Which Is Cheaper: Apple Music Or Spotify?

Long after the days of Napster, iTunes, Pandora, and eventually Soundcloud, subscription-based digital music streaming services like Apple Music, Spotify, and Tidal gained mainstream popularity arguably some time around 2015. This was truly a game changer in the way that people consumed music, compared to the days when one would have to buy individual songs on iTunes for $0.99. In fact, if you're old enough, you probably remember when you would have to go out of your way to venture to a record store to buy your favorite artist or band's physical CD's just to be able to listen to their music. All in all, it's no secret that the availability and ease of which we can listen to music has drastically evolved since then.

The point is, regardless of how you frame it, digital music streaming services have revolutionized the accessibility of listening to music. However, with inflation on the rise in recent years, the price of a subscription to Apple Music or Spotify has indeed increased since the early days when they first gained popularity. That being said, it's definitely worth understanding which streaming services charge more than the other, and with Apple Music and Spotify being the top two most popular, it's best to do a deep dive on them. So without further ado, let's take a closer look at Spotify and Apple Music to see once and for all which one is actually more affordable for all you music lovers out there.

Spotify is currently the number one most used music streaming service in the world, according data published in December of 2024, with over 500 million users globally. Though most Spotify listeners are based in North America and Europe, the company still captures 31% of the global market share of music streaming. Apple Music, on the other hand, while residing at the number two spot for global music streaming services, only captures 15% of that same market. With 88 million yearly subscribers compared to Spotify's 226 million premium subscribers, it is certainly clear that Spotify is the more favorable choice between the two. That being said, let's take a look at some of the reasons why this may be.

First and foremost, when deciding which music streaming service you want to listen to, arguably the most important factor for most is going to be a matter of cost. Speculatively speaking, one of the main reasons why Spotify has more listeners than Apple Music globally may actually be pretty simple. Unlike Apple Music, Spotify offers a free version of the app for users to listen to. While it does come with frequent advertisements between songs, this option certainly could be more appearing for those with less money than others. However, if one is instead pondering one of the paid subscription models of both apps, they might change perspective.

When it comes to the paid subscription models of both Apple Music and Spotify, they don't differ in price too significantly. However, even saving a couple dollars a month on your bills can cumulatively make a noticeable difference on your yearly expenses. According to Spotify's website, outside of the free version, the company offers four different options of paid plans you can choose from. The cheapest is Spotify Premium for students, which is $5.99 a month with one month free. The next tier up from that is the Individual Premium plan, which is $11.99 a month with one month free. The Duo Premium plan is $16.99 a month and allows for two different users to access their own Spotify account. Finally, the Family Premium Plan is $19.99 a month, and allows for 6 different people to access the app on their own account. Individual, Duo, and Family Premium plans also allow users to listen to up to 15 hours a month of audiobooks.

As for Apple Music, according its website, paid subscription plans include a Student, Individual, and Family plan as well. Price-wise, they are indeed slightly cheaper than Spotify's outside of the Student plan which is also $5.99 a month. Apple Music's Individual plan is $10.99 a month, and the Family plan is $16.99 a month. However, Apple's Student plan includes a free subscription to Apple TV, and brand new subscribers to any plans can get three months free after signing up.

Overall, deciding whether to subscribe to Apple Music or Spotify is a matter of personal preference. While some people choose Spotify over Apple Music simply because they enjoy the app's interface more, others prefer Apple Music due to its superior sound quality (the app provide users with Hi-Res audio, and supports lossless and spatial audio with Dolby Atmos.)

At the same time, both apps offer over 100 million songs. Spotify, however, has a larger variety of podcasts than Apple Music and includes the option to listen to up to 15 hours of audiobooks a month with some plans. Another advantage of using Spotify is its Spotify Wrapped feature, which is a favorite for users. Every year it provides them with an end of year compilation showcasing their favorite music of the last roughly 365 days in a slideshow-like format. Unfortunately, Apple Music does not currently have this feature available for users. So ultimately, as you can see, whether or not you choose Spotify or Apple Music as your music streaming service of choice depends on a variety of factors. But all in all, if your goal is to save a few bucks on monthly bills, Apple Music's Individual plan is indeed a dollar cheaper than Spotify's, and their family plan is $3 cheaper than Spotify's.