Why I cancelled my Apple Music Subscription

[Hamster100]

The reason I switched over from Spotify to Apple Music is because I bought an Apple Watch Series 2 and Apple only let you sync their service to the watch. No Spotify, Deezer, Amazon Music, Tidal or anything else including Podcasts…. Apple Music only! But seeing as the music library was about the same as Spotify at 40m and the price identical at £9.99 I thought I would give it a try. So by connecting a pair of Bluetooth headphones to your watch you can stream a synced playlist from your watch without your iPhone being around.

But I've been using Apple Music now for over 3 months and I've now cancelled it here's why:

The only difference using Apple Music over any other service, is that it’s the only one that allows syncing to the Apple Watch, which if you use your Apple Watch often without your iPhone it would probably make sense.

• You can only ever sync 1 x playlist from your Music Playlist, you cannot copy individual albums, songs or have multiple playlists on the Apple watch.
• Apple Music is itself, clunky and confusing to use compared to other streaming services like Spotify, Tidal and Deezer. The menus and playlists are slow to load and confusing.
• If you are someone that use fitness trackers such as Runtastic, Strava, Mapmyrun etc etc, then you need to have you iPhone with you. Otherwise you are just limited to using the stock Apple Activity tracker. Sure the Series 2 has built in GPS now but the without your iPhone, the Watch will only track activities using Apples stock activity tracker.

However, for me…I'm rarely ever in the situation where I am without my iPhone...even when running, skiing, cycling, walking or anything else. My iPhone is always tucked away somewhere so have full Music and tracking features and this means I can use whichever music I like with full features and many playlists available, and just use the watch to control the music or receive calls, read texts etc.

So...

If you want to stream music to your Apple Watch, then you must subscribe to Apple Music only. But if, like me...your rarely without your iPhone as you need full fitness tracking apps, multiple playlists and other features reliant on the iPhone, I see hardly any point in being forced into making the switch.

 

[tonyr6]

I want to cancel Apple Music but I can't stand the sound quality of other services like Play Music and Spotify. Loudness and muddy sound the worst being Play Music.

Amazon Music sound quality improved greatly very close to Apple Music however they are missing many albums but the thing is that they have the songs that are grayed out and missing from Apple Music and they also have Garth Brooks which is why I use it as a supplement.

 

[AlliFlowers]

I'm very happy with Apple music. And since I always have my phone with me, it seems pointless to put music on my watch.

 

[mjschabow]

I think the exact opposite. Spotify is a mess. I tried it for a week and it was so frustrating that I punched someone at work and ended up getting fired for it.

 

[Hamster100]

I want to cancel Apple Music but I can't stand the sound quality of other services like Play Music and Spotify. Loudness and muddy sound the worst being Play Music.

Amazon Music sound quality improved greatly very close to Apple Music however they are missing many albums but the thing is that they have the songs that are grayed out and missing from Apple Music and they also have Garth Brooks which is why I use it as a supplement.

Tidal is the only main service that offers Hi-Fi (Lossless) quality music streaming to the quality of CD, they offer this at £19.99 per month for Hi Fi true lossless or £9.99 for 'standard' streaming (320 kbit/s or 96 kbit/s (mobile)) But this difference largely depends on what device your using to play, which audio equipment you have and what type of music you listen to. If your using cheap earphones then there will probably be no noticeable difference...

 

[tonyr6]

I am nearly 40 years old listened to music with headphones my entire life so my hearing might not be great and I can still tell the difference between Play Music muddy sound quality and Apple Music superior sound quality. Of course I always use high quality headphones and speakers.

 

[clauzzz203]

The reason I switched over from Spotify to Apple Music is because I bought an Apple Watch Series 2 and Apple only let you sync their service to the watch. No Spotify, Deezer, Amazon Music, Tidal or anything else including Podcasts…. Apple Music only! But seeing as the music library was about the same as Spotify at 40m and the price identical at £9.99 I thought I would give it a try. So by connecting a pair of Bluetooth headphones to your watch you can stream a synced playlist from your watch without your iPhone being around.

