YouTube Music excels with superior audio quality (up to 320kbps) and seamless YouTube integration, while Amazon Music offers better value through Prime membership bundling and offline downloads at all tiers. YouTube Music is best for casual listeners who watch music videos, while Amazon Music suits Prime subscribers wanting comprehensive streaming.
YouTube Music vs Amazon Music — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Choose YouTube Music if you want the best audio quality, integrated music video content, and prefer a standalone music service with deep YouTube ecosystem integration. Choose Amazon Music if you're already a Prime member seeking maximum value, need offline downloads on the free tier, or want a slightly cheaper family plan without the premium tier requirement.
Google's all-in-one music and video streaming platform with extensive content integration.
Amazon's streaming service bundled with Prime membership with offline download support.
YouTube Music vs Amazon Music — Comparison Data
Structured comparison data for YouTube Music vs Amazon Music with 162 attributes.
Monthly Subscription Price (Premium/Paid Tier)
Annual Prime/YouTube Premium Bundle Cost
Monthly Subscription Cost (Premium Tier)
Monthly Subscription Price (Standard Tier)
Monthly Subscription Cost (Standard Tier)
YouTube Music vs Amazon Music — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for YouTube Music vs Amazon Music.
Is YouTube Music or Amazon Music better for offline listening?
Amazon Music is significantly better for offline use. It offers offline downloads on all subscription tiers, including the free tier, while YouTube Music only allows offline downloads with a Premium subscription ($11.99/month). If offline access is important, Amazon Music provides better value.
Can I watch music videos on Amazon Music?
No, Amazon Music does not provide music videos. YouTube Music integrates full access to official music videos, lyric videos, and music Shorts, making it the clear choice if video content is important to you. Amazon Music is audio-only.
Amazon Music is substantially better for Prime members because it's included free with your Prime membership ($139/year or $14.99/month), eliminating the need for a separate music subscription. This saves approximately $144/year versus YouTube Music Premium, plus you get offline downloads on all tiers.
What's the audio quality difference between YouTube Music and Amazon Music?
YouTube Music Premium streams at up to 320 kbps (CD-quality equivalent), while Amazon Music streams at up to 256 kbps. The difference is audible on high-end headphones, with YouTube Music providing marginally better audio fidelity. However, most casual listeners won't notice the 20% quality difference.
Amazon Music has a superior free tier with unlimited skips, minimal ads, and offline download capabilities. YouTube Music's free tier includes ads, skip limitations, and requires YouTube Premium for background play. Amazon's free tier is one of the most generous in streaming music.