Both services are available on a number of platforms: there’s desktop support for PC and Mac (Spotify has a web player too), plus Android and iOS apps. Spotify also has the benefit of Connect. Spotify is a digital music service that gives you access to millions of songs. We and our partners use cookies to personalize your experience, to show you ads based on your interests, and for measurement and analytics purposes. Google play music is without a doubt an exceptional music player that has been on the web for more than 8 years. It is a popular online music streaming site and millions of people around the world tend to use it. Spotify on the other end, is another popular streaming app and is one of the competitors of Google Music since it came in 2008.

The way we consume music has evolved dramatically over the past 50 years.

One of the biggest changes is the shift from ownership of physical – and latterly digital – music (remember Steve Jobs pulling 1,000 songs out of his pocket in 2001?) to streaming; playing songs in real-time from a library in the ether.

Streaming has in some ways provided a huge boost to the music industry, offsetting the decline in sales of physical formats and reshaping the way music is packaged, distributed and consumed.

According to global music industry representative IFPI, by the end of 2019, streaming accounted for more than half (56.1 per cent) of global recorded music revenue for the first time.

It is the industry’s fastest-growing revenue source, with 89 per cent of music-lovers across the globe listening to music through on-demand streaming, and 54 per cent of 35 to 64-year-olds using a streaming service in the past month – up eight per cent on figures taken 12 months previously.

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The state of play

There are plenty of streaming services vying for your attention: Deezer, Google Play Music, Primephonic, Amazon Music Unlimited, and YouTube Music to name a few.

Tidal, with its CD-quality lossless streaming tiers, has made ripping CDs a thing of the past, while Qobuz’s Sublime+ subscription offers hi-res downloads too.

But the biggest two by far are Spotify and Apple Music. Since 2008, Spotify has been at the forefront of streaming.

As one of the longest-running and most subscribed-to services, its dominance has seen many rivals fall by the wayside. But Spotify arguably faces its biggest threat yet from Apple Music (previously Beats Music until Apple acquired it in 2014).

Here, we compare the two giants to see which most deserves your money.

MORE: Best music streaming services 2020: free streams to hi-res audio

Subscription plans

If you don’t have the extra cash to splash on streaming, then Spotify should probably be your go-to service.

Staying true to its “music for everyone” ethos, it is one of the few to offer a free (ad-supported) subscription tier alongside its Premium service.

The desktop version is pretty unrestricted in terms of search and stream options, and while free users on the mobile app could previously only listen to playlists in shuffle mode rather than specific tracks and were limited to six song-skips per hour, Spotify updated the app in 2018 to allow free users unlimited listening to as many as 750 tracks across 15 top playlists every month (including Discover Weekly), equating to about 40 hours of music playback.

Of course, there are adverts, and the data rate is capped at 160kbps, but the service is free, so it'd be churlish to complain.

The majority of Spotify’s 100 million active users settle for the free tier but, as the 140 million who now subscribe to the paid-for Premium service can vouch for, there’s plenty of reason to shell out: 320kbps streams, offline listening, Spotify Connect support, search and skip tracks on mobile devices, and no adverts.

Apple Music doesn’t have a free tier, although there is a three-month free trial and you don’t need to be a member to listen to Beats 1 radio – one of the service’s most celebrated features.

For online and offline streaming and access to more radio stations, the monthly fee is also £10 ($10) (or £5 ($5) for the student membership).

Apple Music may have arrived late to the party, but it did so with a huge fanfare. While it may currently have around half the number of paying subscribers as Spotify (68m by the end of 2019, according to German statistics portal, Statista), the fact that it has skyrocketed to that in just over five years is staggering.

Now that Spotify has revised the initial monthly £30 cost of its Family Plan, both services now offer £15 ($15) family membership covering up to six users. Recently, Spotify also launched a £12.99 ($12.99) Duo membership too, for couples.

**Winner** Spotify

Catalogue

It’s a pretty even match when it comes to catalogue size and platform support.

