It's time to end the music streaming debate that has split our society in half over the past few years. For some inexplicable reason, people become overly passionate about their choice of music streaming service when confronted by someone with a differing opinion. By looking at the two most popular services objectively, there is a clear winner: Spotify.
Spotify is Free!
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Want to stream a classical artist while you study? Wanna get pumped for your day by listening to Kendrick Lamar while you brush your teeth? For no fee, Spotify's got you. A large chunk of Spotify's user base hasn't paid for premium and is content with simply using the free streaming offered by the service; however, with Apple Music this isn't an option. It's pay or get out.
Spotify's Streaming Quality is Way Better
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Unbeknownst to most users of these music streaming services, you aren't actually listening to a song the way that the artist sent it in. You're listening to a compressed, lower quality version of their work most of the time. If you're a Spotify user, you're streaming your music at 320kbps AAC compared to the 256kbps AAC for Apple Music users. This 20% difference is fairly significant when it comes to the value of each service's product.
Behind the Lyrics
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Do you ever just stare at the ceiling bored out of your mind as you listen to music? If you can even remotely relate to that feeling, then Spotify's partnership with Genius is a gift to you. Many popular songs on Spotify are now equipped with Genius' "Behind the Lyrics" feature, allowing you to read the lyrics, the story behind them, and words from the artist as you listen to a song.
Spotify Has a Browser Feature
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Need to pull up Spotify real quick to show someone a song you've been obsessing over? Spotify's got your back with the ability to run the streaming service right inside your browser without the need for a desktop or mobile device application. When it comes to Apple Music, browser streaming just isn't an option.
Spotify is Integrated into Many Devices
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While Apple Music only allows you to access your music on other Apple devices, Spotify applications can be found on a variety of devices from the Xbox to the Playstation. You can also stream music directly from Spotify without using your phone through Amazon's Alexa or Google's smart speakers.
Statistics!
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One of the most fun aspects of Spotify comes at the end of every year when a detailed report of your year on the streaming service is presented to you. You can see which artists you listened to the most, how many times you skipped songs, how many songs you listened to, how many minutes you streamed from Spotify, and so much more. This data not only helps you shape your future music taste and playlists, but is a great way to reminisce about music that inspired you. Additionally, if you are an artist distributing music through Spotify, the tools that Spotify provides you with are exceptionally elegant. From the live updates on monthly listeners to details about where your listeners are from and their demographics, Spotify is unmatched in its ability to provide insights to its clients.
