Which Is Better, Apple Music vs Spotify? Find Answer Here!

At a Glance: The Quick Verdict: Apple Music vs Spotify

If you are short on time, here is how the two services stack up on the metrics that matter most.

Round 1. Apple Music vs Spotify Price

If you plan to subscribe to a streaming music service, you should be very concerned about the price. So, how much is Apple Music vs Spotify? Here is the difference between Apple Music and Spotify costs:

Spotify's Free Tier Advantage

Spotify's biggest weapon remains its Free Tier. You can listen to its entire catalog without paying a dime, provided you can tolerate advertisements and forced shuffle play on mobile devices. For casual listeners or students on a strict budget, this makes Spotify the default winner.

Apple Music's Premium Value

Apple Music has no free tier; you must pay to play. However, Apple packs significantly more value into its standard subscription. The base monthly Apple Music prices are cheaper than Spotify. Besides, an Apple Music subscription includes Lossless Audio and Spatial Audio at no extra cost.

Furthermore, Apple offers the Apple One bundle, which combines Apple Music, Apple TV, Arcade, and iCloud storage for a single monthly price, a massive bargain if you are already in the Apple ecosystem.

👍Winner: Spotify for free access; Apple Music for paid value.

Round 2. Spotify vs Apple Music Sound Quality

This is where the competition has recently tightened. The audio quality of Apple Music is no longer a one-sided victory, though significant differences in accessibility remain

Apple Music: The Audiophile's Choice

Apple Music treats high-resolution audio as a standard feature, not a luxury add-on. Every subscriber gets access to:

• Lossless Audio: CD-quality streaming (16-bit/44.1kHz) up to Hi-Res Lossless (24-bit/192kHz).
• Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos: This creates a surround-sound experience that makes it feel like the band is playing around you.

If you have quality headphones or a decent home stereo, the difference is noticeable. The sound is crisp, detailed, and expansive, and it is enabled by default for compatible devices.

Spotify: The Lossless Upgrade

After years of anticipation, Spotify HiFi has finally arrived, now officially branded as Spotify Lossless. This feature is designed for Premium subscribers who crave CD-quality, lossless audio (FLAC). By avoiding compression, it offers significantly more detail and clarity, delivering a richer sound experience exactly as the artists intended. To get the best results, Spotify recommends using Spotify Connect or wired connections rather than standard Bluetooth.

👍Winner: Apple Music for value (included in base price) and Hi-Res options; Tie for CD-quality sound (if you have access to Spotify Lossless).

Round 3. Apple Music vs Spotify: Music Library

Both giants now boast massive catalogs exceeding 100 million songs, making the choice more about how you consume content than how much is available. Spotify remains the ultimate "all-in-one" hub, integrating over 5 million podcasts and a growing library of audiobooks directly into the app. With over 20,000 new tracks added daily, Spotify's discovery algorithms ensure you never run out of fresh audio.

Apple Music counters with a more curated, music-centric approach. While it offloads podcasts and audiobooks to the dedicated Apple Podcasts and Apple Books apps, it offers a "human touch" through 24/7 live radio stations hosted by world-class DJs.

For power users, Apple Music's greatest strength is the iCloud Music Library. This feature seamlessly merges your personal MP3 collection (including rare tracks or store-bought albums) with its streaming catalog, making them accessible across all your devices. Furthermore, while Apple Music has long been the home for high-quality music videos, Spotify recently closed the gap by rolling out full-length music videos (Beta) for Premium users.

👍Winner: Apple Music wins for more tracks/radio, Spotify wins for podcasts/audiobooks.

Round 4. Spotify vs Apple Music Device Availability

While Apple Music was once a "walled garden," it has expanded significantly. You can now access Apple Music on almost everything: iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, Macs, Android devices, Windows PCs, and even smart TVs. Crucially for gamers, Apple Music is now fully integrated into PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, supporting background music and 4K music videos while you play.

Spotify, however, still holds a slight edge in pure versatility. It is available on almost every internet-connected device imaginable, from older consoles like the PS4 to smart fridges and Linux systems. Its "killer feature" is Spotify Connect, which allows you to use your phone as a remote to seamlessly hand off music from your headphones to your smart speakers, TV, or computer without a second of silence.

👍Winner: While Apple Music has caught up on consoles, Spotify Connect remains the most reliable way to control music across multiple devices.

Round 5. Apple Music vs. Spotify Music Discovery and Algorithms

When it comes to music discovery, which is better: Apple Music or Spotify? How do you find your next favorite song on Spotify or Apple Music? This is the "Software vs. Human" battle.