Apple Music claims over 60m tracks in its back catalogue, while Spotify's figure is 50m songs. And that’s growing – in April 2019, Spotify founder Daniel Ek told investors that 40,000 songs were being added to Spotify's streaming platform every day. It's not just music though, the catalogue is growing in terms of types of content too.

Battling to be at the forefront of innovation, Spotify has focused on podcasts as well as music for its content growth. Spotify free download for pc windows 7 64 bit. Since the acquisition of podcasting production specialist Gimlet Media in 2019, over 700,000 podcasts have been made available to stream and download on Spotify, including a raft of Spotify exclusives.

And if that sounds a bit much, there a set of human-curated podcast playlists to help you find your new favourite shows with names such as 'Best Podcasts of the Week', 'Brain Snacks' and 'Crime Scene' – all self-explanatory and well worth delving into.

Perhaps Apple's advantage over Spotify here is that while both services offer playlists that comprise songs based on your listening habits, Apple also has the Beats 1 Radio stations which feature human DJs at the decks.

But streaming services aren’t quite the global jukebox they could be.

Some anti-streaming artists, including Adele and, historically, Prince, have deliberately restricted their work. Spotify has come into conflict with artists over both the low royalties it pays acts and the very existence of its free tier.

In 2014, Taylor Swift publicly pulled all but one of her songs from Spotify. At the time, Spotify said that 16m of its users had played Swift's music in the 30 days leading up to the removal, adding that she appeared on 19m Spotify playlists.

Swift wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed, 'It's my opinion that music should not be free' although she has now conceded this protest.

Jay-Z’s involvement in Tidal has seen some of his albums, including The Blueprint, appear exclusively there, although the artist eventually threw in the towel on that particular exclusivity war.

Apple has cut exclusive deals, including Dr Dre’s Compton album, Drake's Views From The 6 and Britney Spears' Glory, all of which initially appeared on Apple Music only – although they are now available on Spotify. Still, the lure of a paid-for service clearly works when it comes to securing artists, to a degree at least.

Time will tell whether Apple Music’s artist-exclusives will hurt Spotify in the long run, but Spotify is rumoured to be considering keeping some music off its free tier to get more artists on board.

Both services are available on a number of platforms: there’s desktop support for PC and Mac (Spotify has a web player too), plus Android and iOS apps.

Spotify also has the benefit of Connect, which lets premium subscribers stream directly to speakers, TVs or systems, while Apple deploys AirPlay 2 here.

Both have become a function on many hi-fi and AV products – and it's a big pull for those interested in bringing streaming and multi-room listening to their existing system.

**Winner** Draw

The user experience

Both Spotify and Apple Music offer similarly clean, simple and intuitive layouts. That wasn’t always the case, though. When Apple Music first launched, we found its busy interface a bit clunky to use.

But with Apple's 2016 iOS 10 update, the Cupertino giant stripped it back, with cleaner typography and graphics. Features and options are hidden away behind icons and collapsible tabs, and the layout is easier to navigate.

The rule of thumb for using Apple Music is to click everything. Tapping the ellipsis that appears almost everywhere opens options such as: play next, add to library, add to a playlist, share (to any social media), lyrics and download.

Everything is neatly contained within five sections: Library, For You, Browse, Radio and Search/store. Sub-sections for New Music and Curated Playlists are clearly labelled within the Browse section.

The Library is where all your music lives. This includes files stored on your smartphone, CD-ripped WAVs, your own playlists and any music you’ve saved and downloaded while streaming or listening to radio in Apple Music.

Thanks to its compatibility with iCloud sharing, you’ll also be able to see all the music stored on your iTunes account.

MORE: Apple Music review

Spotify allows you to bring your local files into its interface too, but it’s not as well integrated. If you want all your music in one place, Apple Music does it better.

Spotify’s iconic green-tinted silver-on-grey interface has long been the ideal template with its logical and accessible sidebar menu layout, and its consistent focus on content over the years has made it all the more practical.

