The world of music streaming is at a turning point in its history. Increasingly popular but also increasingly criticized, it is constantly trying to reinvent itself against a backdrop of growing competition between platforms. They are also trying to make concessions to artists, who are increasingly virulent towards a system they consider unfair. Case in point: James Blake in this article. On the consumer side, choosing in this infinite world of possibilities takes a lot of work. But Soundiiz is here to help with a new review. We look at two music streaming giants: Apple Music and Deezer. Apple Music VS Deezer: which is the best?
As always with our reviews, we’ll compare the two platforms point by point and pick a winner for each. This will enable you to navigate easily through the article and go straight to the section that’s most important to you. Today’s platforms tend to be standardized in content, available catalog, and navigation, so it’s essential to understand their differences.
And that’s what we’re going to do right now!
What’s the difference?
It may seem surprising, so much so that it feels like Apple Music has been around forever, but it wasn’t launched until 2015. That’s when Apple decided to shake up the world of music streaming and establish itself in an increasingly competitive market. But from the outset, Apple positioned itself differently. It doesn’t want to be “just” a streaming service. The company and its investors aim to place itself at the center of a virtuous ecosystem. There’s the streaming platform, of course, but there’s also a section dedicated to concerts, the creation of exclusive content, and the editorialization of spoken word. Apple Music is a cultural crossroads and always has been. It’s part of the platform’s DNA and continues to set it apart.
In contrast, Deezer is one of the oldest streaming platforms, conceived in France in 2007, and is based on another service, Blogmusik. Deezer grew rapidly and soon established itself in France as one of the leading streaming platforms. And it still is! Eight years later, in 2015, it entered the US market and continues to grow. Deezer’s rapid growth is based on successful partnerships with major French companies. Deezer benefits from its commercial and media power and quickly acquires millions of consumers.
Over the past few months, everyone has realized that Deezer is changing dimensions. With its logo evolution, announcements of multi-million dollar investments, and an IPO, the French company is trying to grow to compete with the market leaders. And with all its features, a modern, ergonomic interface, and an established reputation in the French market, it will undoubtedly succeed!
Audio Quality – Apple Music VS Deezer: which is the best?
Audio quality is one of the most critical issues for many users. Both platforms offer an HD option. Deezer offers a “HiFi” option, which is included with all subscriptions. With your basic plan, you can listen to HD music in CD-like quality.
Apple Music also offers a high-quality version of most songs, but its compression format differs from Deezer’s. We won’t go into too many technical details, but let’s just say that Apple Music and Deezer are both top-of-the-range services when it comes to audio. The difference is that their format and compression are different and may be perceived as better or worse depending on your ear and audio preferences! We can’t choose which is best here.
If audio quality is important to you, just remember that Apple Music and Deezer, along with TIDAL, Amazon Music, and Qobuz, are among the best platforms available.
Note that Deezer uses Dolby Atmos technology, while Apple Music has chosen 360 Reality Audio. Again, two different designs and two different results.
Winner: It’s a tie!
User Experience & Algorithms – Apple Music VS Deezer: which is the best?
If you’re already using Apple devices running iOS, it goes without saying that Apple Music will be put to optimal use. Even if Apple’s products are sometimes more expensive than the competition’s, they are designed to be integrated to optimize the user experience.
In terms of its algorithm, Apple Music is at the right level.
It doesn’t revolutionize anything, but it does manage to stay ahead of the game by going slightly against the grain. It certainly offers playlists with new artists, but it also provides whole albums to listen to. This can be confusing for people who are primarily looking for playlists. At Soundiiz, we appreciate Apple Music’s approach.
Also, Apple Music is more oriented toward radio shows, some of which are available exclusively through the app. A nice feature is that if you like a song broadcast during a show, you can add it live to your playlist.
For its part, Deezer has modernized not only its aesthetic approach but also its navigation options in recent months. They look more modern and ergonomic, and that’s a good thing!
But beyond aesthetics, the most crucial factor concerns the recommendation system and algorithm. In this respect, Deezer is ahead of the game. Its recommendation system, “Flow,” is as relevant as fun. It allows you to browse endlessly among pieces that should match your tastes.