Spotify's Algorithmic Magic

Spotify is widely considered the king of recommendation engines. Features like Discover Weekly and Release Radar are eerily accurate at predicting what you will like based on your listening history.

Recently, the AI DJ feature has added a layer of personality, with a synthesized voice introducing tracks much like a traditional radio host. If you want to press play and never think about what comes next, Spotify is unmatched.

Apple Music's Human Touch

Apple relies heavily on human editorial curation. Instead of just algorithms, Apple employs real music experts to build thousands of playlists for every mood and genre.

While Apple has improved its algorithmic "New Music Mix" and "Infinity Play" (autoplay) features, they often feel slightly less "sticky" than Spotify's. However, Apple excels at radio with Apple Music 1, a live, 24/7 global radio station hosted by actual DJs and artists.

👍Winner: Spotify for automation; Apple Music for curation.

Round 6. Apple Music vs Spotify: Sharing Features

Spotify remains the undisputed king of social music. Beyond sharing songs to Instagram Stories or Snapchat, its "Jam" feature allows friends to listen together in real-time, regardless of where they are. Spotify's end-of-year "Wrapped" has also evolved into a global cultural event, now featuring "Wrapped Party", an interactive game where you can compete with friends based on your listening stats.

Apple Music has made significant strides by introducing Collaborative Playlists, allowing groups to add, reorder, and react to songs with emojis. While it lacks Spotify's viral "Wrapped" energy, its Apple Music Replay is now available year-round, providing a live dashboard of your listening habits. Apple also offers seamless sharing via AirDrop and is currently expanding deep integration with WhatsApp and iMessage.

🏆 Winner: Spotify — Its superior real-time collaboration (Jam) and viral social tools still provide a more connected experience.

Round 7. Apple Music vs Spotify: Artist Payment

The financial model for artists differs significantly between Apple Music and Spotify. Apple Music pays a higher rate, averaging between $0.007 and $0.01 per stream. Because Apple has no free, ad-supported tier, the revenue pool per user is higher, making it a favorite for independent artists seeking fairer compensation.

Spotify generally pays a lower rate of $0.003 to $0.005 per stream. Furthermore, in a major 2024/2025 policy shift, Spotify now requires a track to reach at least 1,000 streams annually before it begins generating any royalties. While Spotify argues this eliminates "micro-payments" that never reach artists, it has made the platform more challenging for new, niche creators compared to Apple's flat-rate approach.

🏆 Winner: Apple Music — For listeners who want their subscription dollars to more directly support the artists they love.

Round 8. Spotify vs Apple Music: User Experience

Spotify is designed for discovery and effortless control. Its interface is highly intuitive, making it easy for even tech-novices to dive in. Its greatest technical advantage is Spotify Connect, which lets you hand off music from your phone to a smart speaker, TV, or laptop instantly without a break in the audio. In late 2025, Spotify also closed the "video gap" by rolling out full-length music videos for Premium users.

Apple Music offers a more "premium" and focused experience. It includes Lossless Audio and Spatial Audio (Dolby Atmos) at no extra cost—features that Spotify is only just beginning to match in select markets. Apple's lyrics feature is still the gold standard, offering a "Karaoke" style Apple Music Sing mode that lets you adjust vocal levels. Additionally, Apple Music allows you to search for songs just by typing a few lyrics you remember, and its integration with Siri and HomePod is unmatched for those in the Apple ecosystem.

🏆 Winner: Tie — Choose Spotify for its unmatched device switching and AI-driven discovery, or Apple Music for superior sound quality and its "Sing" karaoke features.

Is Apple Music Better than Spotify? Or Vice Versa?

Choosing between Apple Music and Spotify ultimately comes down to your personal priorities, as both platforms offer industry-leading libraries and excellent sound quality. Here is a more refined comparison to help you decide which service fits your lifestyle.

Apple Music: For the Audiophile and Radio Enthusiast

If sound quality is your top priority, Apple Music is often the preferred choice. It offers Lossless and Hi-Res Lossless audio at no extra cost, providing a studio-quality listening experience. It is also the home of Apple Music 1, featuring live global radio broadcasts and curated artist-led shows.

Spotify: For Podcasts, Discovery, and Budget Flexibility

Spotify excels in algorithmic discovery and is a powerhouse for non-music content. It seamlessly integrates podcasts and audiobooks into a single interface. Additionally, Spotify offers a Free plan, making it the better option if you want to stream music without a monthly commitment.