OPINION : Not to get too ‘ hipstery ’ about it , but I begin using Spotify long before it was coolheaded – yonks before ‘ Spotify roll ’ was ever considered to be part of our shared finish , and yet , this was the first year where I did n’t practice it as my master cyclosis service of choice . Nope , that award now goes to Apple Music .
For context , if it had n’t been for Apple offering me a three - month least sandpiper on Apple Music for the price of one then I never would have made the parachuting .
After being gifted a duet ofAirPods Pro 2last Christmas , I was rummy to see what ‘ Spatial Audio ’ was all about and whether or not Apple ’s service could bestow out the best from the earbuds .
Needless to say , it did .
Hi-res audio makes a big difference
At this point , it ’s no orphic thatApple Musicboasts high-pitched character cyclosis thanSpotify(or at least it does until the long - awaited Spotify HiFi comes along ) , but making the switch felt like a immense shift aright from the leap . All of my preferred track on the spur of the moment sounded better than ever – injected with new detail that I simply had n’t been able to ascertain when listing via Spotify .
It really is one of those thing that you need to experience for yourself to gauge just how big the leaping is . I ’m a long way from ever conjoin the ranks of audiophiles , but I could n’t quite believe just how much detail has been left on the table all this time , and how moving to a higher codec could make such a notable difference .
A solid coat of paint
As great as the audio quality is , any app in 2024 needs to wow you with its presentation and to that end , I found myself quite entrance with Apple Music – but not ab initio .
Compared to Spotify ’s kitchen sink innovation which , while familiar , does flip as much as it can at you at any chip in time , Apple ’s take is far more scaled back .
All of the thing you may dive into , whether they be album , playlists or algorithmically enhanced stations , are all portray with large thumbnails which helps you to take in what ’s on cover and feel as if you ’re being offered up something that you would really care to listen to , as opposed to a bombardment of options , one of which might nonplus .
In fact , whether by figure or not , I set up myself discovering new euphony with Apple in a way that never pass with Spotify . From my experience , the latter of these two services feels more akin to something like Instagram or TikTok , wherein once it latches on to something that it believes I get interesting , it ’s just serve up to me time and clock time again .
Taking a chance on some new hits
I still consider 90s pop - tough to be my comfortableness food in the earth of medicine , but after having that same dish demonstrate to me incessantly by Spotify ’s various play list , I set up myself questioning why I even care the sound of this genre to begin with .
By compare , Apple Music not only paired me with new bands , but also unearth euphony from my favorite creative person that had simply travel under the radio detection and ranging . What helped with music discovery though is the wireless section of the app , something that Spotify demand to replicate as presently as potential .
At the metre of composition , Apple has six in - house radio stations which range from received chart hits to round the clock land euphony , but if you ’d prefer something a act more familiar then the app also lets you hear to all of the major national radio stations ( which soon allowed Heart 90s to become the unofficial background euphony of the Trusted Reviews post ) . This radio section is even useable to non - Apple Music contributor , so I highly recommend giving it a look .
A winner on price
The final cherry red on top however comes in the asking price for Apple ’s serving , with all cost tiers ( except the student choice ) being cheaper . Most notably , the ‘ kin ’ choice on Apple Music cost £ 16.99/$16.99 a month , while Spotify ’s rings in at £ 19.99/$19.99 over the same period .
The pricing alone lay down a solid case at a time when people are trying to look for ways to cut down on their monthly spending , but after the months I ’ve spend with Apple Music , it has now whelm Spotify as my preferred music streaming service , and I think you ’d sense the same agency if you give it a attempt .