Apple Music Apple Music quality v Spotify?

[m8arx]

Hi guys

Long time lingerer here. I have a quick question regarding the sound quality of Apple Music compared to Spotify Premium......

I have had Spotify Premium for years now and have it set to stream/download the highest quality music it can.

I upgraded to the iPhone 12 Pro and as part of my package I get Apple Music for free.

I've set downloaded the playlists that I've painstakingly created from going through my old spotify playlists and made sure it's set to download high quality over cellular too (although the actual playlist was downloaded whilst connected over WIFI).

I play a lot of trance music in my car and since moving to Apple Music, the sound quality is TERRIBLE. It cracks and disrtorts really badly at a medium volume - almost as if it hasn't got the right quality of file to play at this volume. If i switch to Spotify - the sound qualilty is night and day, so I know it's not my car speakers/bluetooth adapter in my car.

Anyone else had a similar experience, and if so - any advice. I'd rather continue to pay for my spotify than use my "free" Apple Music subscription with the way it currently is.

Thanks

 

[Samuel Engel]

The music on spotify has a slightly higher quality than on apple music. On spotify premium it is 320 kbps and on apple music 256 kbps.

 

[FHoff]

The music on spotify has a slightly higher quality than on apple music. On spotify premium it is 320 kbps and on apple music 256 kbps.

Only on paper. Apple Music 256 AAC is same quality 320 mp3 Spotify.

 

[m8arx]

cheers guys - doesn't really answer the question though. If it's supposed to be the same quality on apple music with 256 AAC compression compared than Spotify's 320kbps OGG compression - why does the apple music songs distort at the same volume that Spotify plays perfectly?

 

[Phil A.]

Hi guys

Long time lingerer here. I have a quick question regarding the sound quality of Apple Music compared to Spotify Premium......

I have had Spotify Premium for years now and have it set to stream/download the highest quality music it can.

I upgraded to the iPhone 12 Pro and as part of my package I get Apple Music for free.

I've set downloaded the playlists that I've painstakingly created from going through my old spotify playlists and made sure it's set to download high quality over cellular too (although the actual playlist was downloaded whilst connected over WIFI).

I play a lot of trance music in my car and since moving to Apple Music, the sound quality is TERRIBLE. It cracks and disrtorts really badly at a medium volume - almost as if it hasn't got the right quality of file to play at this volume. If i switch to Spotify - the sound qualilty is night and day, so I know it's not my car speakers/bluetooth adapter in my car.

Anyone else had a similar experience, and if so - any advice. I'd rather continue to pay for my spotify than use my "free" Apple Music subscription with the way it currently is.

Thanks

Are you streaming over mobile data and, if so, have you enabled high quality streaming over mobile in Settings? (Sorry - see that you've downloaded the music now I've re-read your message)

I've used Spotify and Apple Music and can't really tell any difference between the two at high quality so not sure what your problem might be (although neither are as good as lossless!)

 

[chabig]

cheers guys - doesn't really answer the question though. If it's supposed to be the same quality on apple music with 256 AAC compression compared than Spotify's 320kbps OGG compression - why does the apple music songs distort at the same volume that Spotify plays perfectly?

Distortion at high volume has nothing to do with compression. If it sounds fine at low volume and bad at high volume, your sound system either needs a more powerful amplifier to drive the speakers, or speakers more capable of handling the power delivered to them.

 

[m8arx]

Distortion at high volume has nothing to do with compression. If it sounds fine at low volume and bad at high volume, your sound system either needs a more powerful amplifier to drive the speakers, or speakers more capable of handling the power delivered to them.

As I said in my original post - I can switch straight away to playing songs via spotify without touching the volume and the sound quality is not distorted.

 

[chabig]

As I said in my original post - I can switch straight away to playing songs via spotify without touching the volume and the sound quality is not distorted.

Understood. But if it sounds good at low volume and gets bad at high volume, that's not the file, it's something in your sound system. Maybe it can't reliably decompress aac.

 

[m8arx]

sorry, that doesn't make sense.

I'm streaming music from my car via bluetooth to the sound system.

I play a song in apple music - i turn my volume in the car to say 20 for example - it gets distorted and crackly.

I stop playing the song in Apple Music, and play the same song in Spotify and keep the volume the same level (20 for example) and it plays perfect and doesn't distort/crackle.......that proves its nothing to do with my sound system. The sound system is simply playing what it's being given by the application on my phone via bluetooth.

If it was my sound system - then it would distort no matter which app i used to stream music.

