Apple Music Apple Music vs Spotify

[grandM]

Hi

I adore music. Today I cancelled my Apple Music free trial. It lasted a bit less than 4 months.
I just started my free Spotify. The music quality of the free version is bad. Tomorrow I will look into the trial of the premium version. Apple Music was truly crisp.

But boy, Spotify is spot on with their playlist. They understand what I want to hear. Of course this is just the beginning and way too soon to place judgement. One thing is sure. Apple Music never got it right.

 

[Wando64]

In Spotify premium you will need to manually change the Audio Quality to Very High on the App.
You only have to do this once.

 

[keeper]

I used AM for years. I recently moved to Spotify and it was all over AM.
It’s not just the music is how in integrates with so much hardware using Spotify Connect.
It’s a far better app in the car using wireless CarPlay.

And if Apple goes CD quality just how do Apple expect people to play it through Hi-Fi systems when the only option is Sonos.

 

[grandM]

I used AM for years. I recently moved to Spotify and it was all over AM.
It’s not just the music is how in integrates with so much hardware using Spotify Connect.
It’s a far better app in the car using wireless CarPlay.

And if Apple goes CD quality just how do Apple expect people to play it through Hi-Fi systems when the only option is Sonos.

Probably with the HomePod?

 

[grandM]

A few days later it is clear Apple Music can not compete with Spotify. Spotify's AI is vastly superior resulting in a flow of music you want to listen to.

 

[krspkbl]

I’ve been using Spotify for well over a decade. Maybe since 2008-2009. Cant remember exactly. I would pay for it annually (£120 every April). This is the first time since 2013 i’ve had an Apple device (iPhone) and every year i like to look at the competition to see what they offer.

i tried Tidal and YouTube. Currently on my 3 month free trial of Apple Music. It’s only been a couple weeks i’ve used it so far. i’m mostly happy with AM but there are a couple issues.

Overall music is quieter than Spotify but when i turn volume up it sounds clearer. Much more “space” between instruments. Vocals are well defined and you can easily separate guitars, bass, drums, etc. The bass (not the instrument) is a lot punchier. Spotify at lower volumes is louder but at higher volumes more “muddy”. I reckon most people would not notice the difference in sound quality (but likely volume) because honestly there isn’t a BIG difference.

i listen to AM through web player on Windows. Streaming through iPhone with Sony XM3 (earphones). I have some songs downloaded at highest quality too and i also have my iPhone connected to my Car with Carplay. Using AM in CarPlay is basically same experience as using Spotify. Sounds great through my car speakers. I’m not 100% sure but i’d say bass, again, is clearer. I listen to a lot of bass heavy (edm) songs and there were a few songs on Spotify were bass didnt sound right but AM is well defined and not distorted. One song i noticed this was Rezz - Edge which has powerful bass.

on iphone with earphones AM is definitely louder. With spotify i’d find myself having volume almost maxed out. AM i usually have it at ~70-80%. Cant really tell any difference in sound quality.

using AM through web player is probably, currently, my biggest issue. There are often errors that pop up and sometimes songs don’t load. Of course since it’s a web player it can’t cache songs so there is always a gap between songs. It’s not a big deal but i wish i could cache my most listened to songs. The overall usability of the web player is just poor in comparison to the dedicated Spotify app. Everything feels much slower and tedious. I wish Apple would make a dedicated AM app for Windows (i refuse to use iTunes). I do most of my listening on PC so this is a big deal for me. I’m considering buying an iPad/MacBook to replace my PC so if that works out then the whole web player issue won’t really be an issue anymore. But if for whatever reason i decide not to get a iPad/Mac then a dedicated app might be what pushes me back to Spotify.

finally as for playlist recommendations. I guess it’s still to early to decide. I gave AM some of my favourite artists when i first used it and have been making sure to “love” and “suggest less” to help improve recommendations. I definitely miss my weekly spotify discovery and new releases. AM doesn’t seem terrible at playlists but you just need to put a bit more effort into it.

 

[MBAir2010]

Hi

I adore music.

if there is a way to collect your favorite music and store that into a FLAC or even MP3 format,
you would be set for life.
you wont need to rely on these pigs who are suffocating music.
this is some work and research but well worth the efforts.

