Spotify leads in audio quality options and discovery features with 320kbps Ogg Vorbis streaming, while Amazon Music offers better value for Prime members with lossless audio (up to 16-bit/44.1kHz) and includes free tier access. The choice depends on your priorities: music discovery and interface polish favor Spotify, while integrated shopping and family plans favor Amazon Music.
Spotify vs Amazon Music — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Choose Spotify if you prioritize music discovery, personalized playlists (Discover Weekly), superior user interface, and don't need lossless audio. Choose Amazon Music if you're an Amazon Prime member seeking better value, want lossless streaming quality, and appreciate integrated smart home and shopping features—it's exceptional value at $2.99/month for Prime members versus $11.99 standalone.
Swedish music streaming platform with 600+ million users and advanced discovery algorithms.
Amazon's music streaming service offering lossless audio, integrated Prime benefits, and smart home optimization.
Spotify vs Amazon Music — Comparison Data
Structured comparison data for Spotify vs Amazon Music with 174 attributes.
Monthly Subscription Cost (Premium Tier)
Artist Growth Multiplier (focused strategy)
Monthly Subscription Cost (Individual Plan)
Annual Subscription Cost (Individual Plan)
Discover Weekly Playlists Generated Weekly
User Satisfaction with Discovery (2024 survey)
Annual Prime/YouTube Premium Bundle Cost
Monthly Subscription Cost (Standard Tier)
Spotify vs Amazon Music — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Spotify vs Amazon Music.
Is Spotify or Amazon Music better for audio quality?
Amazon Music is superior for audio quality. It offers lossless streaming (16-bit/44.1kHz) and Hi-Res audio (up to 192kHz) with its Ultra HD tier at no additional cost. Spotify maxes out at 320kbps Ogg Vorbis compression, which is lossy. However, most casual listeners cannot distinguish the difference without high-end audio equipment.
Amazon Music is significantly cheaper for families. If you're an Amazon Prime member, family members get unlimited access to Amazon Music at no extra cost (Prime is $139/year or $14.99/month). Spotify's family plan costs $16.99/month for 6 members. Non-Prime members pay $11.99/month on both services.
Does Spotify or Amazon Music have better music discovery?
Spotify excels at music discovery. Its Discover Weekly feature is industry-leading, with 56% of users reporting they've discovered new favorite artists through it. Amazon Music's algorithmic curation is notably weaker. However, Amazon Music includes thousands of hand-curated expert playlists that some users prefer.
Can I download music offline with both services?
Both offer offline downloads, but with different limits. Spotify allows 10,000 songs per device across up to 5 devices. Amazon Music Unlimited members can download unlimited songs. Amazon's unlimited downloads are a significant advantage for frequent travelers or those with limited data plans.
Which service integrates better with smart homes?
Amazon Music integrates seamlessly with Alexa and Amazon's smart home ecosystem—you can voice-control playback across multiple Echo devices for whole-home audio. Spotify has limited smart home integration and primarily works as a single-room service. This makes Amazon Music the clear winner for Alexa users.