Spotify and Apple Music are the industry leaders in the best music streaming services. Both apps provide audiophiles with the best music listening experience, but have you ever wondered which one is better? If yes, here’s a brief Spotify vs Apple Music comparison to help you decide.
You can have Spotify Premium or Amazon Music Unlimited; it won’t be wise to subscribe to both music streaming services. This Spotify vs Amazon Music guide will help you choose the perfect app.
If you’re planning to switch from Spotify to Apple Music or vice versa, but there are too many confusions in your mind, we’ll clear the air with this guide. To find the best, we will compare Spotify and Apple Music in every aspect, including audio quality, music discovery, ease of access, price, and more.
Both Spotify and Amazon Music offer a similar set of features but also have a fair share of differences. The former is especially known for its unique functionalities that allow you to share your musical preferences with your friends. At the same time, the latter is preferred by users already having an Amazon Prime subscription.
Spotify Vs Amazon Music: Which Has Better Audio Quality?
Audio quality is a key deciding factor for music listeners when choosing the right platform. Spotify provides four different audio quality settings, including 24 kbps, 96kbps, 160kbps, and 320kbps. The latter is limited to Spotify Premium subscribers, while free users can only access up to 160kbps of streaming.
Spotify announced the much-awaited HiFi tier a couple of years back. However, it’s yet to launch, and there’s no sign of it coming anytime soon. However, rumours suggest it could be packed with an all-new “Spotify Supremium” tier. The good thing is that Spotify Co-President Gustav Söderström confirmed it’s still coming.
Meanwhile, Amazon Music takes an edge over Spotify regarding sound quality with the presence of CD-quality music streaming with its Music Unlimited subscription. It even features songs available in Ultra HD beyond the CD-quality tier.
On the other end, Apple Music now encodes music quality using ALAC in resolutions ranging from 16-bit/44.1kHz (CD quality) to 24-bit/192kHz (hi-res audio quality). Previously, it provided standard-quality tracks that were up to 256kbps AAC files. There is also an option for Spatial audio, which is absent even with Spotify Premium.
Result: Apple Music is better than Spotify regarding better audio quality.
Spotify Vs Apple Music- Library, Discovery, And Recommendations:
Spotify has a massive library of over 80 million songs, while Apple Music claims to have more than 100 million tracks in its collection. However, Spotify’s library includes around 2.6 million podcast titles, while Apple Music’s library features pure musical tracks.
Still, Spotify isn’t anywhere less regarding content, as you can find almost any song from any artist on the platform. There are also podcasts, audiobooks, and radio. However, when we look closer, Spotify features comparatively more genres than Amazon Music. The latter lacks the great collection of indie music that Spotify offers.
The platform also provides incredible user-curated playlists like Daily Mix and Weekly Mix. Spotify has also incorporated the new DJ feature that uses AI to recommend songs and curate highly personalized playlists.
Apple Music is also amazing regarding recommendations and personalized playlists like Get Up!, Chill Mixes, and more. They also have Apple Music 1 radio station, which was previously called Beats 1, a traditional radio station.
Both music streaming services offer podcasts you can listen to, but Spotify has a fairly richer collection than Amazon Music. In recent years, Spotify was involved in several acquisitions and collaborations that helped it grow its podcast and audiobook library significantly.
Spotify also has around 4.5 billion playlists that help you find any music when it comes to discovery or recommendations. Meanwhile, Amazon Music also has a great collection of playlists like Pop Culture, All Hits, Viral Hits, Hot Singles, and others, but I found Spotify’s compilation better.
Both Apple Music and Spotify have different ways of discovering new music. Spotify provides six Daily Mix playlists based on your musical interests and favourite artist, genre, mood, etc. Conversely, Apple Music suggests personalized music in the Listen Now and Browse tabs.
Spotify has certain playlists like Discover Weekly, New Releases, Top Charts, and others that help you find tracks you’d like. Amazon Music also has a recommendation section that provides albums and playlists based on your listening preferences. Both apps have a solid music suggestion algorithm.
Result: It’s a draw since Spotify and Apple Music have brilliant libraries and personalization/ recommendation algorithms.
Spotify Has The Best Social Sharing Features:
One of the key factors behind the immense success of Spotify is its social sharing features. The platform allows people to stay connected while listening to music. Spotify desktop app allows users to view what their peers are listening and users can send songs to each other virtually.
