There are so many music streaming services to choose from, but Spotify and Apple Music continue to dominate this space. Easier said than choosing between the two services, as both have a complete list of pros and cons.
This article will compare streaming quality, cost, and other factors between Spotify and Apple Music to help you decide which service is the right one for you.
Spotify
Spotify is one of the most popular music streaming services with over 40 million songs from over two million artists.
Cost
Spotify costs $ 9.99 a month for the standard plan and $ 14.99 for the family plan, which allows for up to six users per account. Students can get the full Spotify service for $ 4.99. If you want to try Spotify on PlayStation 4, it will cost $ 2 for the first two months, then $ 9.99 per month thereafter.
Spotify also offers a free ad-supported tier. It’s not a bad option, but the ads hidden behind every few songs can really break any musical ambiance you’re going for. If you are not a customer and want to try Premium, you have a 30-day period to try it.
Stream quality
Spotify provides several streaming options. Mobile users can stream in increments of up to 320 kbps, while desktop users can choose between 160 and 320 kbps. Spotify web browser has different options depending on whether you are a free or premium user.
Social Integration
Spotify links to Facebook, giving users the ability to know what their friends are listening to. It’s a great way to compare your musical tastes with your friends and suggest new songs that they might like.
Privacy
There were concerns about Spotify’s data handling. Not only is everything you do on Spotify is public unless you take steps to hide what you are doing, but even the “anonymous†Spotify account isn’t actually anonymous.
If someone finds out that it is you, nothing prevents him from tracking what you are doing. The most disturbing of these messages is the story of a girl whose violent ex-boyfriend stalked and stalked her via Spotify.
Apple Music
It didn’t seem like Apple Music had come to the fore, but given Apple’s history of music and media players, it’s no surprise that the company has ditched its instant music streaming service. Apple Music claims to have over 40 million songs, which matches the number of Spotify libraries.
Cost
Apple Music follows the same payment plan as Spotify, starting at $ 9.99 per month for standard plans and $ 14.99 per month for family plans. Students can get Apple Music for $ 4.99 a month.
If you want to experience Apple Music, you can try a three month trial before the service starts charging you. Unfortunately, there is no free option for Apple Music. You can try Beats 1 and listen to other Apple Music radio stations, but you won’t have access to the full song library.
Stream quality
Unlike Spotify, Apple Music only has one streaming quality option. All Apple Music songs are streamed in AAC format at 256kbps. The good news is that only the most dedicated and die-hard audiophiles will be able to distinguish a high quality Apple Music stream from a high quality Spotify stream.
Social Integration
Apple Music doesn’t let friends follow each other, but it does have an interesting social feature: connection. Apple Music Connect allows fans to follow their artists and see special content that is published exclusively for people using the service.
Some of the most popular artists like Drake and Pearl Jam are on Connect. The only drawback is that you automatically turn on Connect; when you add an artist song to your library, you automatically subscribe to it.
Privacy
Apple Music has a more robust privacy policy than Spotify, but there are still some details that remain visible to everyone: namely, your descriptor, display name, photo, and who you follow. However, other information such as your location is not collected.
When you try to make a purchase, your device generates a “trust rating”, but this information is only kept for a limited time. Apple has a solid track record of protecting consumer privacy, and Apple Music doesn’t seem to stray from that.
Which option wins?
The battle between Apple Music and Spotify is close. Both services have a huge number of songs to choose from and a similar pricing structure, but there are a few significant differences.
Spotify’s multiple streaming options make it easy to adjust quality based on what’s currently available to you. On the other hand, Apple Music has the best privacy policy. When it comes to social integration, Spotify comes out ahead, but with a hard time – and that’s because you can follow friends and not artists you’ve never met.
Ultimately, the choice comes down to personal preference. Is consumer privacy or social inclusion important to you? Looking for a choice in streaming quality?
Decide which service factor is most important, and decide if Apple Music is more than your speed, or if you’d rather use the tried and tested Spotify.
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