By Robert Grier
In some respects, streaming has given the music business a significant boost, offsetting the fall in hard format sales and altering the way music is produced, disseminated, and enjoyed.
For the first time, according to global music industry association IFPI, streaming accounted for more than half (56.1%) of global recorded music income by the end of 2019. Apple Music and Spotify are the two most well-known music streaming services. You can buy Spotify plays in order to gain wider reach on Spotify.
Apple launched its music streaming service more than five years ago to compete with Spotify by providing a more comprehensive set of services and better connectivity with Apple products. While both platforms have comparable music libraries, consumers may find it difficult to select between them.
Hence, in our Apple Music versus Spotify face-off, let’s take a closer look at how the two services compare.
Face Off: Apple Music vs Spotify
Now let us compare Apple Music vs Spotify to discover which is the better music streaming service for you.
Plans for paying by subscription
Spotify and Apple Music both provide a three-month free trial of their premium subscriptions, which are typically $10 per month. Students pay $5, while Apple Music family plans cost $15 and Spotify family plans cost $16. You may listen to music offline and stream any song from the collection on demand. For $13, Spotify now provides a Premium Duo membership for two customers who share an address.
Spotify is the only one of the two music services that offers a free, ad-supported tier, so you can continue listening even if you don’t want to pay for the premium version. Aside from the interruptions, many albums and playlists need you to listen in shuffle mode rather than sequential play, and you can only skip six times each hour.
Interaction with the user
Spotify and Apple Music both have comparable designs that are clean, straightforward, and easy to use. However, this was not always the case. We found Apple Music’s cluttered design a bit hard to use when it initially arrived. However, with Apple’s latest iOS version, the Cupertino behemoth reduced it down to its bare essentials, with crisper text and visuals. The layout is easier to browse, as features and settings are concealed behind icons and collapsible tabs.
You can also import your local files into Spotify’s interface, although it’s not as nicely integrated. With its logical and accessible sidebar menu structure, Spotify’s distinctive green-tinted silver-on-grey interface has long been the ideal template, and its continuous concentration on content over the years has made it all the more practical. Buy Spotify plays if you are in search of a wider reach on Spotify.
Acoustics
Apple Music’s iCloud library’s 256kbps AAC files sound more open and engaging than Spotify’s 320kbps MP3 streams, with more space, nuance, and punch.
Spotify streams in AAC at 128kbps for free users and 256kbps for Premium customers through the online player or Chromecast. 256kbps AAC files are streamed across the board on Apple Music. Spotify still has good detail levels and a polished, easy-on-the-ears presentation; it’s simply not as entertaining at 128kbps.
Accessibility
In recent years, both services have pushed to expand their availability. Spotify material may be played on your gaming consoles in addition to the usual platforms like phones, tablets, PCs, and Macs. This applies to both newer systems like the PS5 and Xbox Series X and S, as well as older platforms like the Xbox One and PS4. Spotify also released the Car Thing in early 2021, a tiny touchscreen gadget that can be installed in any car and used to stream music and podcasts.
Spotify is compatible with a variety of smartwatches, from Fitbit and Garmin models to more fashionable Samsung and Google Wear OS devices. Spotify now supports offline listening on Wear OS devices and the Apple Watch, which is a big improvement.
Apple Music offers its own automated solution in Apple CarPlay, but it must be built-in to the car; you can’t just plug CarPlay into any old car. Apple Music does, however, boast a wide range of compatible devices, including the Apple HomePod and HomePod mini, as well as the Apple TV 4K and Apple Watch.
Content curation and playlists
Apple and Spotify are virtually on par when it comes to user-curated playlists. Like Spotify’s Daily Mix lists and Apple Music’s Get Up And Chill mixes, both will offer you with customized playlists. Both sites will also suggest music and artists that you haven’t heard but might enjoy depending on your listening habits. Along with listening habits you require a certain number of plays, which you can achieve if you buy Spotify plays.
The Apple Music 1 radio station, formerly known as Beats 1, is also a possible source of new music, however its programming is curated for the whole Apple Music subscriber base since it works like a regular radio station — headed by renowned DJs like Zane Lowe and Ebro Darden. Spotify’s “radio” is really just playlists tailored for certain genres, subjects, and tastes.
Final Verdict
Other Apple devices are compatible with Apple Music. Apple Music, for example, is your sole option if you want voice control on the HomePod. Spotify, on the other hand, works on a wide range of devices, including gaming consoles and smart speakers. For a wider reach on Spotify, you can always buy Spotify plays that are organic.
Each of these services must be trained to truly understand your preferences, which takes time. With its personalized playlists and discovery capabilities, Spotify does a better job of discovering and customizing playlists and suggestions to us. Apple Music, on the other hand, provides you the most freedom when it comes to combining music from your personal collection with new material you can listen to on demand.