Remember that thanks to Soundiiz’s Sync function, you can enjoy playlists and content from Apple Music or Deezer on any platform you choose. So, with Soundiiz, the playlist argument is no longer an argument! We explain it all here.
Winner: Deezer.
Price & Subscription
– (as of January 2025) –
As you know, almost all streaming platforms have raised their subscription prices in recent months. Apple Music and Deezer are no exception. The result? Deezer’s basic plan is now a dollar more expensive than Apple Music’s basic plan. However, Deezer offers one advantage: it lets you test its services for two months free, compared with one month for Apple Music.
Deezer also offers a 25% price reduction if you pay for a year’s subscription simultaneously rather than monthly. Your Deezer subscription will cost $107.99 per year, compared with $120.89 for Apple Music.
So it all depends on how you want to pay. If you want to be billed by the month, then Apple Music should be your platform of choice. If, on the other hand, you want to keep your Deezer subscription for an entire year, then Deezer will cost you around $13 less than Apple Music. Neither platform stands out on price!
Winner: It’s a tie!
Catalogs – Apple Music VS Deezer: which is the best?
– (as of January 2025) –
For now, audiobooks on Deezer are only available in Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands. That’s not much. In contrast, Apple Music offers an extensive catalog of audiobooks without geographical limits. The increasing use of this format can make a significant difference in your choice. Apple also stands out for the quality and quantity of its editorial content and special programs, which are available internationally. On the other hand, Apple Music lags behind Deezer in the number of podcasts available.
If you live in France, you can take advantage of content specially created by Deezer to defend the French scene, help it emerge, and provide it with communication channels, playlists, and more. But at Soundiiz, we think globally. While Deezer’s efforts in content creation are commendable and of high quality, they remain mainly confined to the French market. Let’s bet that this will change in the months to come, given Deezer’s ambitions to establish itself more permanently worldwide. But for the time being, the advantage goes to Apple Music.
The latest studies give Deezer the edge regarding the number of songs available, but only by a few million. At this stage, it shouldn’t make much difference, and you should be able to find almost any song you want on both Apple and Deezer.
Winner: It’s a tie!
Apple Music VS Deezer: which is the best?
After reading this entire review – and we hope you’ve read it all – you’ll undoubtedly have noticed that Apple Music and Deezer are equal in many respects. It’s hard to tell them apart! If you live in France, Deezer may be a good alternative, but if you don’t, Apple Music seems to be slightly ahead in terms of available catalog and music-related content. The all-important recommendation system, meanwhile, is equal, according to our tests and the user feedback we’ve read here and there.
This is not to say that Deezer is not a good streaming platform. Quite the contrary. With its HD option, impressive Flow system and algorithm, and attractive price if you subscribe for a full year, Deezer is undoubtedly among the best platforms on the market. We spoke highly of it in this article.
It’s also worth remembering that Deezer is in full expansion mode. Colossal resources have been invested to accelerate Deezer’s international development. While it has nothing left to prove in France, it has yet to make its mark in other countries. And with the solid arguments it already offers, there’s no doubt that it will succeed very shortly!
Soundiiz: Transfer your playlists from one music service to another
If we’ve done our job correctly, you’ll want to subscribe to Apple Music or Deezer or transfer your streaming data from Apple Music to Deezer or from Deezer to Apple Music.
In either case, Soundiiz is undoubtedly the ideal companion for doing all this. We’ve shown you two possible transfer paths, but our services work with all existing streaming platforms. You’ll be able to transfer your likes, albums, and playlists from one platform to another in just a few minutes. The good news is that we offer a free version of our services so that everyone can benefit.
Soundiiz will perform a matching process between Apple Music and Deezer – or any other platform – so you’ll find all your data once you’ve migrated to your new streaming service.
But that’s not all! You can also download all your data, store and share it, then import it again. Thanks to our unique interface, you can also manage all your streaming data from the homepage of your Soundiiz account. You can edit, organize, delete, and rename anything you like.
Other tools, such as Sync any playlist or create Smartlinks, are also available. Soundiiz has a lot to offer.
To test our services, click here.