There’s also a feature called Spotify Blend which automatically creates a shared playlist between you and another person. There is another feature called Spotify Group Sessions that allows a group of friends to listen to a song, playlist, or podcast together while being away physically.
Ultimately, there are public sharing options on Spotify, such as the annual Wrapped experience, and third-party experiences like Receiptify, Color Palettes, and more. All of these let you stay connected with your social media friends while listening to music together.
Spotify has many social features, such as the annual Wrapped experience, that help users stay connected. The service encourages users to share playlists with their friends. It also lets you see what your friends have been streaming and vice versa.
Result: Spotify is a clear winner.
Amazon Music Lacks Social Sharing Features like Spotify:
Contrary to Spotify, Apple Music lacks this functionality due to limited access to sharing of data and preferences. It does provide the annual Apple Music Recap, but you can’t use your account with third-party services.
Amazon Music lacks such features. It allows users to share tracks and playlists, but it’s yet to develop other key functionalities that helped Spotify solidify its space in users’ lives. Amazon Music rarely gets discussed on social media, while Spotify frequently trends.
Many users love this and stick to Spotify as it’s a common interest among their circle. In addition, Spotify allows third-party apps to access user data, leading to viral trends like Icebergify, Receiptify, Color Palettes, and other challenges. Users love participating in these and sharing them online.
Spotify Vs Apple Music- Comparing User Interface, Design And Ease Of Use
User interface and ease of access are the key highlights of Spotify, but Apple Music is catching up pretty well since the major redesign introduced with iOS 10. Both music streaming apps use a similar tile-like UI with a navigation bar at the bottom of the screen for quick access to important elements.
The colour schemes are the main differentiating factor between the UI of Spotify and Apple Music. Spotify is traditionally known for a simple dark theme with flashes of neon green, while Apple Music uses bright and radiant colours with high-contrast text. Both apps prefer a clean and minimalist appearance in terms of design.
However, the key difference is on desktop apps. Spotify has an incredible desktop app that is clean and dynamic and provides additional features, such as listening to what your friends are listening to. Meanwhile, Amazon Music’s desktop is comparatively dull and only packs the essentials.
Apple Music provides a customizable sidebar that lets you choose what sections you want to keep on the main screen. Other than that, both apps offer similar controlling manners. You can long-press on a song or album to explore options and have the drag-and-drop function on the desktop app.
You’ll be better off using the Amazon Music mobile app or using it in a browser on the desktop. To counter Spotify’s lead, Amazon Music provides a good set of filters in the app. For instance, you can filter search results to show only 3D audio or Ultra HD tracks. Spotify lacks any such functionality.
Other than that, both music streaming platforms are easy to use, attractive, and satisfying to the eyes.
Result: It’s a draw as both apps have a clean and minimalistic UI.
Exclusive Features On Spotify:
Spotify includes some additional features that are exclusive to the app and isn’t available with Apple Music. The most significant one is Spotify Connect which lets you use your one device to control music playback on another device. This allows you to switch between music streaming devices seamlessly.
Apple Music can’t do this even when you are playing music with an iPhone, iPad, or MacBook. Some other exclusive Spotify features are the presence of audiobooks, translation of music lyrics, watching video podcasts, having private sessions, and creating collaborative playlists with your friends.
Another Spotify feature I like the most is artists’ special live performance records. You can listen to your favourite singers and feel like visiting a concert. Another thing that differentiates Spotify from Apple Music is the presence of songs and podcasts within a single platform.
Exclusive Features On Apple Music:
Like Spotify, Apple Music also has features that aren’t available on the former. Firstly, Apple Music works with AirPlay for audio handoff support between Apple devices and the HomePod. This lets you control music playback on the HomePod using your Apple device, like an iPhone or iPad.
Apple Music Sing was another exclusive feature on the app that allowed users to sing along, but Spotify introduced Karaoke Mode last year. So, it’s not exclusive anymore. An Apple Music feature, Top Charts, allows users to view trends worldwide in different cities.
Another brilliant Apple Music feature is the compatibility with SharePlay, allowing users to listen to songs remotely. The app also features music videos, mini-documentaries, artist interviews, behind-the-scenes, and live performances that aren’t available on Spotify.
Result: Spotify has the edge over Apple Music by having more features and customization options.
Key Features Of Spotify Premium:
Spotify is especially known for its vast range of features and its impressive algorithm that knows what you want to listen to. Spotify has a feature called “Enhance,” which lets users invite random songs into playlists that fit the mood and style of the already existing ones.