But I've been using Apple Music now for over 3 months and I've now cancelled it here's why:

The only difference using Apple Music over any other service, is that it’s the only one that allows syncing to the Apple Watch, which if you use your Apple Watch often without your iPhone it would probably make sense.

• You can only ever sync 1 x playlist from your Music Playlist, you cannot copy individual albums, songs or have multiple playlists on the Apple watch.
• Apple Music is itself, clunky and confusing to use compared to other streaming services like Spotify, Tidal and Deezer. The menus and playlists are slow to load and confusing.
• If you are someone that use fitness trackers such as Runtastic, Strava, Mapmyrun etc etc, then you need to have you iPhone with you. Otherwise you are just limited to using the stock Apple Activity tracker. Sure the Series 2 has built in GPS now but the without your iPhone, the Watch will only track activities using Apples stock activity tracker.

However, for me…I'm rarely ever in the situation where I am without my iPhone...even when running, skiing, cycling, walking or anything else. My iPhone is always tucked away somewhere so have full Music and tracking features and this means I can use whichever music I like with full features and many playlists available, and just use the watch to control the music or receive calls, read texts etc.

So...

If you want to stream music to your Apple Watch, then you must subscribe to Apple Music only. But if, like me...your rarely without your iPhone as you need full fitness tracking apps, multiple playlists and other features reliant on the iPhone, I see hardly any point in being forced into making the switch.

I read this twice but still did not understand what was your problem

 

[burgman]

I am nearly 40 years old listened to music with headphones my entire life so my hearing might not be great and I can still tell the difference between Play Music muddy sound quality and Apple Music superior sound quality. Of course I always use high quality headphones and speakers.

Did you turn on high quality streaming on GPM? Your view is very much in the minority about GPM sound quality.

 

[Uofmtiger]

I am nearly 40 years old listened to music with headphones my entire life so my hearing might not be great and I can still tell the difference between Play Music muddy sound quality and Apple Music superior sound quality. Of course I always use high quality headphones and speakers.

It is most likely the mastering. A lot of the music on Apple Music is "Mastered for iTunes" (though they no longer advertise the albums that are or aren't MFiT). The mastering can, but not always, lead to much better sound quality. A lot of albums that are on other services were mastered for loudness ("loudness wars"). What this typically means is flattened wave peaks and decreased dynamic range.

Personally, once you get to the 256k compression, I would choose better mastering over a lossless or higher bit rate of a "loudness wars" master. It should be noted that Tidal now has Hi Res versions of some albums. I haven't heard them or looked into what that means, but I don't want to pay $20 a month for something that might (or might not) sound slightly better if I am in a pristine environment anyway.

 

[navaira]

Before switching to TIDAL, remember it doesn't support local files at all.

 

[tonyr6]

Many albums on AM are mastered for iTunes now. When I first did the 3 month trial AM did not sound as good as other services until later in the year when they remastered many albums.
[doublepost=1486737285][/doublepost]Just right now thanks to this article
I found a few tracks that were playable now that grayed out crap again. Of course I checked them on Amazon Music and they are playable there. On my Amazon Music album list all the albums I have saved there are albums with songs that are stupidly grayed out on AM.

Example is "Dirty Pop" by N'Sync not playable anywhere except on Amazon Music. The only track that is not available anywhere is "Love is a Wonderful Thing" by Michael Bolton but a interesting story because of a lawsuit with the Isley Brothers that song no longer exists for Bolton. However his greatest hits album the one grayed out song is available on Apple Music but once again not on AM,Spotify or Play Music.

Also I have the exclusive Garth Brooks in there. Of course Amazon Music is missing some key albums I listen to all the time so I have to keep it as a supplement. I got a major discount Prime member for only $59 for they year.

