Apple Music vs Spotify
Everyone loves music. Today, you can stream any song you want to hear in an instant. Where you go to stream music is a tricky choice, but the two main services that compete the most to get your business are Apple Music and Spotify. Apple launched its streaming music service this summer, learning its lessons from iTunes. Spotify, a Swedish startup, was founded in 2008 by music lovers who just wanted to legally listen to music. Which is the one for you?
Price is the most common factor in making your decision, and both Apple and Spotify recognize this. Apple Music is currently offering a free, three-month trial for those who want to test the service before purchasing. Following the trial months, it costs $9.99 per month, with no ads. Spotify has a free option, which is supported by ads. For the paid tier, Spotify offers a 30-day trial period, and then equally charges $9.99 per month. Because Apple Music offers a longer trial period, it seems as if it is the better bargain.
Features are the biggest differentiator between the two. At their cores, they are built so you can search for any song you want and play it in an instant. However, if you take a closer look, there are definite differences.
Apple Music has three core features. It includes a “For You” tab, where there are human-built playlists that Apple Music thinks you’ll like, which is curated based on what, when, and who you listen to. These playlists are added to constantly by Apple Music’s team. In addition to “For You”, Apple Music has “Beats 1”, a free, 24/7, worldwide radio station which plays music from professional, world-class DJs and artists such as Zane Lowe, Drake, Dr. Dre, Pharrell, Q-Tip, and Elton John. Drake recently released his summer tracks like “Hotline Bling”, “Charged Up”, and “Back to Back” on his Beats 1 show. Lastly, there is the much over-looked Apple Music Connect.
Spotify, like Apple Music, gives you access to over 30 million songs in an instant and is very much focused on you choosing your own music. However, it also has a feature called Discover. Discover contains tracks that Spotify thinks you’ll like, and unlike Apple Music, which uses human curation and digital algorithms to predict what you’ll like, Spotify Discover relies solely on algorithms. Spotify also makes it extremely easy for you to share your playlist with your friends, which is a tedious process on Apple Music. Spotify Radio is not as emphasized, but if you’re into radio where a computer selects what songs will play, Spotify has just that.
Apple also ends up paying artists a higher royalty fee than Spotify, simply because Apple Music does not have a free, ad-supported tier.
In my experience, I found that the “For You” tab on Apple Music was wonderful. Within a week, it knew my tastes and was feeding me playlists that I was blown away with. I also got to listen to exclusives like Drake’s new singles instantly, which were not available on Spotify. In addition, Beats 1 is something I tune into at least once a day. I often find myself asking Siri to play Beats 1 or just some rap when I am bored, and she knows exactly what I like. With Spotify, I find it easier to just go and listen to any song I want and build playlists to share with people, and it is also easier to use than Apple Music. Because of the integration with my iPhone and Siri and great discovery playlists, I ditched Spotify for Apple Music.
We all have different approaches to music, and it depends on what you are looking for. If you are looking for a service solely based on:
Price with no ads? Go with Apple Music.
Price with ads? Go with Spotify.
Integration with iPhone and iTunes? Apple Music would be your best bet.
Have an Android? Spotify all the way!
Discovering new music? Go with Apple Music.
Building playlists and sharing them with people? Spotify has your back.
Getting a concert vibe? Beats 1 on Apple Music is great.
Taylor Swift? Go with Apple Music.
