Apple Music offers superior audio quality with lossless and spatial audio support, while Amazon Music Unlimited provides better value with lower pricing and broader device compatibility. Apple Music edges ahead for quality-focused listeners, while Amazon Music suits budget-conscious users seeking convenience.
Apple Music vs Amazon Music — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Apple's premium music streaming service with lossless audio and spatial sound support.
Amazon's music streaming service with competitive pricing and deep Alexa smart home integration.
Lossless Audio Support. Monthly Subscription Price. Music Library Size. Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos. Family Plan Cost. Offline Downloads. Voice Assistant Integration
Choose Apple Music if you prioritize lossless audio quality, spatial audio, and seamless Apple ecosystem integration—it's worth the premium for audiophiles and those heavily invested in Apple devices. Choose Amazon Music Unlimited if you want the best value, Alexa voice control, and broader device support across Android, smart home systems, and Echo devices.
Apple Music: 100M+ | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: 24-bit Lossless | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: Apple Music | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Monthly Subscription Price (Standard Tier)
Apple Music: €12.99 | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: 24-bit/192 kHz | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: $0.007 | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: Data unavailable | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: Native with natural language prompts | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: Full (Siri, Watch, HomePod, CarPlay) | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: iOS, macOS, Android, Web, Windows | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: Complete track counts and listings | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: $10.99 | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: 192kHz lossless ALAC | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: $0.008 (blended average) | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: No - subscription required | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, HomePod, Apple TV | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: Shazam data + editorial curation + listening habits | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: $16.99 | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: $10.99 | Amazon Music Unlimited: $9.99
Apple Music: 100,000 | Amazon Music Unlimited: Unlimited
Apple Music: Unlimited | Amazon Music Unlimited: 4
Apple Music: $5.99/month | Amazon Music Unlimited: $5.99/month (with Prime Student)
Apple Music: $0.006-$0.010 | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: Not applicable | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: No free tier | Amazon Music Unlimited: Limited (shuffle-only with ads)
Apple Music: All subscription tiers | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: 120M+ | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: $16.99/month (6 users) | Amazon Music Unlimited: $15.99/month (6 users)
Apple Music: Minimal | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: Apple-optimized only | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: 7.8/10 | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: Yes | Amazon Music Unlimited: Yes, available
Apple Music: 15% | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: 100 million songs | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: 256 kbps AAC | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: Yes — included (+ Hi-Res 24-bit/192 kHz) | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: Yes — broadest, included | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: Limited (select tracks) | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: No (separate Apple Podcasts) | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: Via Apple Books (separate) | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: No (3-month trial only) | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: Yes | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: Yes (with SharePlay) | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: Limited | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: Yes (personalized radio) | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: Deep (voice, HomePod) | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: Yes (default on iPhone) | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: Native | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: $10.99/mo | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: $16.99/mo | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: $5.99/mo | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: $14.95 | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: 100+ million | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: 120 million | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: Primarily Apple (limited Android support) | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: No free tier (Voice Plan $4.99/mo is limited) | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
User Satisfaction with Discovery (2024 survey)
Apple Music: 58% satisfied with personalization | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: Unlimited | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: HomePod, limited ecosystem | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: Native on all Apple devices with Dolby Atmos | Amazon Music Unlimited: Limited to select Android and Amazon devices