 

[Wando64]

Spotify at lower volumes is louder but at higher volumes more “muddy”. I reckon most people would not notice the difference in sound quality (but likely volume) because honestly there isn’t a BIG difference.

Are you using a premium account and set the quality to “very high”?

If not, you are not comparing like with like.

 

[Expos of 1969]

I’ve been using Spotify for well over a decade. Maybe since 2008-2009. Cant remember exactly. I would pay for it annually (£120 every April). This is the first time since 2013 i’ve had an Apple device (iPhone) and every year i like to look at the competition to see what they offer.

i tried Tidal and YouTube. Currently on my 3 month free trial of Apple Music. It’s only been a couple weeks i’ve used it so far. i’m mostly happy with AM but there are a couple issues.

Overall music is quieter than Spotify but when i turn volume up it sounds clearer. Much more “space” between instruments. Vocals are well defined and you can easily separate guitars, bass, drums, etc. The bass (not the instrument) is a lot punchier. Spotify at lower volumes is louder but at higher volumes more “muddy”. I reckon most people would not notice the difference in sound quality (but likely volume) because honestly there isn’t a BIG difference.

i listen to AM through web player on Windows. Streaming through iPhone with Sony XM3 (earphones). I have some songs downloaded at highest quality too and i also have my iPhone connected to my Car with Carplay. Using AM in CarPlay is basically same experience as using Spotify. Sounds great through my car speakers. I’m not 100% sure but i’d say bass, again, is clearer. I listen to a lot of bass heavy (edm) songs and there were a few songs on Spotify were bass didnt sound right but AM is well defined and not distorted. One song i noticed this was Rezz - Edge which has powerful bass.

on iphone with earphones AM is definitely louder. With spotify i’d find myself having volume almost maxed out. AM i usually have it at ~70-80%. Cant really tell any difference in sound quality.

using AM through web player is probably, currently, my biggest issue. There are often errors that pop up and sometimes songs don’t load. Of course since it’s a web player it can’t cache songs so there is always a gap between songs. It’s not a big deal but i wish i could cache my most listened to songs. The overall usability of the web player is just poor in comparison to the dedicated Spotify app. Everything feels much slower and tedious. I wish Apple would make a dedicated AM app for Windows (i refuse to use iTunes). I do most of my listening on PC so this is a big deal for me. I’m considering buying an iPad/MacBook to replace my PC so if that works out then the whole web player issue won’t really be an issue anymore. But if for whatever reason i decide not to get a iPad/Mac then a dedicated app might be what pushes me back to Spotify.

finally as for playlist recommendations. I guess it’s still to early to decide. I gave AM some of my favourite artists when i first used it and have been making sure to “love” and “suggest less” to help improve recommendations. I definitely miss my weekly spotify discovery and new releases. AM doesn’t seem terrible at playlists but you just need to put a bit more effort into it.

Don't be too quick to buy a Macbook with the expectation that will solve the problems. Apple Music is pretty bad on my Mac. It is better on my iPad. I have recently dumped Apple Music after many years of using iTunes and AM. I am sticking with Spotify Premium.

 

[lostom]

How does Youtube compare guys?
I'm kind of "degoogling", but would entertain this just for ad blocking, I'm no audiphile, so HIFI quality is not a massive concern, just needs to sound good.

Currently pay for AM.

Thanks in advance and sorry if this in any way derails this thread, I do know there are many comparisons around, just wanted to get in here as it's active.

 

[saschke]

No proper multi-room with Spotify connect is a pretty huge oversight. And I don't want to connect same-manufacturer speakers in their own app like some allow (Devialet, Teufel...).

Recently moved back to Apple Music from Roon+Qobuz, also in anticipation of the lossless rollout, since I couldn't take the clunkiness of Roon within an Apple ecosystem anymore. Now playing to five HomePod minis plus two Devialet Phantom pairs and couldn't be happier.

The macOS Music.app is pretty buggy, I'm sure Apple knows and will improve it down the line.