There are some other interesting features on Spotify such as Karaoke Mode, Private Sessions, Group Sessions, and others. Karaoke Mode and Group Sessions allow you to have fun with your friends while Private Sessions allow you to listen to your music alone without others knowing.
Recently, Spotify also introduced a “DJ” feature that uses AI to recommend songs that fit your style and preferences. There is also a Radio feature that easily lets you find tracks from your favourite artists or albums. You can also download songs on Spotify to listen to them offline (with Premium).
Key Features of Amazon Music Unlimited
Like Spotify, Amazon Music has a set of key features that make it worth using. The highlight of the service is its fine compatibility with Alexa, the famous voice-based home assistant. You can use Alexa with Amazon Music to play and pause your favourite tracks hands-free.
In addition to that, Amazon Music has a feature called “X-Ray Lyrics” which is a ‘behind-the-song’ feature that lets you understand the context of hard-to-understand tracks. Spotify also has a feature called “Storyline” which works similarly.
A Car Mode on Amazon Music lets you play songs while driving with a minimally distracting interface. It simplifies your music-listening experience while driving. Amazon Music also has a Radio feature similar to Spotify, allowing users to save songs for offline listening.
Compatible Devices Of Spotify And Apple Music:
Spotify and Apple Music both work on a wide range of devices. The services have been working on expanding their availability and compatibility in recent times. Both apps work on traditional mobile devices, tablets, computers, Macs, and smart TVs. However, they each have exclusive compatible devices too.
However, Spotify reigns supreme with Spotify Connect, which lets you stream songs on other devices, including Bluetooth speakers, directly from your main device. You can control the playback without needing to touch the device that’s playing music.
Another advantage of having Spotify is that you can play music on gaming consoles, including PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. The platform continues to add more devices to its list of compatible ones. Meanwhile, Amazon Music isn’t this flexible regarding compatible devices.
For instance, Spotify allows users to stream songs on gaming consoles, including PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and S. Apple Music also works on some exclusive devices like the HomePod and HomePod Mini. It also works with Xbox consoles, PS5, and Roku devices.
Previously, there was one major limitation of Apple Music for Windows users. They must install iTunes to play songs with Apple Music. Now, they can also play music directly within a browser. Spotify and Apple Music now support wearables such as smartwatches and fitness bands.
Result: It’s a draw now, but Spotify would’ve won in the past.
Spotify Vs Apple Music- Which Has The Best Price?
The ultimate factor that users check before choosing any service is its price. Both Spotify and Apple Music have similar prices for most subscriptions. However, the key differentiator between the two music streaming platforms is that Spotify has a free tier, but Apple Music doesn’t.
You can use Spotify without paying anything with its free plan (you have to see some ads and face certain limitations) but you must get an Apple Music paid subscription to use it. The standard subscription for Apple Music begins at $10.99 per month. Meanwhile, Spotify starts with a free tier but if you go for Spotify Premium, you’ll have to pay at least $9.99 monthly.
Both Spotify and Apple Music have student discounts available. Apple Music’s student plan costs $5.99 per month after the company raised the price by $1 recently, while Spotify’s student plan costs $4.99 monthly. There are also other subscription options, but Spotify provides a wider range.
Here’s a full breakdown of the price comparison between Spotify and Apple Music:
| Apple Music | Spotify | |
| Starting Price | $10.99 / £10.99 / AU$12.99 per month | Free |
| Price for offline mode with no ads | $10.99 / £10.99 / AU$12.99 per month | $9.99 per month |
| Student Discount Price | $5.99 / £5.99 / AU$5.99 per month | $4.99 per month |
| ‘Duo’ Household | NA | $12.99 per month, 2 accounts |
| Family Plan | $16.99 / £16.99 / AU$25.95 per month, 6 accounts | $15.99 per month, 6 accounts |
| Annual Subscription | $109.99 per year | $99 per year |
Result: Spotify slightly beats Apple Music here.
Does Spotify Premium Have A Free Trial?
Yes, Spotify offers a free trial for all its new customers to try the Premium subscription. Spotify provides a 30-day (1-month) free trial if you haven’t bought any plan. Sign up for a new Spotify account and claim the deal.
Before this, Spotify provided free trials of 2, 3, and 4 months in some regions. If you plan to get Spotify Premium, you can first try the service and see if it suits you. If it does, you can continue to pay; if it doesn’t, you can simply cancel your Spotify Premium free trial.
Does Amazon Music Unlimited Have A Free Trial?