Apple Music: None available | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: iOS, macOS, Windows, web, CarPlay | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: 246 million | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: 24-bit/192kHz lossless | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: $0.01 | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: 100,000 songs | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: $12.99 | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: 50+ (primarily Apple ecosystem) | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: 6 users at $19.99/month | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: Yes, at base tier | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: 100+ | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: Included in base tier | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: 15 years (since 2015) | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: 110 million | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: 9,216 (24-bit/192kHz lossless) | Amazon Music Unlimited: 320 (MP3)
Apple Music: 100+ | Amazon Music Unlimited: 100+
Apple Music: iOS, Android, Web, Mac, HomePod, Apple TV | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: No—share-only playlists | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Apple Music: ~25% preference match (est.) | Amazon Music Unlimited: N/A
Monthly Subscription Cost (Standard User)
Apple Music: N/A | Amazon Music Unlimited: $14.99
Apple Music: N/A | Amazon Music Unlimited: $8.99 (Prime member)
Apple Music: N/A | Amazon Music Unlimited: Music-only, no video content
Apple Music: N/A | Amazon Music Unlimited: 100+ million songs
Apple Music: N/A | Amazon Music Unlimited: Yes, for Prime members only
Apple Music: N/A | Amazon Music Unlimited: Amazon Alexa/Echo optimized
Monthly Subscription Cost (Individual Plan)
Apple Music: N/A | Amazon Music Unlimited: $14.99/month
Annual Subscription Cost (Individual Plan)
Apple Music: N/A | Amazon Music Unlimited: $179.88
Apple Music: N/A | Amazon Music Unlimited: 100+ million
Apple Music: N/A | Amazon Music Unlimited: AAC, FLAC, Spatial Audio
Apple Music: N/A | Amazon Music Unlimited: Unlimited
Discover Weekly Playlists Generated Weekly
Apple Music: N/A | Amazon Music Unlimited: 5-10 million (estimated)
How to choose between Apple Music and Amazon Music Unlimited
Compare Apple Music vs Amazon Music Unlimited
Apple Music vs Amazon Music — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Apple Music vs Amazon Music. Contains 109 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Apple Music vs Amazon Music — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Apple Music vs Amazon Music.
What is the difference between lossless and lossy audio, and why does it matter?
Lossless audio (Apple Music's 24-bit/192kHz) preserves all original recording data, offering studio-quality sound only audible with high-end equipment costing $500+. Lossy audio (Amazon Music's 320kbps MP3) removes data for smaller file sizes and sounds nearly identical to most listeners on standard headphones. For casual listeners, the difference is negligible; for audiophiles with premium gear, Apple Music's lossless is a game-changer at no extra cost.
Which service integrates better with smart home systems?
Amazon Music Unlimited has a significant advantage with native integration into 100+ million Alexa-enabled devices (Echo speakers, Fire tablets, smart displays). Apple Music works with HomePod and Siri but requires workarounds on non-Apple smart home devices. If you have an Amazon ecosystem, Amazon Music is the natural choice; if you're all-in on Apple, Apple Music is superior.
Can I use Apple Music on Android devices?
Yes, Apple Music has an Android app, but the experience is notably inferior to the iOS version. It lacks seamless Siri integration, doesn't support spatial audio on most Android devices, and the interface feels less polished. Android users considering Apple Music should expect a compromise compared to native Apple device users.
Is there a significant quality difference in everyday listening?
On standard earbuds or phone speakers, 95% of listeners cannot distinguish between Apple Music's lossless audio and Amazon Music's 320kbps MP3. The difference becomes audible only with high-end headphones ($300+), high-quality DACs, and trained ears. Most casual listeners should prioritize price, features, and device compatibility over audio quality alone.
Which service offers better value for families?
Amazon Music Unlimited edges ahead with a $1/month savings on family plans ($15.99 vs $16.99 for 6 users) and includes unlimited offline downloads per device. Apple Music's family plan offers better Apple ecosystem integration and lossless audio. For mixed-device families, Amazon offers better value; for Apple-only households, Apple Music justifies the slightly higher cost.
How to Choose Between Apple Music and Amazon Music Unlimited
Lossless Audio Support: Apple Music has Yes (up to 24-bit/192kHz), while Amazon Music Unlimited has No (max 320kbps MP3).
Monthly Subscription Price: Apple Music has $10.99/month (individual), while Amazon Music Unlimited has $9.99/month (Unlimited tier).
Music Library Size: Apple Music has 100+ million songs, while Amazon Music Unlimited has 100+ million songs.
Consider: Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos
Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos: Apple Music has Yes (included), while Amazon Music Unlimited has Yes (select devices only).
Family Plan Cost: Apple Music has $16.99/month (6 users), while Amazon Music Unlimited has $15.99/month (6 users).
Offline Downloads: Apple Music has Yes (100,000 per device), while Amazon Music Unlimited has Yes (4 devices, unlimited per device).
Voice Assistant Integration: Apple Music has Siri only, while Amazon Music Unlimited has Alexa native integration.