Battle: Spotify vs Apple Music

Selecting between Apple Music and Spotify in 2025 presents a common dilemma for music enthusiasts. Both platforms provide extensive music libraries and comparable foundational features such as streaming, offline listening, and synchronized lyrics. However, as one reviewer aptly observed, comparing them is akin to classifying both a cheetah and a cat as felines—while technically accurate, they offer fundamentally different experiences.

Drawing insights from YouTube creators such as “6 Months Later” and “Jimmy Tries World,” (watch their videos at the end of this post), this guide explores the distinguishing characteristics of each service to assist you in determining which best aligns with your specific requirements.

Spotify: The Mainstream Champion

Spotify is frequently referred to as the “king of music streaming,” largely due to its early start in 2008 and its rapid expansion, including its U.S. debut in 2011. This early lead helped the platform build a significant user base and establish industry dominance. As a result, Spotify benefits from a powerful “network effect” that makes music and playlist sharing among friends and family more seamless and widespread.

Spotify Pros:

• Playlists & Curation: Spotify excels in providing a vast array of customized playlists tailored to individual preferences. In addition to standard mixes such as Favorites and Discover Weekly, it offers unique options including Repeat Rewind, Time Capsule, and various decade-, genre-, and mood-specific mixes. The Blend feature permits collaborative playlist creation with friends.
• AI DJ: This feature is commended for its capability to curate music when users are uncertain about their selection. The AI DJ commences with recent tracks, explores the user’s listening history, and introduces new music with a comparable style.
• Social Features & Network Effects: Spotify’s widespread popularity significantly enhances its social capabilities. Users can initiate “Jam” sessions, which allow friends to contribute songs to a queue—even without a Premium subscription. Furthermore, the platform provides concert information, pre-sale ticket access, listening statistics, and the highly popular Spotify Wrapped feature.
• Spotify Connect: This functionality enables users to stream and control music on any integrated device from another device logged into their account. For example, users can control music playing on Sonos speakers from a MacBook Air or manage playback on their laptop using a smartphone.
• Free Tier: In contrast to Apple Music, Spotify provides a free version, rendering it highly accessible for new users.
• Recommendation Algorithms: Spotify’s algorithms represent a significant advantage, powering personalized playlists and features such as the Up Next queue and AI DJ. These algorithms rapidly adapt to current trends and patterns, even with limited user data, which makes Discover Weekly and other curated playlists particularly effective for discovering new music.
• Local File Support: Users have the ability to import local music files into the desktop application.
• Platform Support: Spotify maintains compatibility with a wide range of devices.

Spotify Cons:

• Free Tier Limitations: The free version includes advertisements, restricts offline listening, limits track skips, does not permit song selection in any order, lacks high-quality audio, and does not support queue organization or the Jam feature with friends.
• Audio Quality: Spotify currently does not offer high-resolution lossless audio or Dolby Atmos support, features that are available on Apple Music. Although Spotify announced plans for higher-quality streaming in 2021, this had not been implemented as of early 2025.
• Library Management & App Clutter: The library has been described by some users as a “giant running list,” rendering it less intuitively organized when compared to Apple Music. Additionally, the application can feel congested with content extending beyond music.
• Local File Import Limitations: Although local files can be imported, they cannot be uploaded to a cloud library for access across all devices; such access remains device-specific.
• Simultaneous Playback: A single account is limited to streaming music to one device at a time.

Apple Music: The Quality & Library Enthusiast’s Choice

Apple Music, with its origins in iTunes – launching in 2015, provides a distinct experience—one that places a strong emphasis on music quality and comprehensive library management.

Apple Music Pros:

• Audio Quality: A significant advantage is the inclusion of Dolby Atmos and high-resolution lossless audio at no additional cost. Lossless audio preserves the integrity of the original file quality, while Dolby Atmos delivers an immersive surround sound experience, providing greater detail and dynamic range compared to standard stereo mixes.
• Library Management & App Design: The library is structured as a curated, organized collection, reminiscent of the classic iTunes interface, which permits customization of metadata columns. The application is noted for its polished design, incorporating real-time lyrics that highlight each word during music playback, thereby enhancing sing-along experiences. Additional features such as Apple Music Sing (karaoke with adjustable vocals) and animated album art contribute to its refined aesthetic. The application maintains a dedicated focus on music, avoiding superfluous content.
• Music Ownership Integration: Apple Music seamlessly integrates music purchased via iTunes and permits the importation of music from other sources (such as CDs or local files). When iCloud Music Library is enabled, these files can be uploaded to a cloud library, rendering them accessible across all user devices.
• Apple Music Classical: This separate application, included with the subscription, provides enhanced metadata for classical music searches and synchronizes playlists with the main application.
• Apple Music Radio: This service provides live, traditional radio stations, including three primary stations available at no cost to any user. Subscribers also have the option to play shows on demand.
• Pricing: The family plan is notably more affordable than Spotify’s equivalent. Additionally, bundling with Apple One can yield further savings for individuals who use other Apple services.
• Simultaneous Playback: Users are able to play different tracks on multiple devices simultaneously using the same account.
• Tool Integration: Tools such as SongShift, which facilitate the transfer of playlists between services, have been integrated into the Apple Music application.
• Free Trial Offers: Although Apple Music does not feature a permanent free tier, it provides generous trial periods. New subscribers may receive three months free with the purchase of eligible Apple devices. Furthermore, Best Buy has offered promotions for up to three months of complimentary Apple Music for new or returning subscribers.

