- By Alex David
- Mon, 24 Mar 2025 07:22 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
There are many music streaming services available out there, but all have their own benefits and fallbacks. If you want to enjoy uninterrupted music, you will need to have a paid subscription. Even some features that they offer are limited to the paid version of the apps. Apple Music, Spotify and YouTube Music are some of the most popular apps that are available, offering their premiums to the users. However, you still don’t know which one is right for you. So in this article, we will be comparing all three, i.e., Spotify vs YouTube Music vs Apple Music, so you can understand which one is the best for you.
Additionally, we will also compare the pricing of these apps so and suggest which plan you should get from YouTube Music, Apple Music and Spotify. So without any further ado, let’s head into the article.
Spotify
Spotify is one of the most loved music streaming platforms in the world. But recently it started limiting its basic features, such as changing songs, seeking forward or backward and even shuffling songs. They are only offering these features to their premium users.
Spotify offers a Mini plan, offering their premium features for Rs 29 for a week. Here are its features:
- 1 mobile-only Premium account
- Offline listening of up to 30 songs on 1 device
- One-time payment
- Basic audio quality
Other than this, there is a Rs. 119/month, an individual plan that offers:
- 1 Premium account
- Cancel anytime
- Subscribe or one-time payment
Similarly, the duo plan costs Rs. 149 which gives you 2 accounts with premium access and the same features as an individual plan.
Now Student plan offers the premium plan for Rs. 59/month:
- 1 verified Premium account
- Discount for eligible students
- Cancel anytime
- Subscribe or one-time payment
Also, there is a Family Plan that comes at the price of Rs. 179/month offering:
- Up to 6 Premium accounts
- Control content marked as explicit
- Cancel anytime
- Subscribe or one-time payment
Apple Music
Apple Music is from Apple, and many have great UI and music quality available. Apple Music offers lossless quality as well along with exclusive live, concerts, original shows, etc. They don’t offer a free plan, they only offer a month of free subscription when you are the newest subscriber.
Here are the plans that Apple Music offers:
The Individual Plan is offered for Rs. 119/month and gives every feature from the app except – Unlimited access for up to six people, a personal music library for each family member, and personalised recommendations for each family member.
The same is true with the student plan, except for unlimited access for up to six people, a personal music library for each family member, and personalised recommendations for each family member, other features are given to the premium members.
There is a Family plan that offers all the features in the app including unlimited access for up to six people, a personal music library for each family member, and personalised recommendations for each family member, other features are given to the premium members.
YouTube Music
YouTube Music is a part of YouTube and has one of the biggest song libraries in the world. Even after being available to stream music for free, there is no option to keep the music playing in the background and download music in high quality. You will need a premium membership for that.
YouTube also offers similar plans, Individual, Family and Students. The individual plan costs Rs. 119/month offering all the above-mentioned features and YouTube Premium as well. Whereas, a student can get all these things in just Rs. 59/month. A family plan is available for up to 5 members for Rs. 179.
Spotify vs Apple Music vs YouTube Music
Before heading further, we will list down the 4 parameters on which you should judge to make a decision when getting a subscription.
Sound Quality
First and foremost is the sound quality. In the comparison of music apps, the main thing is sound quality.
So YouTube Music and Apple Music offer the same sound quality of 256Kbps whereas Spotify offers 320Kbps sound quality. 256Kbps is more than enough for the regular user. Apple Music supports Lossless music and even Dolby Atmos.
User Interface
Now talking about the UI, Spotify obviously comes at the top as it looks cool and feels smoother than others. However, it is followed by YouTube Music and then Apple Music.
Music Recommendations
I think that Spotify has the best recommendation followed by YouTube Music and then Apple Music. Moreover, the public playlists on Spotify are just amazing if you are looking for a music in particular mood, you can find it on Spotify.
Pricing
All the apps have exactly the same pricing for individual plans. But you can save money by picking the student plan and getting a good value for money.
Verdict: Spotify vs Apple Music vs YouTube Music
In terms of music availability, Apple is way behind Spotify and YouTube. However, in my opinion, you should buy YouTube Premium as it offers a huge music library alongside the ad-free YouTube experience making it a value for money.
BONUS: Which plan should you buy?
Usually, student plans are best to save money. But there is a trick to get YouTube Music for even cheaper. You can gather 5 friends(Total 6 people) and buy YouTube Premium together. By doing this you each get the YouTube premium for around 30 Rs.
That was it guys for this one, keep an eye out for Jagran English for more such updates!