The Browse (or ‘home’) page throws up context-based playlists, constantly updated UK and global charts, and new releases for your attention, as well as content sorted by genre and based on tracks you’ve previously listened to.

A new ‘Concert’ tab that flags up gigs based on your music tastes and location, as well as ones that are ‘popular near you’, is a nice addition for music-lovers too.

**Winner** Draw

Discovery

For those who like to explore new bands, both Spotify and Apple Music encourage the pioneer in you.

When you register for Apple Music, tapping on floating red circles highlighting different genres of music and artists gives an indication of your initial preferences.

Hitting ‘Love’ or ‘Dislike’ on songs updates this and we are certainly impressed by Apple’s curation, and by how on-point the playlists are. On the iOS app, clicking on the 'For You' heart also brings up a list of regularly updated playlists such as Get Up!, Chill, New Music, and Favourites – new, zero-effort playlists specific to your listening.

By attributing a great deal of focus on music discovery through personalised algorithmic playlists, Spotify has managed to take this step too.

One of its most popular features is Discover Weekly, which uses Spotify’s ‘deep learning’ system to generate a playlist of 30 songs every Monday that are relevant to your listening habits.

There’s also more concentration on discovering new music. Complementing Discover Weekly is Release Radar, a two-hour playlist of brand-new music sent out every Friday, so that you never miss the latest tracks from your favourite artists.

It even includes new remixes of songs from artists you like or have recently listened to, and in case you need even more songs to soundtrack your weekend, there’s a New Music Friday UK playlist that ties in with the official UK chart. Rinsed them by Wednesday? That’s where the Daily Mix, which consists of five genre-specific playlists, comes in. The more you listen the more they evolve…

**Winner** Draw

Video and radio

Content isn’t limited only to music. Both Spotify and Apple have branched out into video content.

MORE: Spotify review

They won’t be challenging YouTube just yet, but we’re keen to see how – and if –these develop. Apple Music still boasts a more attractive and comprehensive radio offering, however.

Unlike Spotify’s algorithmic radio, which curates songs around a particular artist, Apple Music can shout much louder about its live 24/7 global ‘youth-orientated’ station, Beats 1. Fronted by DJs such as Zane Lowe and featuring a host of celebrity guest slots (from the likes of Dr Dre, Pharrell Williams and Elton John), Beats 1 is something that no other streaming service has – and ultimately one Spotify has to take on the chin.

**Winner** Apple Music

Sound quality

The 256kbps AAC files on Apple Music’s iCloud library sound more open and involving than Spotify’s 320kbps MP3 streams, and benefit from extra space, subtlety and punch too.

It’s not a million miles ahead, though. If you listen on Spotify's web player or via Chromecast, it streams in AAC at 128kbps for free users, or 256kbps for Premium.

Apple Music streams 256kbps AAC files across the board. Spotify still offers decent detail levels and a tonally balanced presentation that’s refined and easy on the ears – it’s just not quite as engaging at 128kbps, of course.

Ultimately though, we’re still waiting for Spotify and Apple Music to adopt a lossless sound quality option similar to Tidal’s. For both services, this seems the next logical barrier to push.

**Winner** Apple Music

Verdict

Calls don’t get much closer than this. Apple Music sounds slightly better and is probably the pick for those who value Beats 1 radio, like having all their music in one place and can’t live without certain artists and access to their brand new albums.

But Spotify is undoubtedly the choice for those who value discovering and sharing music most, and the clear winner for those not wanting to splash out.

So, while Apple Music is an undeniable threat with the definite potential to leapfrog Spotify in the future, the Swedish service remains the one to beat – for now at least.

**Overall winner** Spotify

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See all our streaming reviews

From Amazon to Apple, you’ve got a lot of choices when it comes to music streaming services. To help you narrow things down a bit, we took a look at two of the biggest platforms out there—Apple Music and Spotify—to see how they stack up against one another.

