Nowadays, there are many different music apps available, including Apple Music, Spotify, Soundcloud, Amazon Music and Tidal. How does one decide which is right for them? I don’t think there is a right or wrong answer, but I’m here to help by comparing the two most popular: Apple Music and Spotify.

The two apps have many similar features, but they’re set apart by a few key differences.

When it comes to similarities, Apple Music and Spotify both cost about the same, $9.99 a month or $4.99 a month with a student discount. Both allow you to listen to radio stations sorted by genres. This means you can find a radio for studying, sleeping or chilling. And, last but not least, these apps both let you customize your own playlists with certain songs.

I’m an avid user of Apple Music, but in doing my research, I’m questioning my decision. This app is for iPhone users and allows access to every song in the iTunes store. I first started using Apple Music when Drake released “Views” a year and a half ago, and I’ve loved it since.

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Users can add new songs and customize music by genres, artists and songs you like. After users select a few songs/artists from each category, the app curates related playlists and radios in a special section called “For You.”

Apple Music doesn’t offer a free option like Spotify, so it’s all or nothing. The songs downloaded don’t need Wi-Fi to play, which decreases the amount of data being used. Lastly, and most importantly, certain artists have a contract with Apple Music. That is a huge plus for Apple Music users since they get the first chance the listen to select songs.

Now let’s talk Spotify. Although the price for students is $5 a month, a free option is available. The main differences between free and subscription are a limited number of skips and advertisements between songs.

Spotify allows users to follow friends, like and share their songs and see who they follow. This allows stress-free accessibility to new songs. Another unique feature is called “workout mode,” which finds the tempo of your workout and plays songs to match. “Discover Weekly” also shows up on your homepage every Monday with new songs based on what you listen to.

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Spotify has a desktop version, meaning users can play songs from their phone, computer and Amazon devices such as Alexa. Spotify Users can also download songs for when they’re offline. 

After weighing the pros and cons of Apple Music and Spotify, I think the winner is clear. Although one simply cannot go wrong with either, Spotify gives users the biggest bang for your buck.

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