If you’re like us at Soundiiz, you, too, search the Internet for a thousand pieces of information before buying or subscribing to anything. Streaming platforms are no exception. After studying the propositions of Deezer, YouTube Music, TIDAL, or Amazon Music, it’s time for Apple Music. We hope to give you all the information you need to choose. Apple Music: our review!
A bit of history
It’s no exaggeration to say that Apple Music, which wasn’t even called that in its early days, was one of the pioneers of music streaming. Launched in 2000, iTunes was a minor revolution for its time. And it attracted its share of detractors, worried about the emergence of online music sales. iTunes’s extreme popularity coincided with the early days of mass piracy, and iTunes was wrongly singled out as one of the main culprits. Apple, like others, tried to find solutions.
With the 2010s just around the corner, competitors are beginning to enter the music streaming market, whose future is bright. iTunes and online sales have reshuffled the cards in an expanding market. In 2014, Apple bought Beats Electronics and absorbed Beats Music, a digital streaming service. Apple then launched Apple Music, a dual entity. In June 2015, Apple Music was officially launched, and attempts to catch up with Spotify launched in 2006.
Apple Music positions itself as a music streaming service and a cultural hub. Its strategy goes beyond offering music, aiming to provide a comprehensive music-related experience. By creating an environment where content complements each other, Apple Music aims to be a nexus of diverse experiences.
This strategy is still valid in 2024, making Apple Music the world’s number two streaming service. To learn more about Apple Music’s history, we suggest you read our blog post.
Apple Music: our review regarding prices and subscription
Like most streaming platforms, Apple Music offers three main packages. The first, priced at $5.99, is reserved for students. The second and third, at $10.99 and $16.99, are reserved for individual subscriptions and families. These packages are nothing revolutionary, but they are formulas that align Apple Music with its competitors.
The main drawback of Apple Music is that there is no free version. Note that you’ll get a three-month subscription for free if you can prove you’re using one of the devices on this list. Spotify, Apple Music’s main competitor, offers a free version. Keep this in mind for those for whom the price argument comes first!
How much does Apple Music pay artists?
If you’re a regular reader of our blog – and if you are, we’d like to thank you; if not, welcome! –you’ll know that we’re very concerned about fair remuneration for copyright owners. That’s why we systematically devote a section to this subject. To build this section, we rely on the most recent and reliable studies available on reference media. At the end of June 2024, Groover published a detailed survey, putting the world’s leading streaming services into perspective.
We learn that Apple Music is the third most attractive platform for artists, behind TIDAL and Qobuz. According to Groover, Apple Music’s pay-per-stream ranges from $0.007 to $0.01, making it one of the most attractive players on the market. Spotify, for example, is a long way behind, with a pay-per-stream calculated from $0.003 to $0.005.
That is a very good point for Apple Music!
Apple Music: our review regarding its catalog
Let’s face it: the number of songs available on each streaming service is no longer a differentiator. Almost all of them feature over a hundred million audio tracks. More than enough to find everything, or nearly everything, you want. The difference now lies in ancillary content. And podcasts in particular. Spotify has understood this and invested in this sector earlier than the others. The Swedish company is still ahead of the game. You won’t find podcasts on Apple Music. You’ll have to use a different application, Apple Podcasts. If you want to listen to classical music on Apple Music, you’ll need to download Apple Music Classical. We talked about this in this blog post.
Our opinion is mixed: Navigating between several streaming applications can be a pain, while the competition brings everything together in one place. This affects Apple Music‘s overall ergonomics and allows you to split up your uses.
Another interesting point is Apple Music’s video catalog. This may be a gimmick for some people who only want to listen to music and nothing but music, but for others, it has to be said that Apple Music more than holds its own in these areas. Clips, concerts, etc., are available to extend the listening experience.
However, Apple Music’s real differentiator is undoubtedly its radio stations, broadcasts, and journalists. The radios are numerous, covering almost every musical genre. Consistently listenable, they are an infinite source of discovery. The shows feature top-quality editorial content hosted by renowned journalists and experienced DJs. They are available exclusively on Apple Music.
Apple has succeeded in establishing itself as an essential cultural hub in the media landscape, and Apple Music is a perfect example.
User experience & algorithm
They will appeal to all audiences with a minimalist look and little extra information. Moreover, interface changes are fairly rare at Apple Music, unlike Spotify, whose latest updates have been criticized. And when they arrive, they don’t shake things up, being practical and relatively discreet. This is good for Apple Music, whose users appreciate its consistency and the feeling of always being at home, even when technological advances allow us to make leaps forward.