While both offer robust catalogs and plenty of ways to discover new music, each brings a little something different to the table. Before you pop on your headphones and press play, check out our guide to find the major differences between Apple Music and Spotify so you can choose the one that’s right for you.

Library

When it comes to the amount of music available, Apple Music stands out with a total of 60 million available songs for subscribers. However, Spotify still delivers an abundance of music with more than 50 million songs at your fingertips. In addition, Spotify integrates an extensive library of podcasts and audiobooks, while Apple splits both off into separate apps.

When it comes to music, most users will find the vast majority of the tracks they’re looking for on either Apple Music or Spotify. But if you’re looking for something specific, you can try out the limited free option for either service (more on that below) to see if you’re missing anything crucial.

Available plans and pricing

Unlike Apple, which is a subscription-only service, Spotify comes in two primary flavors: the free version, which is supported by ads and has streaming restrictions, and the paid version, Spotify Premium.

Spotify Premium’s basic plan costs $9.99 per month for unlimited skips, the highest-quality playback the service offers, and the ability to download up to 10,000 songs on five devices for playback offline. There’s also a $14.99 family plan, which allows for up to six users and comes with all of the above, as well as Spotify Kids, a special app for children 12 and under.
If you’re a student, Spotify’s Premium Student Plan gives you all the benefits of the regular Premium plan, as well as Hulu’s ad-supported TV plan, and unlimited access to Showtime, all for $4.99. A basic Hulu subscription costs $5.99, while Showtime is regularly $11 per month, making this plan the most cost-effective subscription for those who qualify.

Additionally, Spotify offers a free, ad-supported plan, which also offers access to millions of songs, podcasts, and audiobooks without forking over a penny—but there are some caveats. Those including frequent advertisements, lower streaming quality, and shuffle-only playback on mobile devices for most tracks.

Like Spotify, Apple Music offers three monthly subscription tiers: Student ($4.99), Individual ($9.99), and Family ($14.99), which offers up to six users and the ability to share purchases. All of Apple's plans allow you to listen online or offline without any ads. You can also download up to 100,000 songs to your library, access Apple Music across your devices, see what your friends are listening to, and gain access to original shows, concerts, and Apple Music exclusives.

Free trial

Along with Spotify’s free option, the service also offers new subscribers one month of Spotify Premium for free.

Although Apple Music doesn’t have a free, ad-based plan like Spotify, the service does offer a longer, three-month free trial for new users.

Not sure you want to commit to Apple Music or Spotify? Do yourself a favor and set a reminder in your phone to cancel your plan before the trial period ends.

Streaming quality

Spotify streams AAC files at 128 kbps for free accounts, or double that (256 kbps) for Premium accounts. Spotify automatically adjusts the sound quality based on your network connection. However, within the Settings menu of the desktop, mobile, and tablet apps, the Music Quality feature allows you to select low, normal, high, and very high (only offered with Premium accounts) which the service claims is the “equivalent to approximately 320 kbps.”.

Spotify Web Or App

Like Spotify Premium, Apple Music streams AAC files at a rate of 256 kbps. You can adjust the quality under the Settings of your iOS device—just remember that doing so may use more cellular data and may also cause a delay when you press play on a song.

It’s worth noting that neither Apple Music or Spotify offer lossless (i.e. uncompressed) listening options like Tidal's HiFi membership, which gives you access to CD-quality streaming (1411 kbps) or even higher on select devices for $19.99 per month.

Amazon Music HD also offers high-definition listening, including many tracks at around 850 kbps and select tracks at up to 3730 kbps for $14.99 per month (or $12.99 for Prime members).

Design and accessibility

The Apple Music app stays true to Apple’s signature minimalist style, offering a clean, white aesthetic that’s light and modern. Compare that to Spotify’s overall dark theme that primarily showcases a black background and the brand’s signature green color splashed throughout for a completely different appearance.

