Apple Music: Is it worth it? Everything you need to know

Spotify might still be the biggest music streaming platform in the world, but Apple Music is now nipping at its heels. Since launching in 2015, it’s grown to over 88 million subscribers. And after largely replacing iTunes in 2019, it’s become an even bigger part of Apple’s subscription service push.

Unlike some of Apple’s other offerings, the platform is available on more than just Apple devices. It also has aspirations far beyond just music streaming, with the budget and vision to make that future a reality.

So what is Apple Music and is it worth a subscription? Keep reading for everything you need to know about the platform, from features and pricing to its biggest competitors. You can also start your free trial right away by clicking the button below.

What is Apple Music?

Apple Music is a premium music streaming service with more than 100 million songs available to stream from the cloud. It also hosts several free internet radio stations broadcasting 24 hours a day in over 165 countries around the world. It launched in 2015 after Apple’s acquisition of Beats, replacing the company’s budding Beats Music service.

Billed as a one-stop shop for all your music streaming needs, the service allows access to an extensive library of songs as well as your own personal library of purchased music from iTunes via iCloud integration. When iTunes was phased out with the release of macOS Catalina in mid-2019, Apple Music became the default music app on all Apple devices.

Although it initially received mixed reviews for an unintuitive UI, over the years Apple Music has grown into a major player in the music streaming wars. Now that it has been incorporated into Apple One alongside Apple TV Plus and others, it’s set to play an even bigger part in Apple’s wider subscription service strategy.

What is Apple Music for Artists?

Apple Music’s relationship with artists started off shaky when it announced it wouldn’t pay royalties for music played during a user’s free trial period, but things quickly improved after that decision was reversed. Now, thanks to Apple Music for Artists, musicians can tap into Apple’s data and see how their music is performing around the world.

The musician-focused service allows you to see listener demographics, trend reports, milestones, most Shazamed songs, and more. It can be a powerful tool to figure out where to tour or promote your music, and you can upload a custom artist photo that fans will see when they listen to your music.

To create an account and start tracking your music’s performance, click the button below.

How does it work?

Apple Music is much easier to use now than it was when it first launched in 2015. If you are using an iOS or Mac device, you already have it installed. It’s probably even set as your default music app. If you’re on Android, you can download the app from the Play Store, but on Windows, you’ll have to stick to the old iTunes experience.

Once you have it installed, open it up and you’ll be greeted by four main sections: Listen Now, Radio, Browse, and Search. Each one has tiles filled with content to listen to right away. The sections might vary depending on the device and operating system you use to access Apple Music.

Library is fairly self-explanatory, and it contains your personal music library (both local and on iCloud Music) as well as artists and songs you’ve saved on the platform. This is also where you’ll find your saved and custom playlists.

The Listen Now section is where you’ll go to discover new music. Apple Music analyzes what you’ve been listening to and liked/disliked or given a star rating to, then recommends similar music and mixes using complex algorithms. Browse is another way to find new music, but it relies on Top 100 lists, new releases, and featured playlists rather than your listening history.

Finally, the Radio section is one of the service’s most popular and unique features. There are several 24-hour internet radio programs with a live DJ broadcasting around the world, and you can hop into the livestream or listen to previous recordings. There’s also a schedule of upcoming live content so you never miss your favorite programming.

Does Apple Music have Lossless or HiFi audio?

Lossless or HiFi audio is a major feature of music streaming for audiophiles, who want top-quality audio streaming. For a while, TIDAL was the main player to offer it, at an elevated price. That’s no longer the case.

Apple Music does indeed have Lossless audio, which means your streaming quality is above that of a CD. The added perk is that it doesn’t cost you extra. You get that at the standard subscription level, so you get professional quality streaming at consumer prices.

Is Apple Music worth it?

While there’s certainly no shortage of great options for streaming music, Apple Music is more than worth considering. It offers a larger selection of music than most of its competitors with millions of songs. And it comes in at roughly the same price.

If you’re already hooked into the Apple ecosystem with your library synced up in iTunes, it really is a no-brainer to try out Apple Music. You can add up to 100,000 songs to the app’s streaming library via iCloud Music Library. The ability to have all of your purchased music and an extensive streaming library in one place is hugely convenient for music lovers.

Listening to your own music on Apple Music is completely free, as are the 24-hour internet radio stations. This can be a great way to discover new music. But be warned that it will chew through data if you’re not connected to Wi-Fi.

