Spotify leads in cross-platform compatibility, social features, and personalized discovery with 626 million users, while Apple Music offers superior audio quality (lossless at no extra cost), deeper iOS integration, and costs $2/month less for individual plans.
Spotify vs Apple Music — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Freemium music streaming platform with 626M users and industry-leading personalization
Premium streaming service with lossless audio, 110M subscribers, deeply integrated into Apple ecosystem
Monthly Subscription Price (Individual). Lossless Audio Quality. Global Active Users. Platform Availability. AI-Powered Discovery Feature. Music Library Size. Social Sharing & Collaboration
Choose Spotify if you want the best discovery algorithm, cross-platform flexibility, social features, and the largest user community to share music with—it's ideal for Android users, web listeners, and those who value personalized recommendations. Choose Apple Music if you're in the Apple ecosystem, prioritize lossless audio quality, want the lowest price, and prefer seamless Siri integration with your devices.
Spotify: 320 kbps OGG | Apple Music: 24-bit Lossless
Spotify: 320 (Standard) | Apple Music: N/A
Spotify: $0.003-0.005 | Apple Music: N/A
Spotify: Limited/None | Apple Music: N/A
Spotify: Excellent (Discover Weekly) | Apple Music: N/A
Spotify: Advanced (Blend, Collaborative playlists) | Apple Music: N/A
Spotify: Premium only | Apple Music: N/A
Monthly Subscription Cost (Premium Tier)
Spotify: Ad-Supported | Apple Music: N/A
Spotify: No (Spatial Audio instead) | Apple Music: N/A
Spotify: Universal compatibility | Apple Music: N/A
Spotify: Lossless (HiFi tier) | Apple Music: N/A
Spotify: Full platform integration with exclusives | Apple Music: N/A
Spotify: Secondary feature, available but limited | Apple Music: N/A
Spotify: Strict verification required | Apple Music: N/A
Spotify: Spotify | Apple Music: Apple Music
Spotify: 281 (Q3 2025) | Apple Music: N/A
Spotify: $0.003-$0.005 | Apple Music: N/A
Spotify: 320 kbps AAC (standard) | Apple Music: N/A
Spotify: 4.3 (Q3 2025) | Apple Music: N/A
Spotify: Full ad-supported tier | Apple Music: N/A
Spotify: Spotify Individual | Apple Music: N/A
Spotify: Spotify Free | Apple Music: N/A
Artist Growth Multiplier (focused strategy)
Spotify: 3-5x faster monthly listener growth | Apple Music: N/A
Spotify: $0.003-0.005 per stream | Apple Music: N/A
Spotify: Requires distribution service | Apple Music: N/A
Spotify: Algorithm-driven, slower direct feedback | Apple Music: N/A
Spotify: Limited exclusive release functionality | Apple Music: N/A
Spotify: Lower density | Apple Music: N/A
Spotify: 3M+ podcasts | Apple Music: N/A
Spotify: 100M+ tracks | Apple Music: N/A
Spotify: HiFi Tier (additional cost) | Apple Music: N/A
Spotify: 180+ countries | Apple Music: N/A
Spotify: Discover Weekly, Release Radar, Song/Artist Radio, Song Credits expansion | Apple Music: N/A
Spotify: $11.99/month (Premium) | Apple Music: N/A
Spotify: 100,000,000+ | Apple Music: N/A
Spotify: 320 kbps (Premium) | Apple Music: N/A
Spotify: 10,000 songs | Apple Music: N/A
Spotify: 6+ major platforms | Apple Music: N/A
Spotify: All platforms equally | Apple Music: Apple-optimized only
