Amid the global pandemic of COVID-19, there is one thing that my interest skyrocketed: listening to music. Staying indoors for a month has made me attempt and search for songs of numerous genres and widen the depth and quality of my playlist. As a result, I have ended up with hundreds of songs on my playlist. As an Apple Music user, it is extremely bothersome and a lot of work. Then, I came across Spotify. Among my friends, I have heard many talks about which is the better music-streaming app in terms of convenience. 

Music-wise, Apple has additional options for their users. For example, Apple Music labels every song as specific genres, so users will easily be able to find songs customized to their taste. Statistically, Apple music holds 60+ million songs in its library, whereas Spotify has 50+ million songs. When I first learned about Spotify, it had a better overall impression on me than Apple Music, as the settings were quite straightforward and simple. However, a number of songs were unavailable in Spotify’s music library. This ｉｎｃｌｕｄｅs individual remixes by different artists. This merely means Apple was able to get more contracts with record labels and artists than Spotify could. To add, Apple Music also allows users to watch official music videos, as opposed to Spotify. I suppose that individuals with various tastes in music will be better off with Apple Music, as it provides more types of songs and genres. 

System-wise, I think Spotify has the upper hand, as people have different preferences. In my opinion, Spotify is indisputably convenient and user-oriented for its listeners. It automatically provides users with music and artists similar to the user’s library. As a user of both apps, I have noticed many small, but decisive differences between the two streaming apps. First, Spotify has a better system for the organization. Presumably, many users will have a variety of playlists, depending on the mood and situation, such as a ‘work out,’ ‘chill,’ ‘emo,’ or a ‘study’ playlist. And often, these playlists can become quite massive. With Apple, it is just impossible to organize these playlists automatically by artists, or alphabetically. However, Spotify gives you recommendations on songs you might be interested in, based on your list of songs in your library. On the other hand, Apples does allow you to search other users’ playlists and use it for your reference. This can be more convenient than listening to random songs and trying to find a song to your preference. Nevertheless, for me it was easier to find more music of my taste due to Spotify’s user-friendly interface. 

Due to the ongoing pandemic, I am currently staying at a friend’s house. Apparently, every member of the family uses Spotify. To my surprise, they were not fond of Apple Music, let alone Apple at all. Mr. Matt Bachtell, the father of a friend of mine, uses Spotify seven days a week, multiple times a day. He states, “With Spotify, I can enjoy the wide breadth of music they have. I like the fact that they make five or six playlists for me every day. These playlists are based on the previous music I have listened to and will put artists which I normally listen to. I also like the daily drive mix which blends the genres together and plays BBC news and other interesting podcasts. I have never tried Apple music, but personally I don’t support them.”

Many of my friends have told me they use Spotify Premium, and they would not rather not use Apple Music. Some say it is because Spotify has a free version but with less options compared to the premium version, or it has many of their preferred music recommendations. Having said that, many friends of mine who have an Apple phone used Apple Music, because it’s easier to connect with their Apple ID, instead of making a new account and setting up separate payment options. Overall, I believe that it is illogical and indefinite for there to be a ‘superior’ music streaming software by just comparing the statistics and specs of each software. It all depends on a user’s preference in music and their compatibility with its interface. Each software has its own benefits and drawbacks. Spotify has a better, user-oriented system; Apple has a bigger music library. In the end, both Apple Music and Spotify are the ‘best’ in their own way. 

Justin An
Freshman (Grade 9)
Mercersburg Academy