A better way to discover new music is with the subscriber-only Listen Now section, although it’s admittedly a hair behind the Spotify and YouTube Music algorithms. Still, the recommendations can be solid if you’re not looking for anything too outside of the mainstream.

The streaming quality is also good, but if you’re a true audiophile you might want to consider other options. TIDAL, Amazon Music HD, and Deezer are currently the leaders in sound quality, but the tradeoffs are fewer features and a lack of integration with a wider ecosystem.

How much is Apple Music?

As mentioned earlier, Apple Music is priced very similarly to other streaming services at $10.99 for the individual plan. This is just $1 over Spotify and YouTube Music, as well as the lower-res plans for TIDAL and Deezer. A lower tier was recently introduced. “Voice” costs $4.99 per month and offers basic access on one device for one user. That subscription does not include things like lyrics view, lossless audio, and other features.

If you’re currently studying, you can also take advantage of the student discount at $5.99 a month for up to four years. The student plan is identical to the individual plan but at a lower price.

Sharing a single subscription for a full family is virtually impossible, which is where the family plan comes in at $16.99 a month. It allows access for up to six users, which should cover even large families.

Apple Music is also included in all Apple One plans, starting at $16.95 for individuals. This plan also includes Apple TV Plus, Apple Arcade, and 50GB of iCloud storage. Like Apple Music, there is a family plan available for $22.95 a month. The most expensive Premier plan, costing $32.95 a month, includes family access as well as Apple News Plus and Apple Fitness Plus.

Apple Music pricing

• Voice: $4.99/mo
• Individual: $10.99/mo
• Family plan: $16.99/mo
• Student: $5.99/mo

How to get free Apple Music access

The good news for new subscribers is that it isn’t too difficult to get Apple Music for free. For starters, there’s a one-month free trial for the paid service. That should be enough time to decide whether or not the service is worth it for you.

The other way to get Apple Music for free is to simply download the app. The basic service, which includes several internet radio stations and access to your local music files, is completely free. Note that you may need to use a cable to transfer your music to your device, and the process is easier with a paid subscription.

If you have an iOS device, you should already have the app installed. For Android users, click the button below to download the app and start your free trial.

Apple Music alternatives

Apple Music is far from the first music streaming service on the block. In fact, it was the rise of music streaming services like Spotify over one-time purchases that prompted Apple to shift away from the old iTunes model in the first place.

Below, we’ve listed a few of the main players in the music streaming space and how they stack up against Apple’s streaming service.

Apple Music vs Spotify

Without a doubt, Spotify is the biggest name in music streaming, getting an early lead and building an unbeatable subscriber base. A big part of this is Spotify’s ad-supported free plan. Although Apple Music’s radio programs are free, it simply doesn’t offer anything that can compete with so much free music.

Spotify has also built up a feature set that Apple’s offering can’t yet match, like collaborative playlists and the ability to interact with your friends beyond sharing a playlist. Spotify used to offer slightly better audio quality, but Apple Music is now in the same league as TIDAL HiFi as a service for audiophiles. With lossless compression, the service offers some of the best sound quality at some of the lowest prices.

Pricing is virtually identical between Apple Music and Spotify, and both have extensive streaming libraries. Spotify’s inclusion of podcasts may push it into the lead here, but really both are excellent options. Naturally, Apple Music becomes a better choice if you’re already invested in Apple’s ecosystem, with excellent savings available with an Apple One subscription. Learn more in our full Apple Music vs Spotify comparison.

Apple Music vs YouTube Music

YouTube Music replaced Google Play Music as Google’s premier music streaming service, and it’s an excellent alternative for Android users. Like Spotify, it offers a free ad-supported tier for all music, while Apple Music sticks to premium paid subscriptions.

As for paid subscriptions, pricing is virtually identical for the three platforms. YouTube Music Premium costs $9.99 a month, but it’s also included with a YouTube Premium subscription, which also eliminates ads on YouTube videos for $12 a month. This is a great deal if you watch a lot of YouTube videos and can’t stand advertising interruptions.

But where YouTube Music really shines is when you want to listen to obscure music. No other service has the same variety of remixes, mixtapes, and older songs. It also has the uncanny ability to recommend songs that no one has heard of but somehow fit your musical taste perfectly.

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