When it comes to the overall layout, both services offer similar ways to discover new music, access your library of playlists and purchased tracks, and call up specific selections from the search function.

Spotify Web Player Vs App Quality

Apple Music also offers the aid of Siri on Apple devices, allowing you to use voice search for playback control, search, and song skip. While Spotify doesn’t have its own voice assistant, the service is more device agnostic, meaning it's accessible across more devices and can be integrated with third-party voice assistants.

In other words, Apple Music is tailored for those highly invested in Apple hardware, while Spotify is more versatile and accessible across a wider range of devices.

Music discovery

With millions of songs at your fingertips, it may feel overwhelming to find new songs that suit your musical tastes. Thankfully, both music streaming platforms offer curated playlists just for you. Spotify's Discover Weekly playlist is updated every Monday with 30 new tunes based on your previous musical choices. The service’s Daily Playlists, based on your most-played genres, are also easy ways to play and discover new songs.

You'll find similar playlists under Apple Music's 'For You' tab, based on your listening history and musical preferences. When you sign up for Apple Music, you’ll also be prompted to select different genres and bands you listen to. Apple Music also uses this data when assembling your curated playlists.

Radio

Apple Music has invested heavily in radio to help it stand out from the pack. In September 2019, Apple partnered with TuneIn, bringing more than 100,000 global radio stations to the service. And, of course, there’s also Apple’s Beats 1 Radio, a 24-hour live radio station. Beats 1 offers the human touch, including curation from big-name DJs like Zane Lowe, as well as celebrity shows from the likes of The Weeknd, St. Vincent, and others.

Spotify’s radio feature takes a much less traditional approach, offering algorithm-based listening a la Pandora. Based on any artist, album, playlist, or song of your choosing, Spotify will create a continuous mix of songs that match certain attributes of your theme of choice. While there’s no live aspect like Beats 1, Spotify has invested heavily in algorithm curation to make its playlists more robust and varied.

Spotify Web Player vs. Apple Music Web Player

Both Apple Music and Spotify have web players where you can view a particular artist's page, as well as access and edit your music library. You can also search for artists, songs, albums, new releases, and more.

When it comes to web players, Apple Music was a little behind the curve here. In April, Apple Music launched a web-based music player, after introducing a beta version in Sept. 2019.

Spotify's web player is supported by the following browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Opera. If you're having trouble running the web player, it's possible that your browser may be out of date. Installing the latest rendition should fix any problems. Still not working? You can also try opening the web player in a private or incognito tab. Spotify may be restricted at certain locations like schools, work, and other offices. Follow @SpotifyStatus to track outages or report any issues.

How to cancel Apple Music and Spotify

Spotify App Vs Browser

Another important factor to consider is the cancellation process for both Apple Music and Spotify. It’s actually a lot easier than you might think.

To cancel your Apple Music subscription, open the Settings folder on your smartphone. Navigate to iTunes & App Store. At the top of the screen, click on your Apple ID and then select View Apple ID. Scroll down toward the bottom of the page and select Subscriptions.

If you have a current Apple Music subscription, you should see it at the top of the page under the Active category. Tap on your Apple Music Membership to view more details. Click on Cancel Subscription (in red letters) to end your subscription. The app will prompt you to confirm you want to cancel. All you have to do is select Confirm and you're all done.

Ready to cancel your Spotify subscription? If you signed up via the website or the app, simply login to your account page. In the menu on the left side of the page, click on Subscription. Next, select Cancel and then Cancel Premium. Like Apple Music, Spotify asks you to confirm that you do indeed want to cancel your membership. So, go ahead and click Yes, Cancel. There is one thing to note. If you signed up with a student discount and then cancel your plan, you will not be able to apply it to another account until the year-long verification period is through. You can also log in to your account and fill out this form to submit to Spotify to cancel your membership.

Sign up for Apple Music starting at $4.99 per month

Sign up for Spotify Premium starting at $4.99 per month

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