Apple Music or Spotify?

In the age of music streaming, there are arguably two main players in the game. Apple Music, and Spotify. Although there are several other contenders in the industry, such as Soundcloud, Pandora, Tidal, etc. Apple music and Spotify are leading the pack. With the introduction of Apple Music in 2015, a debate among music streamers has arose. Apple Music or Spotify?

Both streaming services boast a broad library of about 30 million songs, and each allow users to decide the songs they wish to play, and when they want to play them. Additionally, each of these services operate in dozens of the same countries and territories, with same price of $9.99 a month for ad-free listening.

It is also important to note that both services  have sleek designs with intuitive interfaces. With so many similarities, it is wondered why there is so much debate about which streaming service is superior.

Spotify, what some may call the original music streaming service, has a great appeal to music listeners that are constantly on the quest for new music. New Music Fridays, Release Radar and Discover Weekly are all playlists made for the user to be introduced to music.

Discover Weekly is a particularly impressive feature. Each Monday, the Discover Weekly playlist provides the user with a two-hour long playlist filled with recommend songs based on the user’s listening activity. This algorithm-based approach introduces the user to music they likely haven’t heard before. Perfect for those who are always looking for something new to listen to.

As mentioned above, Apple Music is relatively new to the streaming world, arriving in 2015, but since then has grown rather quickly. Apple Music’s advantage in the streaming world is its exclusive content. Since its release, Apple Music has had its share of exclusive content. This includes early releases, and artist interviews. Additionally, Apple Music provides a live 24-hour radio station, Beats 1.

Here, users can tune in for pop culture news and artist interviews in addition to music. Similar to Spotify, Apple Music provides the listener with recommended songs, one difference is that Apple Music is a non-algorithm approach, and suggestions are based off pre-sets the user must set up with artists and genres they enjoy. The final, but important difference between Apple Music is the ability to watch music videos on Apple Music.

Both streaming services offer a great deal of benefits for the user to enjoy their listening experience, whn it comes to choosing the right one it is a matter of what your priorities are as a music lover. For now the debate continues on, Spotify, or Apple Music?