 

[bigjay33]

I’m a long time iTunes/ Apple Music user. For a recent comparison video, I tried out Spotify and have to say I’ve been really impressed. I think its a good combo of Pandoralike algorithm they use for daily mix (very accurate to my tastes) and like how they combine podcasts to the app with music. I also like how I can stream to my Samsung fridge, Sonos Airplay etc. Apple has the bigger library and better integration to Apple fitness (you can see the playlist from a workout on Apple Music) and other Apple services. Check out my Apple One comparison video to non Apple products. Like to get your feedback.
Apple One vs. the competition! Who wins?

 

[kb923689]

Hi

I adore music. Today I cancelled my Apple Music free trial. It lasted a bit less than 4 months.
I just started my free Spotify. The music quality of the free version is bad. Tomorrow I will look into the trial of the premium version. Apple Music was truly crisp.

But boy, Spotify is spot on with their playlist. They understand what I want to hear. Of course this is just the beginning and way too soon to place judgement. One thing is sure. Apple Music never got it right.

I'm only with Apple Music because of the "up next" that it's better than Spotify but Spotify is the best do discover new music. And the sound quality is really awful there. Things will change with the HiFi but still, their "up next" doesn't work wright, it's a mess to play full albums.

 

[bwayne]

if there is a way to collect your favorite music and store that into a FLAC or even MP3 format,
you would be set for life.
you wont need to rely on these pigs who are suffocating music.
this is some work and research but well worth the efforts.

I have about 9000 CDs converted to FLAC. Mostly collected over the years from friends here in Japan who lack storage space and wanted me to rip their collections for iPods etc. I’d rip High quality MP3 etc and then archive in FLAC and then sell the CDs. So I have a vast collection that I’ve been grooming for several years already. I would say that <10% of them are SACD quality.

So I’ve curated a very good (and more importantly relevant) collection of music, however I’m still subscribing to Spotify and now testing Apple Music. The problem I face with my collection is that the organization and presentation is hard to do without a rich source of external information and metadata. To get an experience similar to Spotify for example I subscribe to a software / service called Roon. $10 USD/mo. They don’t provide any music, just a set of software components to manage my collection, and moreover the data and experience that wraps it all up in the interface.

So I’ve come to the conclusion there is no perfect answer.

The big upside to Apple Music for me will be the higher quality “Hi-Res” streams we can get. What’s great about this is if it’s DSD standard I can rip the track to disk. That require some investment for most people, so I don’t think they will do it. However there’s software out there allowing you to convert streams to files as well. It’s a lot of work, and probably violates laws in some countries, but if it’s legal where you can do it, why not ?

 

[AVBeatMan]

I'm only with Apple Music because of the "up next" that it's better than Spotify but Spotify is the best do discover new music. And the sound quality is really awful there. Things will change with the HiFi but still, their "up next" doesn't work wright, it's a mess to play full albums.

I like Apple Music because it has a "play/shuffle all songs" feature. When I don’t know what to listen to I use this. Spotify doesn’t have this. I can’t understand why? It seems such a basic feature.

 

[jaack]

I like Apple Music because it has a "play/shuffle all songs" feature. When I don’t know what to listen to I use this. Spotify doesn’t have this. I can’t understand why? It seems such a basic feature.

It does it’s called Autoplay

 

[MattG]

After years of frustration and disappointment with the iTunes/Music platforms, a couple weeks ago I decided to try Spotify. As of this morning I have decided to completely abandon Apple Music...I cancelled my Music subscription, no more iTunes Match, and after I back up my library (just for safe keeping because you never know) I'm removing all traces of music from my computers and portable devices where Apple Music/iTunes are concerned.

As others have mentioned, once you adjust the audio settings in Spotify it sounds fantastic, and it's only going to get better once HiFi is released. The Spotify UI/UX is INFINITELY better than anything Apple currently has. I certainly would have preferred to keep everything in the "Apple Universe" just for the sake of simplicity but, I feel like I just can't wait anymore. I'm sick and tired of paying Apple for subscriptions to things that feature a user experience that is "just okay." iTunes for Windows (which some of us are stuck using) is a trainwreck, and Apple Music on MacOS isn't much better, so...I'm done.

 

[Expos of 1969]

After years of frustration and disappointment with the iTunes/Music platforms, a couple weeks ago I decided to try Spotify. As of this morning I have decided to completely abandon Apple Music...I cancelled my Music subscription, no more iTunes Match, and after I back up my library (just for safe keeping because you never know) I'm removing all traces of music from my computers and portable devices where Apple Music/iTunes are concerned.