Monthly Subscription Cost (Individual Plan)
Spotify: $11.99/month | Apple Music: N/A
Annual Subscription Cost (Individual Plan)
Spotify: 150+ million | Apple Music: N/A
Spotify: Ogg Vorbis, MP3, AAC | Apple Music: N/A
Spotify: 10,000 per device | Apple Music: N/A
Discover Weekly Playlists Generated Weekly
Spotify: 100 million songs | Apple Music: 100 million songs
Spotify: 320 kbps Ogg Vorbis | Apple Music: 256 kbps AAC
Spotify: Yes — included, no extra charge | Apple Music: Yes — included (+ Hi-Res 24-bit/192 kHz)
Spotify: Limited catalog | Apple Music: Yes — broadest, included
Spotify: No | Apple Music: Limited (select tracks)
Spotify: Yes — largest catalog | Apple Music: No (separate Apple Podcasts)
Spotify: Yes (limited per plan) | Apple Music: Via Apple Books (separate)
Spotify: Yes (ad-supported, shuffle-limited) | Apple Music: No (3-month trial only)
Spotify: Yes | Apple Music: Yes (with SharePlay)
Spotify: Yes (Blend, Friend Activity) | Apple Music: Limited
Spotify: Yes (DJ, Smart Shuffle) | Apple Music: Yes (personalized radio)
Spotify: Basic | Apple Music: Deep (voice, HomePod)
Spotify: Yes | Apple Music: Yes (default on iPhone)
Spotify: Via Spotify Connect | Apple Music: Limited
Spotify: Via AirPlay | Apple Music: Native
Spotify: $12.99/mo | Apple Music: $10.99/mo
Spotify: $21.99/mo | Apple Music: $16.99/mo
Spotify: $6.99/mo | Apple Music: $5.99/mo
Spotify: 150+ million | Apple Music: 100+ million
Spotify: 626 million | Apple Music: 120 million
Spotify: 9+ (iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, Web, PlayStation, Xbox, Alexa, Smart TVs) | Apple Music: Primarily Apple (limited Android support)
Spotify: 6 skips/hour on ad-supported tier | Apple Music: No free tier (Voice Plan $4.99/mo is limited)
User Satisfaction with Discovery (2024 survey)
Spotify: 73% satisfied with personalization | Apple Music: 58% satisfied with personalization
Spotify: 320 kbps MP3 | Apple Music: N/A
Spotify: 626 million | Apple Music: 110 million
Spotify: 100+ million | Apple Music: 100+ million
Spotify: 628 million | Apple Music: 246 million
Spotify: 256 kbps AAC lossy | Apple Music: 24-bit/192kHz lossless
Spotify: Unlimited | Apple Music: 100,000 songs
Spotify: 500+ (Android, iOS, web, consoles, smart TVs) | Apple Music: 50+ (primarily Apple ecosystem)
Spotify: 6 users at $16.99/month | Apple Music: 6 users at $19.99/month
Spotify: 100+ million | Apple Music: N/A
Spotify: Required (strict verification) | Apple Music: N/A
Spotify: 6 hours (with ads) | Apple Music: N/A
Spotify: ~626 million | Apple Music: N/A
Spotify: ~100+ million | Apple Music: N/A
Spotify: 320kbps Ogg Vorbis | Apple Music: N/A
Spotify: 10,000 (5 devices max) | Apple Music: N/A
Spotify: Full free tier with ads (shuffle-only on mobile) | Apple Music: No free tier
Spotify: $11.99 (Standard) | Apple Music: N/A
Spotify: Yes (with ads, skip limits) | Apple Music: N/A
Spotify: 320 kbps (Premium) | Apple Music: Lossless (192 kHz 24-bit)
Spotify: iOS, Android, Web, Windows, Mac, Gaming Consoles, Smart Speakers | Apple Music: iOS, Android, Web, Mac, HomePod, Apple TV
Spotify: Yes—full real-time collaboration | Apple Music: No—share-only playlists
Spotify: ~40% preference match | Apple Music: ~25% preference match (est.)