 

[Hamster100]

I read this twice but still did not understand what was your problem

It's not a problem. I was just giving the reason for my decision to move from Apple Music since the only real incentive for me was that it's the only service that syncs to Apple Watch. But seeing as my iPhone is never apart from the watch, this isn't a strong enough reason to stay. If Apple Music improve their UI and maybe add an option for HiFi (lossless) then I might return.

I heard that Apple were in talks to acquire Tidal so this might be how HiFi comes to Apple Music in the end. Not sure how true this is!!

 

[Uofmtiger]

It's not a problem. I was just giving the reason for my decision to move from Apple Music since the only real incentive for me was that it's the only service that syncs to Apple Watch. But seeing as my iPhone is never apart from the watch, this isn't a strong enough reason to stay. If Apple Music improve their UI and maybe add an option for HiFi (lossless) then I might return.

I heard that Apple were in talks to acquire Tidal so this might be how HiFi comes to Apple Music in the end. Not sure how true this is!!

The only difference isn't the watch syncing. The big difference is that you can use it with Siri. That has major convenience in the car, especially if you control it from the watch.

Sprint just bought part of Tidal, so I doubt that Apple wants to get involved at this point. Apple could add lossless or hi rez if they wanted, they already have 24 bit masters for a ton of MFiT albums.

I think they are holding back on it because most people use their service on cellular and there are a lot of people still using archaic routers and/or have slow internet. Also, most people cannot hear a difference between 256k AAC and lossless even if they are actually using the same master. If Apple is using MFiT for an album, chances are that it will sound better than the lossless album mastered for loudness anyway.

In other words, it isn't worth switching and encountering the headaches for a service with 20 million users around the world. Tidal has a very small user database (some reports have it pegged at barely over a million), so it may be easier to manage these type of problems. Also, it may be worthwhile for Tidal to deal with the headaches because it is one of the services most attractive features for audiophiles.

 

[tonyr6]

Who needs a smartwatch when your phone can tell you the time and do everything and more that a smartwatch can do.

 

[Uofmtiger]

Who needs a smartwatch when your phone can tell you the time and do everything and more that a smartwatch can do.

Personally, I don't carry the phone around the phone in my hand all the time. I use mine with Siri, for notifications, as a remote, to check the weather, check my calendar, check the time, etc.

It is a more convenient experience raising a wrist than having to reach into a pocket, pull out the phone, log in, and log into the app. For me, it is a big time saver. However, if your phone is permanently attached to your hand, it probably wouldn't do much for you.

 

[Hamster100]

Personally, I don't carry the phone around the phone in my hand all the time. I use mine with Siri, for notifications, as a remote, to check the weather, check my calendar, check the time, etc.

It is a more convenient experience raising a wrist than having to reach into a pocket, pull out the phone, log in, and log into the app. For me, it is a big time saver. However, if your phone is permanently attached to your hand, it probably wouldn't do much for you.

Agreed. I find the watch really useful for calendar reminders, fitness tracking, at-a-glance weather conditions and app notifications. It's especially useful when skiing as you can leave you phone tucked away but stay in contact all day with just the watch with no need to keep taking the phone in and out. Also the series 2 has much improved battery life lasting easily 2 days on a full charge.

 

[tonyr6]

Found another one Amazon Music Rocky IV soundtrack has all the tracks but on Apple Music track 10 is grayed out. Really you need both subscriptions to get most of the unnecessary missing tracks from Apple Music.

 

[Uofmtiger]

Found another one Amazon Music Rocky IV soundtrack has all the tracks but on Apple Music track 10 is grayed out. Really you need both subscriptions to get most of the unnecessary missing tracks from Apple Music.

This is the case across all services. They all are some missing some songs, albums, or artists. I typically find something else I want to hear in the other 30 million songs in the AM library to play rather than worrying too much about that one missing song or album.

This used to be the big knock against streaming services versus buying the album, but no one is saying you can't buy it and load it up to AM and have it available when you just really need that Go West fix that no other artist or song can fill.

