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 |
|---|---|---|
| Official retail price | Check your region | Check your region |
| Bundled option | Apple One bundle | Included in eligible YouTube Premium plans |
| SubSplit price | from ₦1,050 | YouTube Premium Individual $4/mo or Family $6/mo (international only) |
| Audio quality | Lossless + Spatial Audio | Up to 256kbps AAC |
| Music videos | Yes, on supported tracks | Yes, including YouTube video content |
| 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 also offers music videos for supported tracks; YouTube Music stands out because it is closely connected to the wider YouTube video catalogue, including performances, covers and remixes. Apple confirms music-video access.
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 with eligible YouTube Premium plans, without needing a second music subscription. Official prices depend on your country; on SubSplit's international storefront, the current YouTube Premium plans cost $4/month (Individual) and $6/month (Family).
This makes the comparison asymmetric: if you want ad-free YouTube AND a music service, YouTube Premium provides both. On SubSplit’s international storefront, Individual is $4/month and Family is $6/month, each purchased on your own Google/YouTube account. The Family plan is subject to YouTube’s same-household eligibility requirement; these products are not listed on SubSplit’s Nigeria storefront.
Key insight: Eligible international customers can get YouTube Premium and the included YouTube Music Premium benefits from $4/month for Individual on SubSplit; Family is $6/month and requires a qualifying household.
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) have distinct purchase options. SubSplit’s YouTube plans are international-only: Individual $4/month and Family $6/month, with YouTube’s household rules for Family.
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, YouTube Music connects songs to their official videos and other YouTube music content. Apple Music also offers music videos for supported tracks.
Which is cheaper — Apple Music or YouTube Music?
YouTube Music Premium is included with YouTube Premium. On SubSplit’s international storefront, YouTube Premium Individual is $4/month and Family is $6/month; Family members must meet YouTube’s same-household rules. Apple Music has its own pricing and options.
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.