If you’ve been following us for a few months, you’ll know that this isn’t our first Versus. Month after month, we strive to give you all the clues you need to find your way around the vast ocean of streaming platforms. Today, we’re shedding light on two of the leading music streaming services: Apple Music and YouTube Music. Apple Music VS YouTube Music: which is the best?
As always, we divide our analysis into several points: audio quality, algorithm and user experience, catalog, and price. Ready to make your choice? Let Soundiiz be your guide!
What’s the difference?
There’s a world of difference between YouTube Music and Apple Music. With the arrival of iTunes in 2000, Apple Music is undoubtedly one of the pioneers of the streaming world. If Soundiiz exists today, it’s due to a multitude of factors, but also thanks to the efforts made by Apple Music at a time when the music industry was facing significant challenges. YouTube Music Premium, a Google-led service, will take its final shape in 2020, following the alliance between Google Music and YouTube Music.
Before this, YouTube Music had undergone numerous other versions, not all of which were successful. However, since 2022, YouTube Music Premium has gained market share, becoming one of the most popular platforms. With the power of Google and the possibility that paying an extra $2 to access YouTube without advertising attracts many customers, the service attracts many customers.
A balanced ecosystem
YouTube Music Premium thus competes directly with Amazon Music, which also offers a subscription coupled with Amazon Prime. Given the number of users, this commercial strategy is clearly bearing fruit. Other services such as Spotify, Deezer, TIDAL, or Qobuz cannot offer the same type of subscription, and this is likely to penalize them. Apple Music is in the same situation as the above-mentioned platforms.
But that doesn’t mean it’s not doing well. Based on years of experience and a user base loyal to the Apple ecosystem, Apple Music still has a bright future ahead of it. In 2014, the absorption of Beats Music enabled it to turn a corner, before the official launch of Apple Music in 2015. Since then, Apple has continued offering experiences beyond just listening to music, playing at events, media partnerships of colossal scope, and trying to make Apple Music a cultural hub. The results are convincing, as Apple Music is now the second most-used platform in the world, behind Spotify. With its unique features and innovative approach, Apple Music is a service that music enthusiasts should definitely consider.
YouTube Music, with the backing of Google and its unique features, is rapidly gaining ground and is a strong contender in the music streaming market. It’s important to keep an eye on its progress and potential to challenge established platforms.
Audio Quality – Apple Music VS YouTube Music: which is the best?
Apple Music and YouTube Music are similar in many respects. But when it comes to audio quality, there’s still a world of difference.
Apple Music is arguably one of the best platforms on the market regarding audio quality. Beyond the HD options, it offers the possibility of listening to music using Spatial Audio technology with Dolby Atmos. With this, it’s as if you’re listening to sounds coming from all directions and standing at the center of the sounds. It may sound abstract, but if you have the right audio equipment, we recommend you experience it yourself. It’s stunning and immersive!
Audio specialists rank Apple Music on par (or close to it) with industry benchmarks such as TIDAL and Qobuz. In other words, Apple has tried to set itself apart from the competition in this sector. However, YouTube Music has yet to capitalize on these investments.
YouTube Music does not offer Spatial Audio technology, for example. It may seem like a gadget to some, but audiophiles appreciate them, and given their increasing use, they are becoming more and more democratic. But make no mistake: YouTube Music offers decent audio quality. Three options are available: 48kbps AAC, 128kbps AAC, and 256 kbps. That should be enough for most users. But if you want to take your audio to the next level, Apple Music is the answer. This is especially true if you’ve recently purchased high-quality audio equipment, such as speakers or headphones. The Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos options could change your listening experience!
Winner: Apple Music
User Experience & Algorithms – Apple Music VS YouTube Music: which is the best?
As always, we consult numerous sites, forums and user feedback, in addition to our own experience, to write this section. From what we’ve read, YouTube Music seems to offer a less well thought-out interface than Apple Music. Less legible, more confusing and less ergonomic, it would benefit from becoming simpler and more intuitive. However, with Google’s experience and resources, there’s a lot of potential for YouTube Music Premium to improve and redress the balance.
Most important of all is the algorithm. Here, too, Apple Music is winning the battle. More precise in its recommendations and more varied in the songs and albums it offers, Apple Music is ahead of its rival, and the feedback is virtually unanimous.
YouTube Music does, however, offer an interesting feature: linked to your Google account, YouTube Music can detect what time of day you are and where you are – a bit creepy, isn’t it? – and suggest songs to suit.
