Apple Music vs. the competition: A streaming music cheat sheet
The past few years have seen a shift from owning music to accessing as much as you want on various streaming services. Why pay $9.99 for a new album each month when you can get a firehose of content for the same price? Now Apple looks to get in on the action with its newest offering, Apple Music. They made a big splash with the introduction of the iTunes store in 2003 but here in 2015 there's a lot more competition for your listening attention. Does Apple Music have what it takes to stand out from its more established rivals? We've stacked up some of the bigger names to see which one can give you the most for your money.
Apple Music | Spotify | Rdio | Google Play Music | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Monthly fee | Individual: | Premium: | Select: | Unlimited: $9.99 |
Free version available | No | Yes | Yes | No |
Number of songs | Over 30 million | Over 30 million | Over 32 million | Over 30 million |
Audio quality | NA | 320kbps | 320kbps | Up to 320kbps |
Radio | Yes (human-driven) | Yes (automated) | Yes (automated) | Yes (automated) |
Video content | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
Exclusive content | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Curated playlists | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Offline listening | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Online media storage | Yes | No | No | Yes |
Social features | NA | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Desktop apps | Windows, Mac | Windows, Mac, Linux | Windows, Mac | Web only |
Mobile apps | iOS, Android (coming fall 2015) | iOS, Android, Windows Phone | iOS, Android, Windows Phone | iOS, Android |