Apple Music Cons:

• No Free Tier: In contrast to Spotify, Apple Music necessitates a subscription for use.
• Recommendations & Music Discovery: Although improvements have been implemented, its recommendation algorithms are generally considered less effective than those of Spotify. The Discovery Station and new music mixes are described as adequate but may not consistently introduce a significant number of new tracks that align with user preferences.
• Social Features: Apple Music lacks robust social features comparable to Spotify’s Wrapped, concert information, and detailed listening statistics. Although collaborative playlists are available, there is no direct equivalent to Spotify’s Jam sessions. One creator observes that Apple Music functions more like a traditional music player than a social platform.
• Device Control: It does not possess a feature comparable to Spotify Connect for controlling playback on other devices from a central point.
• Platform Limitation for Owned Music: Although it performs well on Apple devices, there is currently no official method to directly download previous iTunes purchases to an Android device.

Where the Experts Agree and Disagree

Insights provided by YouTubers “6 Months Later” (Josh Teder) and “Jimmy Tries World” highlight several key areas of consensus and divergence:

Agreements:

• Spotify’s Strength in Recommendations: Both creators concur that Spotify’s algorithms excel in music discovery and personalized playlist generation. Josh Teder notes that while Apple Music is showing improvement, it has not yet reached parity with Spotify. Jimmy Tries World expresses a sense of musical regression when using Apple Music, attributing this to the absence of Spotify’s discovery features.
• Apple Music’s Audio Quality Advantage: Both commentators emphasize Apple Music’s inclusion of Lossless and Dolby Atmos at no additional cost as a significant benefit, articulating the impact of these formats on overall sound quality.
• Challenges in Switching & Transfer Tools: Both individuals mention the difficulty inherent in manually switching services and the potential loss of playlists. They recommend utilities such as Tune My Music or SongShift to assist in the transfer of music libraries.
• Pricing Nuances: They concur that pricing structures are generally comparable but vary based on the selected plan (e.g., Spotify’s free tier versus Apple Music’s more economical family plan or Apple One bundle).
• Distinct App Philosophies: Both acknowledge that Apple Music functions more as a dedicated music library and player, reflecting its iTunes origins, whereas Spotify integrates a broader range of social and platform-centric features.

Differences:

• Overall Conclusion: Josh Teder concludes that Spotify remains the “king,” particularly concerning its recommendation capabilities, although he personally utilizes Apple Music more frequently now due to its audio quality and application features. Conversely, Jimmy Tries World opted to continue with Apple Music following his six-month trial, valuing its superior audio quality and family plan pricing despite the absence of Spotify’s discovery features.
• App Design Preference: Josh Teder praises Apple Music for its polished design and effective library management. Jimmy Tries World, while appreciating its dedicated focus on music, describes the Apple Music user interface (UI) as “plain” in comparison to Spotify’s.
• Specific Social/Connectivity Features: Josh Teder emphasizes network effects and Spotify Connect, whereas Jimmy Tries World focuses on Spotify’s broader social components (such as Wrapped and concert information) and notes Apple Music’s distinctive capability for simultaneous playback of different tracks on multiple devices from a single account.

Making Your Choice

It is evident that neither service is flawless, and the optimal choice ultimately depends on individual priorities:

• Choose Spotify if you value:
  • Superior music discovery and personalized, algorithm-driven mixes.
  • Robust social sharing capabilities and real-time updates on friends’ listening activities.
  • Comprehensive control of playback across various devices via Spotify Connect.
  • Access to a complimentary tier for initial use without financial commitment.
• Choose Apple Music if you prioritize:
  • High-fidelity audio, including Lossless and Dolby Atmos support.
  • Seamless integration of your complete music library, encompassing purchased and imported tracks.
  • A polished and focused application experience, featuring elements such as Apple Music Sing and animated album art.
  • Potential cost efficiencies through family plans and Apple One bundles.

Drawing upon the insights from experts such as Josh Teder and Jimmy Tries World, your decision should align with the features most pertinent to your needs and the compromises you are willing to accept. Whether you seek a platform that excels in music discovery and social connectivity (Spotify), or one that provides superior audio fidelity and comprehensive music library management (Apple Music), the optimal choice hinges upon your listening habits and specific priorities.

Apple Music vs. Spotify: Feature Comparison (2025)

Watch Jimmy Tries World & 6 Months Later’s videos