Apple Music vs. Spotify

All music lovers have their preferred streaming platform and typically have an intense sense of loyalty towards the one that they choose. The two biggest streaming platforms in the world are Spotify and Apple Music. Which one is better? Is there really any difference? I've tried to take a diplomatic stance in this debate, and these are the pros and cons I have found for each platform.

Spotify

If you ask around, chances are that the majority of people you talk to will be Spotify users. It is the most popular streaming platform in the world, with over 626 million active monthly users. There is no doubt that Spotify excels in the social aspect of streaming. With shared playlists, blends, and a more interactive platform, it makes it easier for users to keep up with what their friends are listening to. Spotify is great for people who want to keep exploring different types of music and discover new artists. With features like Discover Weekly and personalized playlists, Spotify's algorithm does a good job of helping you expand your music taste. Audiobooks and podcasts are also available to users. Spotify also has a completely free option available, which Apple Music does not have, for those who are unable to spend money on a monthly subscription.

The biggest drawback of using Spotify is the sound quality. Some users have complained about the lack of hi-res and lossless audio on the Spotify premium plan. Many other streaming platforms have implemented this type of audio, but Spotify still has not done so yet, which is strange. They are said to be launching their hi-res audio plan soon, but users will have to pay extra to access this audio quality. There is also some debate as to whether Spotify adequately compensates artists for their work, as it has a very low per-stream payout and uses a pro-rata payment model. These systems may be okay for much larger, well-known artists, but they harm smaller independent artists. Though Spotify claims it has changed its system, there is still some discrepancy over how fair its payment system is. This could also be a reason why their song catalog is only 80 million, as some artists have chosen to remove their work from Spotify entirely.

Apple Music

Apple Music is the ideal platform for those who truly care about how their music sounds because, unlike Spotify, Apple Music utilizes lossless audio and Dolby Atmos. Apple Music also typically has more exclusive content than Spotify, such as live performances, artist interviews, and behind-the-album content. Apple Music users also claim that the interface is much more manageable and easy to use than Spotify. When it comes to compensating artists fairly, Apple Music excels as it has a $0.01 per stream rate for artists, as opposed to Spotify's $0.0003 to $0.005 per stream rate: it's better for lesser-known artists. Apple Music also pays royalties directly to rights holders, which may also be better for independent artists, and has stood by its Fair Pay Campaign, which emphasized its commitment to being transparent when dealing with issues surrounding royalties. Because of this vocal expression of supporting artists' rights, Apple Music has a much larger song catalog than Spotify, with over 100 million songs as opposed to Spotify's 80 million, as more artists feel comfortable releasing their work on Apple Music.

Apple Music's biggest flaw, however, is the limited social aspect. While on Spotify, there are many opportunities to collaborate on playlists and share your listening habits, Apple Music has far fewer. Along with this, Apple Music places less emphasis on discovering and sharing new music. They have made changes in an attempt to emulate Spotify's features, for example, by creating things like Apple Music Replay to parallel Spotify Wrapped and creating unique personalized "radio stations," which can be compared to Spotify's personalized playlists. These features are simply less loved and appreciated by users of Apple Music than Spotify's features. With Apple Music's high-quality sound, there is also an issue because it has higher data usage, which may be a problem for some users. Finally, the most obvious problem is that Apple Music is primarily compatible with IOS devices. Although it is possible to have it on other devices, such as Android, it is far less convenient.

All things considered, it is important to examine your listening habits and priorities as a listener. Only then will you be able to truly determine what platform is right for you.