We’re all spoilt for choice when it comes to picking a good music streaming service for ourselves, but the war has always been between Spotify and Apple.  With Apple music now being available to android users as well, the competition is now fair.

The two are the most refined music streaming platforms out there and it can be tough picking one between the two. We’re here to help make that choice a little more easy by comparing Apple music and Spotify in five different categories, pitting them against each other and seeing who comes out on top:

Pricing

Definitely a crucial aspect in choosing a platform, the prices for both these apps vary. Both offer student discounts, but with Apple music’s monthly fee being Rs 190 and Spotify’s being Rs. 119, the latter clearly has the advantage. 

WIN – Spotify

Interface

Aesthetically, the interface of both these apps are incredible. They’re both clean, user-friendly and give importance to the artwork by dedicating a good amount of the screen to it. The one major visual difference that sets them apart, are the dark and white themes. But visual themes are simply a matter of personal preference. The main point in the interface category is how user-friendly it is to search for new songs, to add and download them, make playlists, editing ques, etc. This is where Apple takes the win. Spotify does have a good interface but it is a little complicated to get around. Things like adding albums to the queue, searching for albums, etc is a much more easy task on Apple music. 

WIN – Apple Music

Music Availability

Probably the biggest concern for any listener, music availability is something both these apps lack. As great as their collections are, Spotify had to come to India without any of Warner Bros. music on it due to legal issues. On the other hand, local artists and smaller artists usually make their songs available on Spotify but not on Apple music. If Spotify deals with the Warner issue, it would definitely take the lead, but a huge chunk of music has been wiped out because of this, so Apple takes the win here too.

WIN – Apple Music

Podcasts

This isn’t even up for discussion because Spotify clearly is the winner.  Spotify, as an app, comes with free usage of the app without having to forcefully take Spotify premium as well as with a huge collection of podcasts to listen to. Apple music on the other hand, requires you to pay a fee to listen to any music on their platform and does not include any podcasts within the app. You’ll need to download a separate app just for that. Spotify clearly sweeps wins this segment away.

WIN – Spotify

Extras 

What are the little bonus elements you get with both these apps? While Apple just offers the basic, Spotify contains some interesting features. Crossfade that doesn’t allow songs to just skip to the other one, but actually starts playing the next song while your current song is about to end. The feature is definitely a fun one and it converts your album to a DJ mix of sorts. The app also gives you a statistical report of what you’ve been listening, whom you’ve been listening to and how much exactly you’ve been listening. Apart from listening to studio albums and singles, another great addition is the Spotify sessions with talented artists. Lastly, compared to Apple music, Spotify allows you to connect to a lot more devices. 

WIN – Spotify

Even though Spotify has released in the country with some legal issues on its back, the app clearly sits at the top of the food chain.