The user experience becomes a concern when using Apple Music on Android or Windows. Like some of Apple’s other products, Apple Music is less optimized for these operating systems. Apple uses this strategy to push its customers toward the brand’s products. It is a strategically exciting move, but one that could repel those who don’t own an iOS smartphone or computer.
Apple Music is at the top regarding algorithm, which is undoubtedly one of the most essential elements for any streaming platform. Only Spotify and, to a lesser extent, Deezer seem able to compete. And then some! Discovery recommendations are often precise, and what we at Soundiiz appreciate is that, unlike most of its competitors, Apple Music highlights albums, not just playlists.
As fans of well-constructed albums and fewer lists of songs strung together without much coherence, this can only please us. What’s more, Apple Music’s 24-hour radio service should keep you entertained throughout the day, adding to the discoveries you can make. The fact that Apple Music asks you to choose your favorite musical genres when you first use it means that the application can refine its choices even further.
We also particularly like the Discovery station. It features songs based on your listening history but with a little twist. Theoretically, it only features songs you haven’t listened to, which should ensure 100% relevant discovery playlists!
Regarding user experience and algorithm, it’s no exaggeration to say that Apple Music has little competition, even more so if you’re already using iOS!
Apple Music: our review regarding audio quality
After several years, Apple Music still needed to be at the top of its game regarding audio quality, but the company caught up—and in style! Most songs are now available in hi-res and uncompressed versions, with up to 24-bit/192KHz rates. For those who don’t understand what this means, let’s put it this way: audio quality suffers no weaknesses in the current state of technology.
In this respect, Apple Music rivals Amazon Music Unlimited, which is often held up as an example. The streaming service also approaches the levels achieved by TIDAL and Qobuz, the two platforms favored by audiophiles, whose main argument when choosing a streaming service is audio quality. We know from extensive research and analysis of user feedback that these two platforms are still ahead of Apple Music. Still, Apple’s offering should be more than enough for the average user.
Another positive point is the Spatial Audio option via Dolby Atmos. This option lets you listen to music as if surrounded by “sounds” from all sides. You have to experience it to realize it. Combined with high-quality equipment, the sound becomes impressive. And your songs can’t get any more immersive!
As you can see, Apple Music has few rivals in terms of sound. It should delight audiophiles and those for whom the audio quality of the songs they listen to daily is not a differentiating criterion.
Apple Music: our review – Let’s sum it up!
For years now, Soundiiz has been working to make music streaming as ergonomic and easy an experience as possible, thanks to the various tools we develop and improve daily. So, without getting ahead of ourselves, we know quite a bit about the various players in the streaming world, as well as their strengths and weaknesses. Of all the existing players, Apple Music seems to be in the top three of the best platforms.
Ergonomics, controlled pricing, HD audio option, solid catalog, extensive podcast section, and, above all, plenty of additional content: Apple Music plays all the cards and plays them well. The only downside is that it’s not 100% optimized for everyone who doesn’t have an iOS phone or computer, and you’ll need to download an additional app to enjoy your podcasts.
Apart from these minor details, there’s nothing to report: you can subscribe to Apple Music with your eyes closed and choose Soundiiz to accompany you!
How can you make the most of Apple Music with Soundiiz?
As you know, Soundiiz always allows you to get the best out of your streaming platforms. Apple Music is no exception. On your Soundiiz homepage, you can manage your Apple Music playlists and data. Everything is in one place, making it easy to access all your data. Simply connect your Apple Music account to your Soundiiz account!
Our platform lets you directly retrieve all your data from a previous streaming platform and put it into your new Apple Music account. If our review has convinced you, you may have taken out an Apple Music subscription.
With Soundiiz, you can find all your Spotify, Apple Music, TIDAL, or YouTube Music data directly in your Apple Music account in just a few seconds. To do this, use our Transfer function, which we regularly improve to meet your needs!
Soundiiz is doing an advanced matching process, allowing you to move quickly and with no effort to Apple Music from Deezer, YouTube Music, Spotify, or any other platform.
You can also use our playlist Synchronization feature. This allows you to enjoy the same playlists and other content on your previous platform and find them in your Apple Music account. If we had to sum up Soundiiz, we’d say we’re trying to bring you the best of all worlds. All to ensure that your music streaming experience is optimal and that you don’t miss out on any content!
As a bonus, if you use our recently released Artificial Intelligence tool, you can transfer your discoveries to your Apple Music account.
To test out what we have to offer, click here.
