Two very different takes on music streaming at similar prices. One wins on audio quality, one wins on video and discovery. Here's the honest comparison.
| Feature | Apple Music | YouTube Music |
|---|---|---|
| Standalone price | $10.99/mo | $10.99/mo |
| Bundled option | Apple One bundle | Included in YouTube Premium ($13.99) |
| SubSplit price | from ₦1,050 | via YouTube Premium from $1.50 |
| Audio quality | Lossless + Spatial Audio | Up to 256kbps AAC |
| Music videos | No | Yes — full YouTube library |
| Catalogue size | 100M+ tracks | 100M+ tracks (+ YouTube uploads) |
| User-uploaded music | No | Yes — via YouTube |
| Music discovery | Editorial curation | Learns from YouTube history |
| Offline downloads | Yes | Yes |
| Background play | Yes | Yes (Premium only) |
| iOS integration | Deep (Siri, CarPlay, HomePod) | Good |
| Android app | Good | Excellent |
| Web player | Limited | Full featured |
| Free tier | No | Yes (with ads) |
| Podcasts | Separate Apple Podcasts app | Limited (via YouTube) |
This is YouTube Music's standout feature and the clearest reason to choose it over Apple Music. YouTube Music lets you switch between the audio track and the official music video for most songs — using the same massive YouTube library.
Apple Music has no music video streaming at all. If you like watching music videos or live performances, YouTube Music wins this category outright.
Apple Music streams lossless audio (ALAC up to 24-bit/192kHz) and Dolby Atmos spatial audio on thousands of tracks — included in the standard subscription at no extra cost.
YouTube Music streams at up to 256kbps AAC — good quality, but not lossless. If you have good headphones or speakers and care about audio fidelity, Apple Music is the better choice.
Both services have over 100 million official tracks. But YouTube Music goes further — it includes user-uploaded content, live recordings, covers, remixes, and rare tracks that exist on YouTube but aren't available on other streaming platforms.
If you're looking for obscure tracks, rare live recordings, or unofficial remixes, YouTube Music often has them when Apple Music doesn't.
YouTube Music learns from your YouTube watching history, not just your music listening. If you watch a lot of music videos, concerts, and music-adjacent content on YouTube, YouTube Music's recommendations become surprisingly good because they're informed by a much broader picture of your taste.
Apple Music relies on editorial curation — human-made playlists and genre stations. These are high quality but less personalised than algorithm-driven discovery.
Here's the most important pricing consideration: YouTube Music Premium is included free with YouTube Premium ($13.99/month). If you're already paying for YouTube Premium — or planning to — you get YouTube Music at no extra cost.
This makes the comparison asymmetric: if you want ad-free YouTube AND a music service, YouTube Premium gives you both for $13.99/month (or from $1.50/month on SubSplit). Apple Music would cost you $10.99/month on top of whatever you pay for YouTube.
Key insight: If you use YouTube regularly, getting YouTube Premium on SubSplit gives you ad-free YouTube + YouTube Music for less than Apple Music costs alone at full price.
Apple Music integrates deeply with Apple devices — Siri, CarPlay, HomePod, AirPlay, and the Apple Watch all work seamlessly with it. On iOS, Apple Music is the better-integrated choice by a wide margin.
YouTube Music is a Google product and integrates naturally with Android, Google Assistant, Google Home speakers, and Chromecast. Its web player is also significantly better than Apple Music's.
You're in the Apple ecosystem (iPhone, AirPods, Mac, HomePod). You care about lossless audio and spatial audio quality. You don't watch many music videos. You want deep Siri and CarPlay integration.
You already use YouTube regularly and want to bundle it with YouTube Premium. You like watching music videos. You want access to live recordings, covers, and rare tracks. You use Android or prefer Google services.
Apple Music and YouTube Premium (which includes YouTube Music) — both available at better prices.
Is Apple Music or YouTube Music better for sound quality?
Apple Music wins — it offers lossless audio (ALAC up to 24-bit/192kHz) and Dolby Atmos spatial audio at no extra cost. YouTube Music streams at up to 256kbps AAC — good but not lossless.
Does YouTube Music have music videos?
Yes — this is YouTube Music's biggest unique feature. You can switch between the audio track and the official music video for most songs. Apple Music has no music video streaming.
Which is cheaper — Apple Music or YouTube Music?
Both cost $10.99/month standalone. But YouTube Music is included in YouTube Premium ($13.99/month), which also gives ad-free YouTube. On SubSplit, both Apple Music and YouTube Premium are available at significantly lower prices.
Can I use Apple Music on Android?
Yes — Apple Music has an Android app. It works well but is not as polished as on iOS. YouTube Music's Android app is excellent and integrates naturally with Google services.
Which is better for discovering new music?
YouTube Music has an edge for users who watch a lot of YouTube — it learns from your full YouTube history. Apple Music relies on editorial curation. Neither matches Spotify for pure algorithmic discovery.