Apple Music Vs. Spotify: I Tested Both Music Streaming Services, And My Choice Is Clear

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Spotify and Apple Music are 2 of nan starring euphony streaming services, celebrated for their immense euphony libraries. Beyond nan music, however, Apple Music offers subscribers entree to nan company's unrecorded workplace performances, power interviews, and euphony videos, while Spotify's further subscription perks thin heavy into audiobooks and podcasts. 

Unlike Apple's hardware devices, Apple Music doesn't artifact galore features to Android users, unless their instrumentality doesn't support Dolby Atmos. Otherwise, Android users tin acquisition a robust Apple Music experience.

I've utilized some streaming services for respective years, and here's nan champion proposal I tin springiness you earlier you determine connected which work is correct for you.

Features

You should take Apple Music if...

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1. You bask a ocular acquisition

Along pinch accessing your favourite music, Apple Music offers euphony videos, in-studio performances, on-camera interviews, and Apple Music Live performances you tin watch. Apple Music's level is very artist-centric, offering respective Apple Music-branded power shows focused connected an artist's caller music, imaginative direction, inspiration, and memorable performances, pinch immoderate shows spotlighting world genres and artists.

Also: 3 reasons to usage Apple Music connected Android - particularly if you person iOS 26 envy

Apple Music's Radio tab besides offers subscribers entree to respective iHeartRadio-licensed unrecorded broadcasts, pinch stations ranging from Sacramento to New York City.

2. You want Dolby Atmos

Apple Music's catalog includes respective tracks mixed successful Dolby Atmos, but due Atmos listening requires a compatible audio root (smartphone) and listening instrumentality (headphones aliases speaker). Dolby Atmos connected Apple Music is particularly enjoyable if you person a location situation sound strategy aliases headphones compatible pinch Dolby Atmos and caput tracking, which offers nan spatial audio experience.

Also: I wore nan champion headphones from Sony, Bose, Apple, and Sonos: Here's really nan AirPods Max wins

Some Android smartphones are not compatible pinch Dolby Atmos, specified arsenic Google's Pixel 6 done Pixel 9 phones. In different cases, specified arsenic pinch Samsung, you tin watercourse successful Atmos from your smartphone, but without head-tracking headphones, you'll miss retired connected spatial audio.

3. You usage Apple's different services

If you subscribe to Apple's different services, you should see Apple One, which lets you bundle them for a little price. An Individual Apple One subscription includes Apple Music, Apple TV, Apple Arcade, and 50 GB of iCloud+ retention for $20 a month. 

Also: This iOS 26 characteristic efficaciously converted this Spotify personification to Apple Music - and she's present to stay

Family and Premier Apple One plans see further entree to Apple News and Apple Fitness+. Apple One activation requires an Apple ID and an iOS device.

You should take Spotify if...

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1. You for illustration podcasts

Spotify offers subscribers entree to a immense room of podcasts, ranging from existent crime and existent events to popular civilization and personage talk shows. Spotify's podcast tab is incredibly expansive, and there's a precocious chance your favourite podcaster is connected Spotify. Many podcasts connected Spotify besides support a ocular component, truthful if your favourite podcasters movie a video to travel their audio, you tin watch it straight successful nan Spotify app.

Also: Spotify's free tier conscionable sewage a awesome upgrade - here's what's new

In comparison, Apple Music does not big podcasts, and Apple alternatively encourages customers to subscribe to Apple Podcasts (which cannot beryllium bundled successful Apple One).

2. You for illustration audiobooks

Spotify besides offers audiobooks, but limits Premium subscribers to 15 hours of listening per month; unused hours do not rotation over. Spotify's audiobooks tab besides features Page Match, which lets users scan a page from a beingness aliases ebook and jump to that page successful nan audiobook, and vice versa.

Also: Spotify's caller Page Match characteristic fixes my biggest vexation pinch audiobooks - here's how

If you want much than 15 hours of ebooks per month, you'll person to salary $13 for 10 hours. The 15 free hours included pinch a Premium subscription are awesome for group who don't often perceive to audiobooks, truthful having 15 hours per period feels for illustration an added perk. Apple Music doesn't connection audiobooks; instead, an Apple Books subscription is an option.

Writer's choice

I for illustration Apple Music to Spotify. An individual Apple Music subscription is cheaper than Spotify, and I don't perceive to podcasts aliases audiobooks, truthful I'd salary a fewer other dollars for features I don't need. Additionally, I watercourse Apple Music connected my Sonos location theatre and perceive connected nan spell pinch my AirPods, truthful I often bask Dolby Atmos spatial audio.