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 the starring euphony streaming services, fashionable for their immense euphony libraries. Beyond the music, however, Apple Music offers subscribers entree to the company's unrecorded workplace performances, vigor interviews, and euphony videos, portion 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 enactment Dolby Atmos. Otherwise, Android users tin acquisition a robust Apple Music experience.

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

Features

You should take Apple Music if...

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1. You bask a ocular acquisition

Along with 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 precise artist-centric, offering respective Apple Music-branded vigor shows focused connected an artist's caller music, originative direction, inspiration, and memorable performances, with immoderate shows spotlighting planetary 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, with stations ranging from Sacramento to New York City.

2. You privation 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 oregon speaker). Dolby Atmos connected Apple Music is particularly enjoyable if you person a location situation dependable strategy oregon headphones compatible with Dolby Atmos and caput tracking, which offers the spatial audio experience.

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

Some Android smartphones are not compatible with Dolby Atmos, specified arsenic Google's Pixel 6 done Pixel 9 phones. In different cases, specified arsenic with 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 diagnostic efficaciously converted this Spotify idiosyncratic 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 similar podcasts

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

Also: Spotify's escaped tier conscionable got a large 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 similar audiobooks

Spotify besides offers audiobooks, but limits Premium subscribers to 15 hours of listening per month; unused hours bash not rotation over. Spotify's audiobooks tab besides features Page Match, which lets users scan a leafage from a carnal oregon ebook and leap to that leafage successful the audiobook, and vice versa.

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

If you privation much than 15 hours of ebooks per month, you'll person to wage $13 for 10 hours. The 15 escaped hours included with a Premium subscription are large for radical who don't often perceive to audiobooks, truthful having 15 hours per period feels similar an added perk. Apple Music doesn't connection audiobooks; instead, an Apple Books subscription is an option.

Writer's choice

I similar Apple Music to Spotify. An idiosyncratic Apple Music subscription is cheaper than Spotify, and I don't perceive to podcasts oregon audiobooks, truthful I'd wage a fewer other dollars for features I don't need. Additionally, I watercourse Apple Music connected my Sonos location theatre and perceive connected the spell with my AirPods, truthful I often bask Dolby Atmos spatial audio.