 

[chabig]

Yeah. It’s weird. I can’t explain it. The playback volume won’t affect the shape of the waveform. Only the decoding app or listening hardware would affect what you hear.

 

[m8arx]

So I had a play about with equiliser settings in Apple Music too and absolutely no difference. the quality really is horrendous compared to Spotify......so much for saving a few quid by cancelling my Spotify - Spotify is going nowhere for me right now.

 

[EddyCueala]

sorry, that doesn't make sense.

I'm streaming music from my car via bluetooth to the sound system.

I play a song in apple music - i turn my volume in the car to say 20 for example - it gets distorted and crackly.

I stop playing the song in Apple Music, and play the same song in Spotify and keep the volume the same level (20 for example) and it plays perfect and doesn't distort/crackle.......that proves its nothing to do with my sound system. The sound system is simply playing what it's being given by the application on my phone via bluetooth.

If it was my sound system - then it would distort no matter which app i used to stream music.

Your output volume has nothing to do with sound quality. I'm pretty sure you're comparing Apple Music with Sound Check (normalization) turned off to Spotify with normalization turned on. Comparing apples and oranges, so to speak.

 

[Eric Idle]

So I had a play about with equiliser settings in Apple Music too and absolutely no difference. the quality really is horrendous compared to Spotify......so much for saving a few quid by cancelling my Spotify - Spotify is going nowhere for me right now.

I have tried all the major streaming services and find them 100% equal. There's no reason why your hearing a difference with Apple Music. No one reports what you do on this so it is clearly your system that is at fault. Otherwise, this would be a very common complaint, and it's not.

 

[EddyCueala]

I have tried all the major streaming services and find them 100% equal. There's no reason why your hearing a difference with Apple Music. No one reports what you do on this so it is clearly your system that is at fault. Otherwise, this would be a very common complaint, and it's not.

They’re definitely not equal. I agree that it’s pretty darn hard to hear the difference between high quality lossy steaming services like Spotify and the lossless (and even hi-res) ones like Tidal, but hearing the difference between different masters is pretty easy. That’s exactly where Apple Music shines. The Apple Digital Masters program gives Apple an edge over most competitors. Want to hear what I mean? Listen to Metallica’s Death Magnetic on Apple Music first before streaming it from a different service. Night and day difference.

 

[Ballsack2]

All I can say is after extensive testing in an place with good equipment, that apple music has (much) the better sound quality.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I am happy with the sound quality of Apple Music.

 

[Ballsack2]

Besides that not all albums show up (problem in my new thread) I would not use anything other than apple music

 

[m8arx]

I have tried all the major streaming services and find them 100% equal. There's no reason why your hearing a difference with Apple Music. No one reports what you do on this so it is clearly your system that is at fault. Otherwise, this would be a very common complaint, and it's not.

Not really sure how I can clarify my previous posts to say that there is NOTHING wrong with my system. If there was, it would have the same distortion at higher volumes with both apple music and spotify......but it doesn't.

 

[m8arx]

Your output volume has nothing to do with sound quality. I'm pretty sure you're comparing Apple Music with Sound Check (normalization) turned off to Spotify with normalization turned on. Comparing apples and oranges, so to speak.

great shout - i'll be turning sound check on when I get into the car to go home today. just read what this does and this could potentially solve the issue. Will keep this thread updated as I know there is 100% nothing wrong with my sound system in the car.

 

[EddyCueala]

great shout - i'll be turning sound check on when I get into the car to go home today. just read what this does and this could potentially solve the issue. Will keep this thread updated as I know there is 100% nothing wrong with my sound system in the car.

I hope this solves your problem. By design Spotify can't sound better than Apple Music (AAC>Vorbis, especially with a bluetooth connection), so there's got to be a weak link in the audio chain.

 

[m8arx]

I hope this solves your problem. By design Spotify can't sound better than Apple Music (AAC>Vorbis, especially with a bluetooth connection), so there's got to be a weak link in the audio chain.

yeah fingers crossed this is it - and if it is i can cancel spotify - although if i'm honest i'll be a bit sad about it because i've used it for about 11 years now and it's been fantastic and apple music doesn't have some songs when i've searched for them previously (and a bit slow compared to spotify in getting fresh releases/mixes)

 

[m8arx]

So I can confirm that by turning "sound check" on - this has indeed sorted out the distortion issue - who would have thought it........so yeah, like I said previously and in response to those stating it was my sound system that was having issues - told you so

Thank you EddyCueala for the suggestion!