The opinions and views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the opinion of Byte or Byte’s editorial board.A constant debate is the dispute between which streaming service is better: Apple Music or Spotify? Apple die-hards stick to their guns and defend Apple Music to the ends of time, while Spotify users hold their ground and refute every claim that Apple Music lovers throw at their face. So, which streaming service is better?
Apple Music issuperior
There’s a good chance one of your friends uses Apple Music instead of Spotify and you and your friends make fun of them for doing so. And because your friends just dog-pile on top of that person, they can’t make any case for themselves. Well, I’m that friend that you make fun of, and I’m here to stand up for myself to make the point of why Apple Music is just as good and even better than Spotify.
Image by Adele Reich
To start, we must consider the price and the amenities that come with a subscription. With Spotify, you get Hulu, SHOWTIME, and the perks of Spotify Premium in the student package for $4.99 a month. The student version of Apple Music only gives you the same perks of the individual accounts, which is to be able to download as much music as you want and to be able to listen to it all offline. So, in that sense, Spotify takes the upper hand. This is due to Apple having to make deals with other companies — for example, Apple One. This bundles Apple Music with Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and 50 GB of iCloud storage in the individual membership for $14.95 per month. Ultimately, this is a pretty good deal, because if you paid for those individually, it’d be $20.95 per month.There is a big misconception Apple Music doesn’t make an end of the year playlist for you. This is a blatant lie! Apple Music has been making a “Replay” playlist for me since 2014. On top of that, Apple Music also keeps track of how many times you listened to an album/song and gives you your most listened to songs of the year, which Spotify does, but they don’t list the exact number like Apple Music does. Some may think Apple Music is difficult to navigate, but I think this is a bad argument to make. However, I would counter by saying Spotify is hard to navigate. If a person were to spend an extended amount of time on Apple Music, they would still figure out all the features and how everything is organized on the app. It’s like when an Android user switches to an Apple device or vice versa. It’s odd at first, but eventually, a person gets the hang of things and will either love it or hate it. At the end of the day, it’s all subjective to which app a person prefers to listen to their music on — even though Apple Music is and always will be better.Thisviewpoint is by Andrew Beckley
Spotify reigns supreme
Spotify is the best music streaming service there ever was. It has a multitude of features, but let’s discuss some of it’s best. Spotify has three main tabs: the home tab, browse tab, and radio tab. The home tab displays a personalized page for each user. This page includes your shortcuts, your recently played music, music that they recommend for you daily, your favorite albums and songs, the best of artists, the state of music today, the top of the charts, your popular artists, your popular albums, and last but most definitely not least Spotify customizes playlists for you. Yes, you read that right. The best feature that Spotify has is they literally compile music that you love and make new playlists for you on the daily.
Image by Adele Reich
Their browse tab includes a whopping 56 different genres and mood playlists for any occasion you could imagine. If you can’t find something to fit your mood here, I don’t think you ever will. This is something that I’ve never seen from any other music streaming service. When I first discovered Spotify in sixth grade, I practically lived on this page. I would browse through each genre and mood I was in and listen to the array of playlists Spotify created for each one. Each one being spot-on, never missing the mark. They have a podcast page with 16 different categories to choose from and their own “Fresh Finds.” And to add to the genius that Spotify is, they have a charts page that includes “Top 50” or “Viral 50” playlists from different countries. They have a “New Releases” page which I’m currently obsessed with because I’m always on the prowl for new music. Also on this page is “New Music Friday” and “Release Radar.” “New Music Friday” is a playlist they update every Friday that lists the top songs released that Friday. “Release Radar” is another custom playlist of all the new music that was released recently from the artists you follow; this playlist also updates every Friday. They have a discover page which I am also obsessed with because it lists new artists and songs that you may like based on what you've listened to. Spotify is like a virtual maid. It organizes your library into categories, which makes finding what you want to listen to as easy as can be! Those categories being made for you, recently played, liked songs, albums, artists, and podcasts. Another feature that is top-notch is that you can make your own playlists and follow other playlists, as well as other users. After you follow other users, you can see their overview, recently played artists, public playlists, and who they are following. It’s a great way to see what music your friends are listening to and a fun way to share music with others. The end of the year is coming near and Spotify “Wrapped’ is something every single one of its users looks forward to. Spotify “Wrapped” is a year-in-review summary of your top five most played artists, songs, genres, and how many minutes you listened to music in total. It’s the time of the year where everyone admires their music taste and what they listened to. People see this as their "badge of honor" and like to show it off to other people. All in all, Spotify has everything you need. It’s the streaming service you can always explore more on and find more than meets the eye. It is and always will be better than its inferior competitor, Apple Music. This viewpoint is by Arianna Sergio
Image by Adele Reich
Pros of Apple Music and Cons of Spotify
You can get Apple Music in the Apple One bundle; which also includes Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and 50 GB of iCloud storage in the individual membership for $14.95 per month. A deal that would typically be $20.95 per month
Apple Music has its annual “Replay” playlist
Apple Music lets you know how many times you listened to a song over the year
Apple Music is easier to navigate
Cons of Apple Music and Pros of Spotify
Spotify’s monthly subscription is $4.99 a month, with the student package, and you get Hulu, SHOWTIME, and the perks of Spotify Premium
Spotify has a custom page/makes personalized playlists for you
Spotify organizes your library
You can follow other users and see what they are listening to on Spotify
