Spotify or Apple Music

Who’s the Best… Around?

       

When I first got into music, the only music platform that came to mind was Spotify, as that’s what I grew up with. It was an essential bundle for people getting into the music space, as no other platforms came close. That was until a friend told me, “Apple Music is much more compatible with your iPhone as opposed to Spotify.” Although that statement is considered false after some research, he had already built this image in my head where Apple Music seemed more luxurious, so to speak. Not long after, I converted my playlists from Spotify to Apple Music using Song Shift. Now, I am very much an Apple enjoyer; however, I question myself, was there even a difference between the platforms to begin with? Below, I’m going to give you the pros and cons of both worlds in terms of price, audio quality, and privacy, so that you can make your own mind up as to what music platform fits you with my preferences at hand, of course.

Spotify Prices

        Spotify is the only one between the two that offers a free plan (with ads), and if you want to spend extra to upgrade, here are all the additional plans:
·      Premium (Individual): $9.99/month 
·      Student: $5.99/month (and a couple of months free for new users) 
·      Duo: $16.99/month (2 Premium accounts)
·      Family: $19.99/month (up to 6 accounts, Spotify Kids access, parental controls)

Apple Music Prices

        
Apple Music is less flexible in its prices. They don’t have a free plan and are unable to use the app without a subscription or even see your playlists; however, you can use a free plan trial before you decide: 

·      Individual: $10.99/month 
·      Student: $5.99/month 
·      Family: $16.99/month (up to 6 accounts) 

·      Apple One Bundle: $19.95/month à Apple Music, iCloud, Apple TV+, and Apple Arcade in one subscription.

        Spotify is the best choice if you want a free experience or a family plan. When comparing the individual plans, Apple Music becomes a little more expensive, while Spotify is a little cheaper and gives more options, such as the Duo plan and a Family plan, while Apple Music works with bundles that have more to do with their other Apple services. For me, the flexibility on Spotify gives them the trophy. Winner: Spotify for pricing. 🍏

Spotify Audio Quality

        Spotify allows you to even control the sound quality of everything you listen to. The sound quality of the music will depend on whether you are a free or paid member and also on the device used to play it. On the web player, free users get the sound quality of “AAC 128 kbit/s” and paid users get “AAC 256 kbit/s”(Spotify). If you are using mobile or tablet apps, or a desktop device, the sound quality can be set automatically to “Automatic: based on your network connection” (Spotify). Otherwise, you can choose your own sound quality in the settings of your apps. The sound quality ranges from “Low: about 24 kbit/s” to “Very high: about 320 kbit/s,” and premium users also have “Lossless: up to 24 bit/44.1 kHz FLAC” (Spotify).

Apple Music Audio Quality

        Apple Music gives the best overall listening experience to its users. Like Spotify, it plays music over AAC at about 256 kbps. It also has a lossless quality called Apple Lossless Audio Codec or ALAC, which lets users hear all the details the artists want them to hear, such as background instruments, and the sound goes from “16-bit/44.1 kHz (CD Quality)” up to “24-bit/192 kHz” (Apple). Bluetooth devices such as the AirPods 3 or older devices use the Apple AAC Bluetooth Codec, which isn’t lossless. Devices like 4^th-generation AirPods or PowerBeats Pro 2, or the new Apple Vision Pro, can play lossless-sounding music. Additionally, lossless quality can be turned on or off in some settings on any iPhone, iPad, Mac, or compatible device.

        When I switched over to Apple Music, I found things in the songs that I hadn’t heard before, like backing instruments, backing vocals, etc., and that was more involving for me in that music. However, Spotify has greater control over the quality of your audio. If you’re already a user of Apple products, then Apple Music is the place for you, with its great sound quality and added benefits of lossless audio. Winner: Apple Music for audio quality. 🍎

Spotify Privacy

        To improve the user experience, Spotify collects personal information, for example: 
Your activities regarding the Spotify Service (including the date and time), such as: search queries, streaming history, playlists you create, your library, browsing history, account settings, interactions with other Spotify users, your use of third party services, devices and applications in connection with the Spotify Service” (Spotify). 

This information is used to provide and customize the services, as well as to create new features and improve recommendations, including AI tools. Lastly, Spotify also takes care of the confidentiality of the data by way of “pseudonymisation, encryption, access and retention policies”, and advises users to keep their accounts confidential by using good passwords and by logging/signing out shared devices (Spotify).

Apple Music Privacy

        Apple Music collects and uses different kinds of personal information to improve its service and make the customer experience better. Apple says that this information is made up of “your searches, browsing activity, purchases, and device trust score” as well as “your personal music library and what you play for the goal of personalizing your experience and sending you notifications” (Apple). Apple further uses information from the Apple Cloud Library to “identify and unlock copies of any of your songs that are also available in Apple Music,” and connects that information with users if they belong to the service (Apple). For the goal of safety and preventing fraud, Apple gets a “device trust score” based on the way in which users use their device, and keeps those scores for a set period. Apple says that “the privacy and safety of your information is one of our most important things”, and that its services are “made in such a way that they protect your information and give you the ability to choose what information you would like to share” (Apple). 

        Spotify has a basic system of privacy design that is similar throughout its accounts and devices. On the other hand, Apple Music gives more direct control over your private matters and how that is being used. You can see more of what is being collected and decide what you want to share. This gives me the feeling of more control over my privacy. Winner: Apple Music privacy.🍎

Who’s the Best...Around?

        The answer is… drum roll, please… Apple Music.🍎 For me, the most important thing is audio quality, and to be able to hear the extra small sounds makes all the difference in the song. However, please be aware, Spotify does have more choices, a free plan of operation, an easy setup of your privacy system, etc. If your most important things are in those areas, your best fit is Spotify🍏, but if you want the best in sound, the most private choices, and the added advantages of being an Apple customer, Apple Music is your go-to. 

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Work Cited

Apple. “About Lossless Audio in Apple Music.” Apple Support, https://support.apple.com/en-us/118295. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
Apple. “Apple Music.” Apple, 2025, www.apple.com/apple-music/. Accessed 23 Sept. 2025.
Apple. “Legal - Data & Privacy - Apple.” Apple Legal, www.apple.com/legal/privacy/data/en/apple-music/. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
Spotify. “Audio Quality.” Spotify, https://support.spotify.com/us/article/audio-quality/. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
Spotify. “Music for Everyone.” Spotify.com, 2024, www.spotify.com/us/premium/. Accessed 23 Sept. 2025.
Spotify. “Music for Everyone.” Spotify.com, 2018, www.spotify.com/us/legal/privacy-policy/. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.