As others have mentioned, once you adjust the audio settings in Spotify it sounds fantastic, and it's only going to get better once HiFi is released. The Spotify UI/UX is INFINITELY better than anything Apple currently has. I certainly would have preferred to keep everything in the "Apple Universe" just for the sake of simplicity but, I feel like I just can't wait anymore. I'm sick and tired of paying Apple for subscriptions to things that feature a user experience that is "just okay." iTunes for Windows (which some of us are stuck using) is a trainwreck, and Apple Music on MacOS isn't much better, so...I'm done.

You are correct. Apple Music is an embarrassment on my new M1 MacBook Air. Spotify works smoothly on my Mac, my Samsung phone, my iPad and my Samsung tablet.

 

[grandM]

After years of frustration and disappointment with the iTunes/Music platforms, a couple weeks ago I decided to try Spotify. As of this morning I have decided to completely abandon Apple Music...I cancelled my Music subscription, no more iTunes Match, and after I back up my library (just for safe keeping because you never know) I'm removing all traces of music from my computers and portable devices where Apple Music/iTunes are concerned.

As others have mentioned, once you adjust the audio settings in Spotify it sounds fantastic, and it's only going to get better once HiFi is released. The Spotify UI/UX is INFINITELY better than anything Apple currently has. I certainly would have preferred to keep everything in the "Apple Universe" just for the sake of simplicity but, I feel like I just can't wait anymore. I'm sick and tired of paying Apple for subscriptions to things that feature a user experience that is "just okay." iTunes for Windows (which some of us are stuck using) is a trainwreck, and Apple Music on MacOS isn't much better, so...I'm done.

The UI/UX claim is not entirely true. The AI of Spotify beats that of Apple Music. Those daily mixes however seldom refresh.

 

[JasonHB]

The sound quality on Apple Music makes up for any preference in the UI. Absolutely knocks spots off Spotify, no comparison

 

[grandM]

The sound quality on Apple Music makes up for any preference in the UI. Absolutely knocks spots off Spotify, no comparison

The sound quality of AM is indeed superior. AM is thank God podcast free. The app is better if you ask me. If now only they could finetune their suggestions. I returned to AM.

 

[JSteele]

I moved from Spotify to AM, I transferred all my playlists because AM can't figure out what I like at all... But it made sense to get my family on the family plan at apple for the services like iCloud storage, ATV and News. I miss Spotify for sure but it doesn't make sense to pay for two services.

I use Windows on my gaming and HTPC and I use Linux for my personal laptop and the iTunes app is AWFUL, it's a huge missed opportunity for Apple.

 

[BMox81]

I have probably spent more time deliberating this situation than I probably should.

On the Premier Apple One plan so logic would say to stay on it given the value.

But Spotify is a better service. Without question. Better music curation, flexibity with other devices with the sensational Spotify Connect and yes, I am one of those people that does like music and podcasts in the one app.

And when Hi-Fi finally arrives, that will be the icing on the cake.

I don’t want to be tied down and feel like I have to be paying for a service I don’t like, even if it does have lossless/spatial included.

So with that, I’ll be cancelling Apple One and subbing up to Spotify Family in the next couple of weeks.

 

[AVBeatMan]

I like both services and see advantages also with both. I know it might sound a little thing but I always use the Apple Music's "play all/shuffle all" songs that Spotify does not have (last time I used it) and I love the way you can share playlists with Spotify (something Apple cannot do). I don't understand why both services don't have both these features? My sister and brother (in different parts of the country) share and edit a playlist. Why can't Apple incorporate this? Or am I mistaken here?

Anyway, out of the two I've settled on Apple Music as I subscribe to Apple One.

 

[LeeW]

But Spotify is a better service. Without question. Better music curation, flexibity with other devices with the sensational Spotify Connect and yes, I am one of those people that does like music and podcasts in the one app.

I certainly think AM has better quality it's not enough when you consider what you said above. There is no reason AM can't rival Spotify in all the areas most prefer it over AM. It makes more sense given the services I pay Apple for to have a family subscription to Apple One but nobody in my family will use AM, all use Spotify.