The two biggest music streaming services are Spotify and YouTube Music. Both services have been a part of my life for over six months. If you’re new to music streaming services or you’re thinking about switching, these platforms are a good choice. In this article, we will discuss the benefits and drawbacks of Spotify and YouTube Music, and I will give you my recommendation.
So I am going to divide Spotify vs Youtube Music into four sections just like Spotify vs Deezer. Music, music discovery, features, pricing, and audio quality. Let’s get started.
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Spotify vs YouTube Music
I want to start with YouTube Music. The music catalog on YouTube Music is the same as that on Spotify. There are about 60 million songs available on YouTube Music. Spotify also has an extensive music catalog of over 60 million songs, but Spotify does not include independent artists who upload their music to YouTube, SoundCloud, etc.
Putting songs on Spotify requires a proper distributor, but uploading songs to YouTube Music doesn’t require any distributor. YouTube allows you to upload any song for free. Therefore, YouTube Music has much more music from independent artists who upload it for free.
I am announcing Youtube Music as the winner in the Music section simply because it offers more variety.
Music Discovery
Now let’s talk about YouTube music again. Spotify’s biggest rival when it comes to discovering new music is Youtube Music. The reason for this is that Google owns YouTube, and Google has all of your information, especially if you have a Gmail account, use Google Drive, etc. In other words, they had more data. So they can recommend more music that is in line with your interests.
However, Spotify’s algorithm took some time to understand your interest since their data is locked inside Spotify, and they can only use what you are doing there.
They can leverage and use your Google data and history within YouTube Music because YouTube already has your data and history. In terms of music discovery, Spotify is strong. Their platform is built with an algorithm that recommends new music based on your interests. Particularly their Discover Weekly and Taste Breaker playlists.
When it comes to music discovery, it’s hard to decide which platform is best, but now I’m going to name Spotify the winner.
Features
In the features section, I will cover design and a little about the apps. Both platforms have web apps that can be accessed via Chrome or Safari. You can download and use the native applications on your desktop or phone.
| Platforms | Music Catalogue | Timestamp Sharing | Personal Playlists | Smart Algorithm |
| Spotify | 80 Million | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| YouTube Music | 60 million | No | No | No |
You can say that Youtube Music is a new streaming service, but Spotify has more features, and this isn’t a surprise to users since YouTube Music is not just a streaming company; it’s Google, which has many priorities. Meanwhile, Spotify is a streaming service whose priority is to make it the best streaming service in the world.
Additionally, Spotify will allow you to share a specific part of the song via TimeStamp Sharing to any social media platform such as Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. Among the features, I’d like to highlight Crossfade, which allows you to blend songs to playback without any pauses.
In comparison to YouTube Music, Spotify has many podcasts, and YouTube Music does not have any podcasts yet. Currently, Youtube Music does not support podcasts. The radio feature of Spotify is also absent from YouTube Music.
I will announce Spotify as the winner in this category since it knows exactly what its listeners want.
Plans & Pricing
| Platforms | Free Plans | Individual Plan | Student Plan | Family Plan | DUO Plan |
| Spotify | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| YouTube Music | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Pricing is the same now, so we don’t have to argue about overpricing. Individual plans cost $9.99/month and allow you to listen to ad-free music, family plans cost $4.99/month, and student plans cost $5.99/month.
Among family plans, there is only one small difference. The Spotify family plan gives you six members, whereas the Youtube Music plan gives you five members. YouTube offers a free 30-day premium trial.
Because both platforms come with the same pricing, both are winners.
Audio Quality
Good audio quality is the most important part of the music. Therefore, in this section, we will compare both platforms and analyze which one is the best.
Free plans are available on both platforms but are of low quality. To enjoy high-quality music, you must subscribe to a premium service. Moreover, also take a look at Spotify vs Joox which is worth of checking out.
Spotify comes with five levels of Audio quality.
- Automatic (Depends on your Internet connection)
- low (24kbps)
- Normal (96kbps)
- High (160kbps)
- Very High (320kbps)
On the other hand, YouTube music provides these levels of audio quality.
- Low (48kbps)
- Normal (128kbps)
- High (256kbps)
- Very High (256kbps)
You can use Spotify Plus Mod Apk if you want the best audio quality.
Conclusion
Overall, Spotify is going to win because it is a better platform than YouTube Music at the moment. In the future, YouTube music will be better. I’d like to hear your thoughts in the comment section.