Monthly Subscription Price (Standard Tier)
Spotify: N/A | Apple Music: 24-bit/192 kHz
Spotify: N/A | Apple Music: Data unavailable
Spotify: N/A | Apple Music: Native with natural language prompts
Spotify: N/A | Apple Music: Full (Siri, Watch, HomePod, CarPlay)
Spotify: N/A | Apple Music: iOS, macOS, Android, Web, Windows
Spotify: N/A | Apple Music: Complete track counts and listings
Spotify: N/A | Apple Music: 192kHz lossless ALAC
Spotify: N/A | Apple Music: $0.008 (blended average)
Spotify: N/A | Apple Music: No - subscription required
Spotify: N/A | Apple Music: iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, HomePod, Apple TV
Spotify: N/A | Apple Music: Shazam data + editorial curation + listening habits
Spotify: N/A | Apple Music: $0.006-$0.010
Spotify: N/A | Apple Music: Not applicable
Spotify: N/A | Apple Music: All subscription tiers
Spotify: N/A | Apple Music: HomePod, limited ecosystem
Spotify: N/A | Apple Music: Dolby Atmos available
Spotify: N/A | Apple Music: None available
Spotify: N/A | Apple Music: iOS, macOS, Windows, web, CarPlay
Spotify: N/A | Apple Music: Yes, at base tier
Spotify: N/A | Apple Music: Included in base tier
Spotify: N/A | Apple Music: 15 years (since 2015)
How to choose between Spotify and Apple Music
Spotify vs Apple Music — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Spotify vs Apple Music. Contains 172 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Spotify vs Apple Music — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Spotify vs Apple Music.
No. Spotify's maximum bitrate is 320 kbps on Premium plans. Apple Music includes lossless audio (up to 24-bit/192 kHz) at no extra cost, making it the superior choice for audiophiles. Spotify has announced plans for hi-fi quality since 2021 but has not yet launched it.
Spotify has a significant advantage. Its Discover Weekly feature uses machine learning algorithms that achieve ~40% accuracy in predicting user preferences, earning it consistent praise in listener surveys. Apple Music's Listen Now feature relies more on editorial curation and is less sophisticated at algorithmic personalization.
Which streaming service works best with Android?
Spotify is optimized for Android with exclusive features like Spotify Car Thing (dedicated car controller) and native Android Auto integration. Apple Music works on Android but is clearly designed with iOS first in mind, lacking some platform-specific features Spotify offers.
Can I share playlists and collaborate with friends?
Spotify offers superior social features: real-time collaborative playlists where multiple users can add songs simultaneously, a friend activity feed, and the Blend feature (combines two users' taste into one playlist). Apple Music allows playlist sharing but lacks real-time collaboration tools.
Spotify offers a free ad-supported tier with unlimited skips and offline downloads unavailable. Apple Music does not offer a free tier but provides a 3-month free trial for new subscribers. Apple does offer Apple Music Classical as a free app with no ads for classical music specific content.
How to Choose Between Spotify and Apple Music
Consider: Monthly Subscription Price (Individual)
Monthly Subscription Price (Individual): Spotify has $11.99, while Apple Music has $10.99.
Lossless Audio Quality: Spotify has Not available, while Apple Music has Included at no extra cost.
Global Active Users: Spotify has 626 million (2024), while Apple Music has 110 million (2024).
Platform Availability: Spotify has iOS, Android, Web, Windows, Mac, Gaming consoles, Smart speakers, while Apple Music has iOS, Android, Web, Mac, HomePod, Apple TV.
AI-Powered Discovery Feature: Spotify has Discover Weekly, Release Radar, Song/Playlist Radio, while Apple Music has Listen Now, Personalized Playlists.
Music Library Size: Spotify has 100+ million tracks, while Apple Music has 100+ million tracks.
Consider: Social Sharing & Collaboration
Social Sharing & Collaboration: Spotify has Robust: real-time collab playlists, friend activity feed, Blend feature, while Apple Music has Limited: share playlists, no real-time collaboration.