I’d been using Spotify for a few years when they suddenly removed the option to shuffle your entire library. That’s basically the only way I listen to music, so I literally didn’t know how to use Spotify anymore. I decided to give Apple Music another chance.
pros
- more songs — Apple Music has about 45 million songs compared to Spotify’s 35 million.
- better algorithms — With Spotify, I often found myself skipping tracks because it assumed I wanted to hear music similar to whatever was currently playing. Eventually it would get stuck playing the same type of music. Apple Music seems much better at actually shuffling everything.
- curated playlists — Apple makes custom playlists like New Music Mix, Favorites Mix and Chill Mix. Replay also gives you a playlist of your most-played songs from each year.
- light and dark modes — Spotify has a very dark, almost depressing interface. Apple Music has both light and dark modes, and somehow even its dark mode feels more upbeat.
- interface — A thousand times better than Spotify’s cluttered dump truck of an interface.
- Siri integration — Being able to ask Siri to play basically anything makes a huge difference.
- automations — I have a Shortcut set up so a notification appears when I put my AirPods in. I tap it and my music starts shuffling. I also have one for CarPlay so my music automatically starts playing shuffled when I plug my phone in.
- website — Apple recently launched a beta Apple Music website. I have a developer account, so I’m not sure if it’s available to everyone yet, but I haven’t had a single issue with it.
cons
- your library can disappear — Apple will delete your library after three months without a subscription. Spotify will keep your account and even let you listen for free with ads.
- it isn’t as social — I don’t have nearly as many friends on Apple Music as I do on Spotify, probably because fewer people are using Apple Music in the first place.
Despite the misconceptions, Apple knows what they’re doing when it comes to music. In fact, I think they’re doing a hell of a lot better job than the industry leader: Spotify.