Spotify vs Apple Music vs Google Play Music: The Ultimate Comparison

So you want to start streaming music, but aren‘t sure whether Spotify, Apple Music, or Google Play Music is right for you? You‘ve come to the right place.

In this comprehensive feature, we‘ll compare the Big 3 music streaming giants across all the factors that matter most: pricing, song selection, audio quality, platform availability, discovery features, curated playlists, and extra perks.

By the end, you‘ll have all the info you need to confidently choose the top music service for your listening preferences and habits. Let‘s dive in!

At a Glance: Key Streaming Service Features

Before we get into the nitty-gritty details, here‘s a high-level overview of what each service offers:

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	Spotify	Apple Music	Google Play Music
Free Streaming	Yes (with ads)	No	No
Song Catalog	75 million+	90 million+	50 million+
Audio Quality	320 kbps	256 kbps	320 kbps
Top Playlists	Discover Weekly	A-List Pop	Pop Chill Hits
Platforms	Nearly all devices	Apple devices	Android devices

Now let‘s explore each of these factors more closely, so you can determine which features matter most for your listening preferences.

Price and Plans

One major consideration when choosing a streaming service is the available plans and pricing:

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Plans	Spotify	Apple Music	Google Play Music
Individual	$9.99/month	$9.99/month	$9.99/month
Student	$4.99/month	$4.99/month (4 year limit)	N/A
Family	$14.99/month	$14.99/month	$14.99/month
Free	Limited streaming with ads	3 month trial	Catalog uploads only

The standard $9.99/month individual plan is identical across the board. But here are a few key differences to consider:

• Spotify is the only service with a free, ad-supported tier. If you want to test out streaming before committing to paid, Spotify is the way to go.

• Spotify also has the best student discount at just $4.99/month. Apple Music‘s student price is the same, but only lasts for 4 years.

• Google Play Music doesn‘t offer any free streaming access or student discounts.

So if you‘re looking to save money as a student, or want a free trial option, Spotify has an advantage. But for regular paid subscriptions, the costs are virtually the same.

Library and Catalog Size

With millions of songs available on all the major platforms, most popular music is covered across the board. However, more obscure or underground artists may only be available on select services.

Here‘s how the catalog sizes stack up:

• Spotify: 70+ million songs

• Apple Music: 90+ million songs

• Google Play Music: 40 million songs

Apple Music edges out its competitors here with 20-50 million more tracks than Spotify and Google Play Music.

While you probably won‘t notice much of a difference in mainstream Top 40 content, Apple Music‘s larger library offers better access to indie, niche genres.

So if you‘re into folk music, punk rock, alternative hip-hop or other eclectic scenes, you may discover harder-to-find artists and albums on Apple Music.

But Spotify and Google Play both offer expansive libraries as well, so chances are your favorite popular music will be accessible no matter which service you choose.

Audio Quality

Audio quality is an extremely important factor that directly impacts your listening experience. Here‘s how the audio bitrates compare:

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Service	Bitrate Quality
Spotify	320 kbps
Apple Music	256 kbps
Google Play Music	320 kbps

At 320 kbps, Spotify and Google Play Music deliver audio streams at a higher maximum bitrate than Apple Music‘s 256 kbps streams.

Many listeners may not detect a dramatic difference between 256kbps vs 320kbps audio. But audiophiles with high-end headphones and sound systems could notice richer sound quality from Spotify‘s and Google Play‘s 320 kbps streams.

So if audio fidelity is a major priority for you, Spotify and Google Play Music have a slight edge. But unless you‘re a true audio connoisseur, 256kbps vs 320kbps probably won‘t make a huge impact.

Platform and Device Availability

It‘s crucial to consider what devices and platforms each music service supports, especially if you want to seamlessly access your music library across multiple devices.

Here‘s a quick rundown of platform availability:

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	Spotify	Apple Music	Google Play Music
iPhone/iPad	✅	✅	✅
Android Phones	✅	✅	✅
Windows PC	✅	❌	✅
Mac PC	✅	✅	✅
Gaming Consoles	✅	❌	❌
Smart Speakers	✅	✅	✅
Smart TVs	✅	Apple TV only	Android TV only

Key takeaways:

• Spotify is universally available across almost all devices and platforms.

• Apple Music works great for Apple devices, but lacks native Windows app and gaming console support.

• Google Play Music is optimized for Android, but more limited on Apple iOS and Windows.

