Apple Music
$10.99/mo full price
From ₦1,050 on SubSplit
VS
Spotify
$10.99/mo full price
From $1.50 on SubSplit
VS
YouTube Music
$10.99/mo standalone
Included with YT Premium
Three of the biggest music streaming services, all at the same price. Sound quality, catalogue, discovery, platform support, music videos — here's the complete side-by-side.
| Feature | Apple Music |
Spotify |
YouTube Music |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full retail price | $10.99/mo | $10.99/mo | $10.99/mo standalone |
| Bundle option | Apple One | None | YouTube Premium ($13.99) |
| SubSplit price | from ₦1,050 | from $1.50 | via YT Premium from $1.50 |
| Audio quality | Lossless + Spatial Audio | 320kbps Ogg Vorbis | 256kbps AAC |
| Music catalogue | 100M+ tracks | 100M+ tracks | 100M+ + YouTube uploads |
| Music videos | No | No | Yes — full YouTube library |
| Music discovery | Editorial / curated | Best-in-class algorithm | Learns from YouTube history |
| Personalised playlists | Good | Discover Weekly, Daily Mixes | Good (YouTube-informed) |
| Offline downloads | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Background play | Yes | Yes | Premium only |
| Free tier | No | Yes (with ads) | Yes (with ads) |
| iOS / macOS integration | Deep (Siri, CarPlay, HomePod) | Good | Good |
| Android app quality | Good | Excellent | Excellent |
| Web player | Limited | Full-featured | Full-featured |
| Smart speakers | HomePod, Alexa, Google | All major speakers | Google Home, Alexa |
| Podcasts | Separate app | Built-in, extensive | Limited (via YouTube) |
| Lyrics | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Crossfade / EQ | EQ only | Crossfade + EQ | EQ only |
| Family plan | Yes ($16.99) | Yes ($17.99) | Via YouTube Premium ($22.99) |
| Student discount | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Apple Music wins
Apple Music is the clear winner on audio quality. It streams lossless audio (ALAC) up to 24-bit/192kHz and Dolby Atmos spatial audio on thousands of tracks — at no extra cost on the standard plan.
Spotify's maximum quality is 320kbps Ogg Vorbis — good, but not lossless. Spotify HiFi has been promised for years and still hasn't fully rolled out.
YouTube Music streams at up to 256kbps AAC — solid quality but behind both competitors. For casual listening on Bluetooth speakers or phone speakers, the difference between all three is negligible. But with good headphones, Apple Music pulls ahead noticeably.
Apple Music wins — lossless + spatial audio at no extra cost. Best for audiophiles and anyone with quality headphones or speakers.
Spotify wins
Spotify's algorithm is the best in the streaming industry — and it's not particularly close. Discover Weekly, Release Radar, Daily Mixes, and Blend all use your listening history to surface music you'll genuinely like. They update every week and are consistently accurate.
Apple Music relies on editorial curation — human-made playlists, radio stations, and genre mixes. The quality is high but it's not personalised the same way. It doesn't know you the way Spotify does.
YouTube Music sits in the middle. Its recommendations are informed by your full YouTube history — not just music — which gives it a unique angle. If you watch a lot of music content on YouTube, the recommendations get surprisingly good. But for pure music discovery, Spotify still wins.
Spotify wins — Discover Weekly and Daily Mixes are the best personalised music discovery available. No other service comes close.
This category has a single winner and it isn't close. YouTube Music is the only service that lets you watch music videos. Switch between the audio track and the official video for most songs — using the full YouTube library. Live performances, behind-the-scenes clips, and official videos all available in one place.
Neither Spotify nor Apple Music offers music video streaming. If watching music matters to you, YouTube Music is the only option.
YouTube Music wins — the only service with music videos. Uncontested.
All three services have over 100 million tracks — for mainstream music, the difference is zero. Where YouTube Music pulls ahead is in the long tail: user-uploaded content, rare live recordings, covers, remixes, and tracks that exist on YouTube but aren't officially distributed to streaming platforms.
If you're looking for something obscure — an underground artist, a rare live version, an unofficial remix — YouTube Music often has it when the others don't.
Spotify runs on everything. Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, Linux, Chromebook, Samsung TVs, LG TVs, Sony TVs, PlayStation, Xbox, Alexa, Google Home, Sonos, Garmin watches — if it plays audio, Spotify probably supports it.
Apple Music is excellent on Apple devices — deep Siri, CarPlay, HomePod, and AirPlay integration that neither competitor can match. Outside the Apple ecosystem, it's good but not dominant.
YouTube Music excels on Android and Google devices. Its web player is excellent. Smart TV support is growing but not as broad as Spotify.
All three charge $10.99/month for the individual plan at full retail price. There's no meaningful price difference between them on their own websites.
YouTube Music has one advantage: it's included free with YouTube Premium ($13.99/month). If you already pay for YouTube Premium, you're getting YouTube Music at no extra cost.
On SubSplit, all three are available at significantly lower prices — making the choice purely about features rather than price.
All three on SubSplit: Spotify from $1.50/mo · Apple Music from ₦1,050/mo · YouTube Music via YouTube Premium from $1.50/mo. Same services, up to 87% less.
You're in the Apple ecosystem (iPhone, Mac, AirPods, HomePod). You care about lossless audio and spatial audio. You prefer human-curated playlists over algorithms. You use Siri or CarPlay regularly.
Discovering new music is important to you. You use Android, Windows, or non-Apple devices. You also listen to podcasts. You want a free tier to try first. You share music with friends (Blend, collaborative playlists).
You already pay for YouTube Premium. You watch a lot of music videos. You want access to live recordings and rare tracks. You use Android or Google devices. You want the widest possible catalogue including unofficial uploads.
The best music discovery, broadest platform support, free tier, podcast integration, and the most social features. Apple Music wins on audio quality alone — a meaningful advantage if you have good headphones. YouTube Music wins if you're already paying for YouTube Premium or care about music videos. But for most people starting fresh, Spotify delivers the best all-round experience.
Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Premium (which includes YouTube Music) — all at better prices.
Which is better — Apple Music, Spotify, or YouTube Music?
Spotify wins for music discovery and cross-platform support. Apple Music wins for audio quality with lossless and spatial audio. YouTube Music wins if you already use YouTube and want music videos. For most people, Spotify is the best all-round choice.
Which has the best sound quality in 2026?
Apple Music — it streams lossless audio (ALAC up to 24-bit/192kHz) and Dolby Atmos spatial audio at no extra cost. YouTube Music streams at 256kbps AAC. Spotify's maximum is 320kbps, with lossless still not widely available.
Which is cheapest — Apple Music, Spotify, or YouTube Music?
All three cost $10.99/month at full retail price. YouTube Music is included free with YouTube Premium ($13.99/month). On SubSplit, all three are available at significantly lower prices.
Which has the biggest music catalogue in 2026?
All three have 100M+ tracks. YouTube Music has a unique edge — it also includes user-uploaded content, live recordings, and covers not available on Spotify or Apple Music.
Does YouTube Music include music videos?
Yes — YouTube Music lets you switch between the audio track and the official music video for most songs. Neither Spotify nor Apple Music offers music video streaming.