 

[tonyr6]

Well when I listen to an album I want to hear every song good or bad even the non hits. I always was a album listener and I never liked playlist stations that tend to only focus on the same 20 songs over and over again. Heck I rarely even listen to greatest hits albums too. So nothing annoys me more when Apple Music is too cheap to get the entire album but as long as I can get it on another service like Amazon Music the big reason why I got kept the $59 promo deal Apple Music will never be my only subscription service.

As for Spotify or what I call Subtractify after the purge of Anita Baker and other albums and songs I turned off my auto renewal. Spotify is for playlist lovers which I was never a big fan.

 

[Uofmtiger]

Well when I listen to an album I want to hear every song good or bad even the non hits. I always was a album listener and I never liked playlist stations that tend to only focus on the same 20 songs over and over again. Heck I rarely even listen to greatest hits albums too. So nothing annoys me more when Apple Music is too cheap to get the entire album but as long as I can get it on another service like Amazon Music the big reason why I got kept the $59 promo deal Apple Music will never be my only subscription service.

As for Spotify or what I call Subtractify after the purge of Anita Baker and other albums and songs I turned off my auto renewal. Spotify is for playlist lovers which I was never a big fan.

This isn't about being cheap most of the time. It has to do with licensing from labels. There are hold outs, license renewal issues, and songs on labels that are "Indy". Sometimes, you can't make a deal. As an example, Prince made his own deal with Tidal. Now that he is gone, a lot of his music has been made available on all the services. However, if you want 3121, you still can't get it on Apple Music (at least when I wrote this). Sure, Apple wants it, but it just isn't available. Many jazz fans like music on the ECM record label. They pulled their entire catalog of albums from all the USA services. Not sure if ECM still has an anti-streaming policy, but it is a complicated issue that goes far beyond Apple being cheap. Also, check out Bob Seger's albums on one of the streaming services, chances are you won't find them.

We are probably a long way from all music being available on all streaming platforms. Its just the way things are, especially for "one offs" like you have on soundtracks. I believe you will still find music that is not available on Amazon's Music service or Apple's service, so that will continue to be a problem...though a minor one for most people. It was much worse not too long ago when major acts like the Beatles and AC/DC were no where to be found.

 

[tonyr6]

And this is the number one reason why people still pirate music. I don't do that no more BTW once the subscription services came out.

 

[SoYoung]

The big reason why I chose Apple music over spotify is the sound quality. Even on high quality on spotify, I hear the difference, and the fact that you can't modify the sound parameters in settings app with spotify is also a turn off.

The second reason is because before AP, I bought/imported a lot of song on iTunes so my music library was already there, so Apple music was a natural choice and so far I'm very happy with it since day 1.

(I tried spotify for 3 months before AP)

 

[Tech198]

I want to cancel Apple Music but I can't stand the sound quality of other services like Play Music and Spotify. Loudness and muddy sound the worst being Play Music.

Amazon Music sound quality improved greatly very close to Apple Music however they are missing many albums but the thing is that they have the songs that are grayed out and missing from Apple Music and they also have Garth Brooks which is why I use it as a supplement.

Unfortunately, you really need at least two streaming music services, or more, to fill the missing gap, what others lack.

Or just ditch it, and lump along with a favorite

 

[tonyr6]

Apple Music bought back those Fania songs that were missing. I no longer need Amazon Music Unlimited as my sub ends next month. I also don't like the fact that Amazon double dips you charges you for Prime and Music Unlimited. The same goes for those rip off add on channels when it is cheaper to get the service separate as the add on channels actually miss some content.

 

[Vytas Vytautas]

I'm very happy with Apple Music. I don't understand when people say that Spotify has better UI when it clearly does not. They both are hard to navigate in different ways, but Apple Music has better music selection and better integration not to mention that when you create radio from a song or just listen to one of genre radio it doesn't repeat same 20 or so songs over and over again like Spotify does. Daily mix also seems better tuned to my taste.

But you should pick one that's best for you. Pricing as far as I can see is the same.