Amazon Music Unlimited also offers a 90-day (3-month) free trial to all its new subscribers (and it’s longer than Spotify’s free trial). If you’re an Amazon Prime subscriber, you will also get an additional month which means you can use the music streaming service free for 4 months.
After that, you’ll have to start paying the regular subscription costs. This period will be enough to figure out if Amazon Music Unlimited is worth the money. If you find Spotify better, you can easily switch and transfer your Amazon Music playlist to Spotify using this guide.
Final Verdict- Which Is Better?
The final score of our comparison gives an edge to Spotify due to better features, more customizations, sharing options, and the ad-included free tier. However, Apple Music isn’t far behind either. I believe both Spotify and Apple Music are equally great music streaming services.
The answer to the query, “Which is better than the other?” depends on your preferences. If you are an Apple user, you’re bound to like Apple Music more, but if you’ve been using Spotify for a long time, you won’t be able to replace it easily. There isn’t much difference if you are a casual music listener.
However, Apple Music is the right app if you are a hardcore audiophile with the best headphones looking for the best music streaming quality. Similarly, if you’re a student who can’t afford a paid subscription but still want to listen to your favourite songs, then Spotify will help you.
Pro Tip: You can decide which music streaming service is more suitable for you by using their free trials. Both Spotify and Apple Music offer multi-months of free trials. You can claim them. Use the services and decide for yourself. Once you have decided, you can stick to paying for one of them.
Our in-depth comparison shows that Spotify seems to be better than Amazon Music Unlimited. However, the reality is that there aren’t many differences between both music streaming services. Spotify and Amazon Music are excellent sources for audiophiles to play their favourite tracks.
If you’re wondering which one is better than the other, then the answer varies for different users. It depends on what you’re looking for. Spotify is the better option if you want a free-to-use music streaming service. Still, if you want the best audio quality while listening on your premium headphones, Amazon Music Unlimited would be the winner.
In general, Spotify offers more features than any other music streaming service right now, it’s also a bit cheaper than others, has the best music recommendation and discovery algorithm, and you can stay connected with your friends while streaming your favourite tracks.
The wise choice would be to use the free trial with Spotify and Amazon Music Unlimited and then decide for yourself. You’ll find the perfect music streaming app in this way.
Frequently Asked Questions:
A: It’ll be worth switching to Apple Music from Spotify if you’re looking for better audio quality, music videos, broadcast shows, radio, and compatibility with your Apple devices. However, if you’re a casual music listener, Spotify would be a better choice due to its free streaming tier and social sharing features.
A: Users prefer Spotify over Apple Music because the latter provides a free tier that allows you to start streaming your favourite songs without having to pay anything. Meanwhile, Apple Music requires a subscription before you begin streaming. The availability of more features and social sharing options are some other reasons why Spotify is a preferred music streaming app.
A: You can listen to Apple Music tracks offline after downloading them to your library within the app. Spotify also allows you to save songs for offline listening. However, the feature isn’t available for free users. You must be a Spotify Premium subscriber to do so.
A: No, Apple Music isn’t cheaper than Spotify. It’s a dollar costlier than the latter. A standard Apple Music Individual Monthly subscription costs $10.99, while a Spotify Premium Individual Monthly plan is $9.99 monthly. Similarly, Apple Music’s student plan costs $5.99 monthly, while Spotify’s student plan costs $4.99 monthly.
A: Amazon Music Unlimited is not free with a Prime subscription. However, it costs only $8.99 monthly for Prime subscribers and $10.99 for non-Prime customers.
A: Both Amazon Music and Spotify are amazing music streaming apps. If you’re looking for the best sound quality, then Amazon Music Unlimited would be better than Spotify Premium as it has the perfect audio streaming experience with HD and HD tracks.
A: People use Spotify over Amazon Music as it provides the best music streaming experience for free, and a paid plan unlocks additional perks. Spotify has a better library, better music discovery features, and the best music recommendation algorithm that knows the right songs for your mood. It is also largely better than Amazon Music regarding social sharing features.
This is Saquib, a technology and social media expert with over 10 years of experience in the industry. With a passion for staying up-to-date on the latest developments and trends in the tech and social media world and as a writer, I have been creating informative and engaging content that is easy for readers to understand and enjoy, also published in several leading tech and social media publications and is a regular speaker at industry events. In addition to my writing and speaking engagements, I also work as a consultant, helping businesses grow with the ever-changing tech and social media niche.
