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- Spotify is the king of discovery, Apple Music is the pioneer of quality
With so many options available (each with its own benefits), choosing a default music streaming service can be difficult. Spotify is popular for its music discovery algorithm. Apple Music is known for its various features and sound quality. YouTube Music also has the advantage of having a huge catalog of old and new songs and videos uploaded to the platform.
Here, we compare three streaming services based on user interface, sound quality, and additional features to see which one is the best.
plans and prices
Each service has three basic plans, Individual, Family, and Student, with comparable prices. If these don’t meet your needs, Spotify and Apple each offer one additional plan. For Apple, that’s the Apple Music Voice plan. For Spotify, the Duo plan is perfect for couples.
Now, if you don’t mind the occasional advert between songs, Spotify and YouTube Music also offer free plans that give you access to their catalog for free.
The table below details the plans and pricing for each service.
service |
individual |
family |
student |
addition |
---|---|---|---|---|
Spotify |
$9.99 |
$15.99 |
$4.99 |
duo: $12.99 |
apple music |
$10.99 |
$16.99 |
$5.99 |
voice plan: $4.99 |
YouTube music |
$9.99 |
$14.99 |
$4.99 |
Individual (annual): $99.99 |
If you have a student subscription to Spotify and Apple Music, you also get access to some video streaming services. Spotify’s student plan grants access to Hulu’s ad-based streaming plans and SHOWTIME, while Apple Music grants access to Apple TV+.
audio quality
Photo by Mihis Alex via Pexels
Apart from finding the ideal subscription plan for streaming music, having access to high quality audio output is important. Of the three services, Apple Music seems to lead by a large margin.
The output from the service to my AirPods Pro and Sony WH-1000XM4 is significantly larger and more detailed. Instrument separation is really important to me when listening to music, and when the service provides. YouTube Music is right behind Apple Music and can sometimes match loudness and detail. Unfortunately, Spotify’s output is no match for either service.
Apple Music also offers “Hi-Res Lossless” audio, but it’s currently impossible to take full advantage of this feature with wireless earbuds. However, if you have the right hardware, having access to these high-quality master files can be extremely valuable. The service’s Spatial Audio also adds another layer of fun when you find well-mixed tracks.
In summary, those who prefer more detail will opt for Apple Music or YouTube Music. Spotify still has a long way to go.
winner: Apple Music
Discovery tracking
But while audio quality is what we see Spotify lag behind, when it comes to tracking discoveries and recommendations, Spotify has some of the best algorithms.
Every new song I found and liked led me to a collection of music I had never heard before. Then the gap between such situations became much longer.
For the past 6 months, I’ve been switching all my music between YouTube Music and Apple Music. His first two weeks of discoveries on YouTube Music were great, but once the recurring suggestions started, he found it harder to view new songs. When it comes to Apple Music, I didn’t find myself suggesting new songs that often.
But within the first 30 minutes of returning to Spotify, I already had some new songs in my library. So if you’re looking for new music and looking to update your library, Spotify won’t disappoint.
winner: spotify
Application UI
When I want to listen to music, I approach it with the idea of listening to familiar songs combined with new options that share some aspects with my library. The layout of your streaming app plays an important role in this. Now let’s see how these apps work.
YouTube music
Of the three services, YouTube Music makes this experience the simplest. Select recently played music (as well as songs played a few days ago) and based on those he can start “radio” with just one tap. It is placed near the top of the app’s home screen.
Also, by pulling the “up next” card from the bottom of the playback screen, you can play familiar music or find new tracks with the button.
The submenu behind the application’s three-dot button also has individual buttons for adding tracks to your library or learning more about the artist.
apple music
Unlike YouTube Music, which has three buttons at the bottom, Apple Music offers users five options: Listen Now, Browse, Radio, Library, and Search. Each section has its own purpose, but to jump right into the music session, listen nowHere you can find custom mixes and even new releases.
But what hurts the experience here is adding songs to the queue and showing whether you’re a fan or not. Rather than quickly pressing the heart button, you’ll have to go to a sub-menu to see your favorite songs algorithmically. Also, to add music to the queue,[検索]You should look for the song in the menu or library. If you’re looking for a lesser-known artist, or if you haven’t searched for that song before, the former option will take longer.
Spotify
Over the last few years, Spotify has invested heavily in podcasts, so we wanted to create an application that seamlessly handles the two types of content. This gave the application a cluttered feel, but recently they started rolling out a new he UI that separates music and podcasts.
There are tiles that let you jump quickly to algorithm-based music mixes, song Clicking the buttons at the top of the home screen takes you to spaces dedicated to tracks from different artists.
Also, at the time of this writing, users in the US and Canada are looking at short videos like TikTok and images pushing some of the songs, podcasts, and other shows on the service to get more content. helps you discover
I mostly use Spotify for music and not for podcasts, so the buttons at the top make it easy to choose what you want to listen to or discover new artists. The application also has the most intuitive set of gestures and buttons for adding tracks to the queue and showing that you like them.
But overall, the simplicity of the YouTube Music application, which puts music first, makes it a better option than the three apps.
winner: YouTube Music
Device compatibility
All three services are available for iOS, Android, tvOS, Google TV, PlayStation 5, and Xbox One via downloadable apps, making them accessible to a wide range of devices. Note, however, that YouTube Music must be accessed through the YouTube app on all platforms except iOS and Android, where dedicated apps exist.
Cross-device playback (Spotify only)
Spotify surpasses Apple Music and YouTube Music in a seamless user experience, as playback can be controlled from any device logged into your profile through Spotify Connect.
Synced lyrics (Apple Music and Spotify)
All three applications have the option to display lyrics, but only Spotify and Apple Music display synced lyrics for the track being played. It appears as a scrolling animation, and tapping on a lyric will take you to that point. YouTube Music only allows users to see lyrics.
iCloud Music Library (Apple Music only)
Apple Music also supports iCloud Music Library, especially if you have a library of songs you’ve curated for years before streaming services became mainstream. With this feature, you can sync your library of up to 100,000 songs across all your Apple devices logged into your account and easily access them even if they aren’t available as part of Apple Music.
Apple Music Sing (Apple Music only)
Finally, for those who love going to karaoke bars, Apple offers a feature called Apple Music Sing. This allows you to enjoy a karaoke-like experience at home using any compatible device. You can lower the vocal volume of a song and sing along with the synchronized lyrics.
Spotify is the king of discovery, Apple Music is the pioneer of quality
To summarize this article, you have two choices when choosing a streaming service. A platform that prioritizes sound quality or one that satisfies your desire to discover new music.
If you fall into the first bucket, Apple Music is an ideal choice as it significantly improves the quality of audio files and offers spatial audio mixes. Plus, with iCloud Music Library, you can bring your collection to the party.
But if you want to find the next hip song or a track that fits your taste, Spotify is the place to go. YouTube Music is a middle ground service between the two.
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