According to Sound Guys, Apple Music is one of the worst performers regarding artist remuneration, with a remuneration per stream of $0.00675. YouTube Music fares better, with $0.01009.
Let’s face it: both platforms could do much better. But as the debate over fair remuneration for artists continues to fuel the headlines, it’s important to highlight the differences between the two services.
Winner: Apple Music
Price & Subscription
– (as of march 2025) –
If price is an important factor for you, we’d better warn you right away: it’s not the criterion on which your choice will be based. Apple Music and YouTube Music Premium have similar pricing policies. This information will help you make an informed decision based on other factors that differentiate these services.
Both platforms offer a free one-month trial and an individual album for $10.99 monthly. A family plan, allowing five different people to listen to music with the same subscription, is priced at $16.99 per month. The student plan is slightly different: it costs 50 cents less on YouTube Music ($5.49) than on Apple Music.
On the other hand, if you use one of the objects identified by Apple right here to listen to streaming music, you can benefit from a three-month free subscription. This is a good option, which could, in the short term, tip the balance in favor of Apple Music.
Remember that with the one-month-free option, you can test one service and the other. We advise you to do so: despite everything we’ve written here, there’s no substitute for user experience. Most streaming services now offer this option, and it would be a shame to miss out!
Winner: It’s a tie!
Catalogs – Apple Music VS YouTube Music: which is the best?
– (as of march 2025) –
The number of songs available in the catalogs of streaming platforms is now an interesting statistic, but one that no longer means much. With over a hundred million references in the database, Apple Music and YouTube Music Premium should enable you to find everything you want. And even the most obscure songs.
YouTube Music offers a few million more songs than Apple Music due to its links with Google and its databases.
The difference lies in the amount of ancillary content. And it’s Apple Music that wins this round. With more podcasts and exclusive content piloted with brands or the artists themselves, Apple Music remains a global benchmark for non-music content. However, YouTube Music also has strong arguments in other areas.
Thanks to its links with YouTube and Google, YouTube Music Premium provides fast, privileged access to an infinite source of music videos and concerts. For users for whom images are as important as music, It should be seriously considered.
YouTube Music has also introduced a “Search By Lyrics” function. So far, nothing new. However, Google’s company has unrivaled precision when entering criteria in text format to find a song you’ve listened to but can’t remember the title. What may seem a mere detail is, in fact, a symbol of the infinite possibilities that YouTube Music Premium possesses. And we can’t wait to see how it evolves!
Winner: Apple Music
Apple Music VS YouTube Music: which is the best?
After an in-depth analysis of both platforms, Apple Music is currently a better streaming platform than YouTube Music Premium.
At equivalent prices, Apple Music is more balanced, offers a better user experience, a more robust algorithm, and incomparable audio quality, thanks in particular to Spatial Audio technology.
But if YouTube Music manages to put its algorithm on par with Apple Music, Spotify, Deezer, or other competitors celebrated for the accuracy of their recommendations, there’s no doubt that Google’s platform will be almost flawless.
It will be fascinating to analyze the evolution of YouTube Music in the years to come. Like Amazon Music, it could dictate trends, and Apple Music and its ilk will be forced to follow suit.
Soundiiz: Transfer your playlists from one music service to another
For us, Versus is a way of connecting to our primary mission: to enable you to transfer all your streaming platform data from one platform to another. And when we say “all”, we’re not exaggerating: songs and artists liked, playlists… With Soundiiz, you’ll be able to transfer everything in just a few minutes, with the assurance that you won’t lose your data.
Soundiiz is doing an advanced matching process, allowing you to move quickly and with no effort to Apple Music or YouTube Music Premium from Deezer, YouTube Music, Spotify, or any other platform.
You can test Apple Music and YouTube Music Premium with the free month. Then, when you’re sure of your choice, you can use our Transfer function to migrate all your data to the right platform. Moreover, you’ll never have to worry about losing your data: our services allow you to back them up in text or CSV format. You won’t be able to download them and store them in a safe place. Then, you can import the file back into your streaming service!
And if, despite what we’ve told you in this Versus, you’re not satisfied with the algorithm and recommendations of YouTube Music or Apple Music, we’ve got just the thing for you. A few months ago, we launched our Artificial Intelligence tool. Thanks to it, which we explain here, you’ll have access to many musical discoveries tailored to your needs!
And that’s not all Soundiiz lets you do. To test our services, click here.
