Apple Music vs. Spotify: I tested both music streaming services, and my choice is clear
Jada Jones/ZDNET Follow ZDNET:Add us as a preferred sourceon Google. Spotify and Apple Music are two of the leading music streaming services, popular for their vast music libraries. Beyond the music, however, Apple Music offers subscribers access to the company’s live studio performances, radio interviews, and music videos, while Spotify’s additional subscription perks lean heavily…
Follow ZDNET:Add us as a preferred sourceon Google.
Spotify and Apple Music are two of the leading music streaming services, popular for their vast music libraries. Beyond the music, however, Apple Music offers subscribers access to the company’s live studio performances, radio interviews, and music videos, while Spotify’s additional subscription perks lean heavily into audiobooks and podcasts.
Unlike Apple’s hardware devices, Apple Music doesn’t block many features to Android users, unless their device doesn’t support Dolby Atmos. Otherwise, Android users can experience a robust Apple Music experience.
I’ve used both streaming services for several years, and here’s the best advice I can give you before you decide on which service is right for you.
Features
|
Apple Music |
Spotify |
|
|
Price |
$10.99/mo individual plan |
$12.99/moindividual plan |
|
Included perks |
Apple Music Radio shows and interviews; music videos; in-studio performances; local radio broadcasters |
Podcasts; audiobooks; artist performances near you |
|
Lossless audio |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Dolby Atmos |
Yes |
No |
|
Equalizer |
EQ presets on iOS; five-band EQ on Android |
six-band EQ on iOS; five-band EQ on Android |
You should choose Apple Music if…
1. You enjoy a visual experience
Along with accessing your favorite music, Apple Music offers music videos, in-studio performances, on-camera interviews, and Apple Music Live performances you can watch. Apple Music’s platform is very artist-centric, offering several Apple Music-branded radio shows focused on an artist’s new music, creative direction, inspiration, and memorable performances, with some shows spotlighting international genres and artists.
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Apple Music’s Radio tab also offers subscribers access to several iHeartRadio-licensed live broadcasts, with stations ranging from Sacramento to New York City.
2. You want Dolby Atmos
Apple Music’s catalog includes several tracks mixed in Dolby Atmos, but proper Atmos listening requires a compatible audio source (smartphone) and listening device (headphones or speaker). Dolby Atmos on Apple Music is especially enjoyable if you have a home surround sound system or headphones compatible with Dolby Atmos and head tracking, which offers the spatial audio experience.
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Some Android smartphones are not compatible with Dolby Atmos, such as Google’s Pixel 6 through Pixel 9 phones. In other cases, such as with Samsung, you can stream in Atmos from your smartphone, but without head-tracking headphones, you’ll miss out on spatial audio.
3. You use Apple’s other services
If you subscribe to Apple’s other services, you should consider Apple One, which lets you bundle them for a lower price. An Individual Apple One subscription includes Apple Music, Apple TV, Apple Arcade, and 50 GB of iCloud+ storage for $20 a month.
Also: This iOS 26 feature effectively converted this Spotify user to Apple Music – and she’s here to stay
Family and Premier Apple One plans include additional access to Apple News and Apple Fitness+. Apple One activation requires an Apple ID and an iOS device.
You should choose Spotify if…
1. You like podcasts
Spotify offers subscribers access to a huge library of podcasts, ranging from true crime and current events to pop culture and celebrity talk shows. Spotify’s podcast tab is incredibly expansive, and there’s a high chance your favorite podcaster is on Spotify. Many podcasts on Spotify also support a visual component, so if your favorite podcasters film a video to accompany their audio, you can watch it directly in the Spotify app.
Also: Spotify’s free tier just got a major upgrade – here’s what’s new
In comparison, Apple Music does not host podcasts, and Apple instead encourages customers to subscribe to Apple Podcasts (which cannot be bundled in Apple One).
2. You like audiobooks
Spotify also offers audiobooks, but limits Premium subscribers to 15 hours of listening per month; unused hours do not roll over. Spotify’s audiobooks tab also features Page Match, which lets users scan a page from a physical or ebook and jump to that page in the audiobook, and vice versa.
Also: Spotify’s new Page Match feature fixes my biggest frustration with audiobooks – here’s how
If you want more than 15 hours of ebooks per month, you’ll have to pay $13 for 10 hours. The 15 free hours included with a Premium subscription are great for people who don’t often listen to audiobooks, so having 15 hours per month feels like an added perk. Apple Music doesn’t offer audiobooks; instead, an Apple Books subscription is an option.
Writer’s choice
I prefer Apple Music to Spotify. An individual Apple Music subscription is cheaper than Spotify, and I don’t listen to podcasts or audiobooks, so I’d pay a few extra dollars for features I don’t need. Additionally, I stream Apple Music on my Sonos home theater and listen on the go with my AirPods, so I often enjoy Dolby Atmos spatial audio.
