Preference for Spotify remains strong, but Apple Music's seven features catch the eye, potentially steering a switch
Apple Music, the streaming giant, has been making waves in the music industry with its unique features and commitment to providing an exceptional listening experience. Here's why users are favouring Apple Music over Spotify.
Superior Sound Quality and Ecosystem Integration
One of the key reasons for Apple Music's popularity is its superior sound quality. The platform offers lossless audio and spatial audio (Dolby Atmos) at no extra cost, providing a more immersive and high-fidelity listening experience that appeals to audiophiles. In contrast, Spotify currently lacks true spatial and lossless audio, though it plans a HiFi tier in the future.
Moreover, Apple Music works seamlessly with Apple devices and services, offering convenient syncing of music libraries and playback control. This deep integration with Apple's ecosystem is a significant advantage for many users.
A Clean and Sleek User Interface
Apple Music's interface is known for its clean, white UI that fits well within Apple's aesthetics. The platform supports advanced lyric features such as synchronized lyrics and lyric search—where users can find songs by typing lyrics—something Spotify does not offer.
Unique Features and Curated Playlists
Apple Music includes unique features like Apple Music Sing for karaoke-style vocal control and duets, as well as curated editor playlists crafted by music experts, which many users find more thoughtfully made than Spotify’s algorithmic playlists.
Enhanced Library Management
Apple Music integrates personal music files across devices better than Spotify, especially with iCloud support, making users’ entire music collections accessible in one place.
AutoMix and New Features
Recently, Apple Music's AutoMix feature in iOS 26 has received praise from fans, but it may have a significant flaw that could potentially be its downfall. Apple Music has also received three major upgrades at WWDC, including a new 'New' tab that highlights new music releases, playlist updates, and new radio segments, catering to music enthusiasts.
A User-Friendly Music Video Ecosystem
Apple Music's music video ecosystem is more user-friendly compared to Spotify's, with a smoother grid system for browsing and a separate playback for music videos.
A Closer Collaboration with Artists
Unlike Spotify, Apple Music has a stronger involvement with artists, as seen in Zane Lowe's interviews, guest hosting, and curated playlists. This closer collaboration strengthens its legitimacy and trustworthiness as a music organization.
In contrast, Spotify offers stronger social sharing features, a free tier (ad-supported), and a wider variety of podcasts and interactive content, but its sound quality and integration are seen as less premium by Apple Music users.
In summary, Apple Music appeals particularly to users who value high sound quality, device ecosystem cohesiveness, and enhanced curated and lyric-oriented features over Spotify’s broader social and multi-media content focus.
The writer has been testing Apple Music for the last three months and finds it to be an immersive listening experience. The lyrics feature is more synchronized and reliable compared to Spotify's, particularly for recently released songs. Apple Music's editorial playlists are curated by music experts and do not push songs based on chart/ viral success, unlike Spotify's generated playlists.
[1] The Verge: Apple Music vs. Spotify: A comparison [2] TechRadar: Apple Music vs Spotify: Which streaming service is best for you? [3] Tom's Guide: Apple Music vs Spotify: Which is Best? [4] Wired: Apple Music vs Spotify: What's the Difference? [5] Macworld: Apple Music vs Spotify: Which music streaming service is best for you?
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