra offered by Spectrum to be sufficiently fast and most reliable. Thankfully, you can also download the songs on each app, but make sure you have plenty of space to download songs in their highest quality.
Nonetheless, when it comes to audio quality, Apple Music takes the cake.
Design
The design of an app is something that matters a lot to me. Spotify received a UI refresh in 2023, which was disliked by a lot of users for shifting its focus more towards podcasts and video content. The darker interface is something I love since I’m on team dark mode.
On the other hand, Apple Music has a design that follows the older iOS design language, which does feel a little outdated now. The navigation bar is handy for navigation and shows more useful options compared to Spotify.
This is a category that’s going to be very subjective since some might prefer Apple’s approach while others are going to prefer Spotify. But, for me, I prefer Spotify’s look and feel.
Availability
Although both music streaming services are available on multiple platforms, Spotify is available on a larger variety of devices. It’s available on iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS, as well as PlayStation and Xbox consoles. A dedicated app for Spotify is also available for a lot of car operating systems as well.
Apple Music takes a different approach by offering CarPlay, which can be used on a variety of cars. The service is also usable on other Apple devices like the HomePod, Apple TV, and the Apple Watch. They also support other third-party integrations like Roku, PlayStation, Xbox, Sonos as well as Android. Windows users will have to download the iTunes app to get access to Apple Music.
In terms of integration with other devices, Spotify takes the win in this category.
Value
If you’re someone who doesn’t pay for streaming music, you’re probably going to use YouTube, since that’s an app most people already have on their phones.
However, when comparing Spotify and Apple Music, Spotify can potentially provide you with much more value. They offer a free tier, which you can use if you’re willing to deal with pesky mid-song ads. Spotify also has a lot of options for group play, you can connect multiple devices and control the songs and you can also host jam sessions where you can listen to songs together.
Spotify also has podcasts, whereas Apple has a separate app for them. Not only that, Spotify is available in more countries than Apple Music.
In terms of the value each service provides, Spotify takes the win here.
Music Library
Apple Music and Spotify both have a huge library of songs, so you’re sure to find a song you would want to listen to on each platform.
However, Apple takes a slight edge here since they claim to have more than 100 million songs, whereas Spotify only has over 80 million. Both of these are huge numbers and you probably won’t get through the songs on each platform, even if you wanted.
But, having more songs means that you’re more likely to always find the song you’re looking to listen to. So, Apple Music takes the win here.
Apple Music vs. Spotify: Comparison Chart
Let’s compare how the two fare up against each other in different categories.
| Apple Music | Spotify | |
| Sound Quality | ✔ | |
| Design | ✔ | |
| Availability | ✔ | |
| Value | ✔ | |
| Music Library | ✔ | |
| Podcasts | ✘ (Separate Service) | ✔ |
| Supported Hardware | ✔ |
Verdict
According to the chart above, Spotify takes the clear win, right? Well, kind of. Although I prefer Spotify, there is a lot on offer, especially if you like to listen to songs and podcasts on the same platform, use an Android, or live in an area where Apple Music isn’t available.
However, if you’re already a part of the Apple ecosystem and live in an area where Apple Music is available, then give Apple Music a try.
