There are only so much subscription that we can pay each month, right? Even though singularly they don't cost much, that little money that you pay is definitely adding up. So, let's see what you can do for music streaming in this Apple Music vs Spotify battle. Which is the best?
Interestingly, there are several key differences between the two streaming services. While they might offer, overall, a similar selection of music, they don't really offter the exact same service.
Let's see then what are the differences and end this Apple Music vs Spotify battle once and for all.
Key features of Apple Music and Spotify
First up, if you are an audiophile there is nothing more to discuss. While Spotify offers different streaming bitrate in case you want to save data, if you care a lot about the quality of your audio then Apple Music is the one you might want to choose.
Apple Music currently supports up to 24-bit/192kHz, while Spotify still offers a basic 320kps bitrate. Thus, Apple Music is still the best sounding music streaming services. But, really, that is only for audiophiles since, you would need very high quality (and wired) headphones or speakers to get any kind of difference.
Catalog selection
Overall, the two streaming services offer a similar selection of music but while Spotify has both podcasts and music, Apple is definitely more geared towards the latter. If you want podcasts or audiobooks, there is a separate app for those.
Both services offer easy to use selection to discover new music as well, in that regard they are pretty similar.
Price and availability
Spotify definitely wins for both price and availability. Not only it is available mostly everywhere, even on game consoles and other devices, but there are free ad-supported plans. By signing up you can just start listening right away, without having to worry about paying.
Spotify offers three plans, Standard ($10.99/month), Duo ($14.99/month), and Family ($16.99/month). The service also offers a special discount for students at $5.99/month.
On the other hand, Apple Music is definitely more limited in availability and also has no free plan. The cheapest plan, Apple Music Voice ($4.99 per month), comes with a lot of limitations. After that come the Standard plan ($10.99 per month), and Family ($16.99/month). There is also a student plan, starting at $5.99/month including Apple TV+.
Overall, the real answer on which is the best service depends on where you're planning to listen to music and the money you're willing to spend. Spotify might win for availability and price, but Apple Music offers higher quality and easier to use interface. For more information on Spotify, check out our guides on how to upload music.