So if you want seamless streaming across multiple devices and ecosystems, Spotify is tough to beat here. But platform support may not matter as much if you mostly use Apple or Android devices.

Song Discovery Features

Discovering new music you love is arguably the best part of streaming. Thankfully, all three services offer amazing recommendation features powered by algorithms, expert curators and user data.

Here are some of the top discovery tools on each platform:

Spotify

• Discover Weekly – Playlist of 30 new song picks based on your taste updated every Monday
• Daily Mix – Several playlists clustering songs you like by genres and themes
• Release Radar – New music from artists you follow
• Artist Radio – Unlimited artist-based radio stations

Apple Music

• For You – Daily customized playlist of recommended albums and songs
• New Music Mix – Fresh music from artists you follow
• Chill Mix – Laidback tunes updated daily
• Beats 1 Radio – Live and on-demand internet pop radio station

Google Play Music

• Mixed for You – Algorithmic custom playlist
• Discover Mix – Recommended songs based on your listening history
• New Release Radio – Latest releases from your favorite artists
• Genre stations – Radio stations for any mood or genre

Both Spotify and Apple Music tend to receive high praise for their discovery algorithms and human-curated playlists.

If you had to choose just one top discovery feature, many fans rave about Spotify‘s Discover Weekly for unearthing hidden musical gems perfectly matched to their listening history.

But ultimately all three services provide an endless buffet of playlists, radio stations, and recommendations to satisfy any music craving.

Curated Playlists

In addition to personalized recommendations, streaming services offer human-curated playlists spanning every genre, mood, decade, and activity imaginable.

Spotify and Apple Music boast the most abundant playlist ecosystems with over 1 billion user-created playlists each.

Some popular playlist brands include:

• Spotify: RapCaviar (hip-hop), instrumental study playlists, Pop Rewind (throwback hits)

• Apple Music: A-List Pop, Indie Rocks, All Time Classics, Music for Concentration

• Google Play Music: Pop Chill Hits, Indie Favorites, Classical Morning, Workout Mix

Again, Spotify tends to dominate in terms of sheer variety and number of playlists, with over 1 billion to scroll through.

But rest assured, all three platforms offer enough expertly-crafted and user-created playlists to entertain you for months (or years) on end.

Extra Perks and Features

Beyond just music, some nice extra perks on streaming services include:

• Podcasts – Access to podcast libraries

• Audiobooks – Audiobook selections

• Music videos – Watch official music videos

• Lyrics – Read along with synced lyrics

• Uploads – Add your own song collection

• Live streams – Live concert footage

• Social features – Share music and see what friends are playing

Here are some of the top extras offered by each service:

• Spotify: Podcasts, audiobooks, simple social features like seeing friends‘ listening activity

• Apple Music: Music videos, lyrics view, digital master quality audio

• Google Play Music: Upload your personal music library, YouTube Music access

Once again, Spotify comes out ahead in terms of bonus content, offering podcasts, audiobooks and basic social features.

Meanwhile, Apple Music focuses on music-centric perks like music videos and lyrics. And Google Play Music sets itself apart by letting you upload your existing music library.

So weigh which extras appeal to you most as you think about which service fits your needs.

The Best Service For You

So after comparing the music streaming heavyweights across all the key categories, which platform is right for you?

Here‘s a quick recap of the best scenarios for each service:

Choose Spotify If:

• You want a free streaming option to test it out
• You‘re a student looking to save money
• You value highest audio quality
• You use a variety of devices and platforms
• You want excellent music discovery features
• You want podcasts and audiobooks in your subscription

Choose Apple Music If:

• You‘re already embedded in the Apple ecosystem
• You want the biggest catalog of songs
• You use iOS and Apple devices
• You care most about music videos and lyrics
• You appreciate digital master-quality audio

Choose Google Play Music If:

• You primarily use Android devices
• You want to upload your personal music library
• You want access to YouTube Music
• You don‘t care as much about discovery or audio quality

As you can see, Spotify stands out as the most well-rounded option that ticks all the boxes. It works great across all devices, offers top-notch discovery, and includes bonus content.

But Apple Music offers larger libraries and some nice iOS-friendly perks. And Google Play Music seamlessly integrates with your Android experience.

There‘s no universally "best" music service overall. The right choice depends entirely on which features and experience align with your listening habits and preferences.

Hopefully by highlighting the core differences between Spotify, Apple Music and Google Play Music, you now feel empowered to confidently choose the perfect music streaming home for you.

Let the tunes begin!