Spotify vs. Apple Music vs. YouTube Music — Which App to Download?

by Steffy Alen · February 28, 2022

You know you want to be able to listen to music no matter where you are, but which music app do you want to use? Whether you stick to the free options or opt for a subscription, you will likely find yourself choosing among a handful of choices. Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube Music are among the most popular. Take a closer look at some of these to discover which app you should download.

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Pricing Variations

If you plan to get the subscription version of any of these music apps, then you won’t notice a big difference in price. Whether you choose an individual plan or a family plan, you will at most save a few cents a month by choosing one over another. You can also save money on any of them with a Google Play promo code.

What If You Don’t Want to Pay?

If you don’t want to pay for your music, be prepared to listen to ads and have limited features. Interestingly, of the three, only YouTube Music and Spotify offer free versions. There is no free version of Apple Music.

But remember that opting for the free version of these music apps comes with some limitations. On Spotify, the free version doesn’t let you play a specific song; you have to play on shuffle. You also won’t be able to download songs to listen to offline. And, of course, you’ll have ads.

You also get ads with the free version of YouTube Music. This free app does let you choose songs, but it has an even more annoying feature. If you lock your phone screen or the app goes to the background, the music stops. So, you can’t do anything else on your phone while listening to your music.

Android or Apple?

Technically, you can use any of the three music apps on your smartphone, whether you have an Android or an iPhone. That being said, if you have an iPhone, you will notice that Apple Music is a bit more user-friendly.

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Number of Songs

No matter which of the platforms you choose, you will get a similar number of songs. That being said, Apple Music has about 60 million, while Spotify and YouTube Music have about 50 million each. But YouTube Music also has unofficial music, meaning you will find the largest library on this music app.

What About Amazon Music?

In addition to Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music, you may also want to consider Amazon Music.

If you already have an Amazon Prime membership, then you may want to consider Amazon Prime Music, which is a free perk of your Prime membership. There is also an upgraded version, Amazon Music Unlimited. You get features like lyrics and will save money over the other options if you already have Amazon Prime.

Conclusion

If you want a free music app, Spotify or YouTube Music are your options. If you want to pay for a subscription, your decision will mostly depend on your personal preferences and whether you are an Apple person. The good news is that all three offer free trials, so you can test them out before committing to a subscription.