Spotify vs YouTube Music: What is Better?
When it comes to music streaming services, two names have drastically transformed the way we consume music and podcasts. Spotify and YouTube music, both have evolved, progressed, and proved their names to a vast demographic. But have you ever calculated, who is better between the two?
On one hand, YouTube has gained a significant amount of market share while on the other hand, Spotify has built its authority in the music and podcast genre. So, Spotify vs. YouTube music is a tough tie, however, I will prove to you, using facts and figures, how Spotify has gained an edge over YouTube music.
What is Spotify?
Spotify is a popularly known music and podcast streaming app that allows its users to enjoy vast music, podcasts, and other audio content. But is not limited to this, Spotify has extended its user experience to curating their playlists and discovering music based on their preferences. Spotify offers both free and premium plans with a whole new world of music introduced in its premium plan. Its compatibility with all devices like Android, iOS, PC, Mac, Linux, TV, and Kindle makes Spotify a highly popular app among all the other music streamers.
What is YouTube Music?
YouTube Music, a direct alternative to Spotify, is also a music streaming app by one of Google’s giant categories, YouTube. YouTube Music offers a wide range of songs, music, and playlists along with music videos and other related content. Just like Spotify, YouTube Music also has free and premium plans.
Spotify vs YouTube Music: What is better?
Although there seems to be tough competition between the two music-dominating giants, I will use its significant features to figure out which one of the two apps is a value addition. Despite being quite similar in what they deliver, a regular app user, like me, can identify the winner based on content, sound quality, device compatibility, price, search functionality, and other additional features each offers.
Spotify Vs YouTube Music: FREE Features
Spotify
Spotify’s free version plays songs from specific playlists that it has chosen for you. Additionally, you can only skip the song 6 times an hour. So, the free version is a bit frustrating. However, the best part of the app is that you can continue to do other tasks on the phone while the app plays music in the background.
YT Music
YouTube lets you select any song that you want and even lets you skip the song if you don’t like it. There are no skip limitations. However, you cannot play the YouTube music app in the background while you surf the web or scroll your Instagram. Once you switch the window, the song will stop playing.
YT Music
In terms of Free Features, YouTube Music is the winner here because it has a few extra features in its free plan which Spotify does not.
Spotify Vs YouTube Music: Price and Plans
Although both Spotify and YouTube offer free plans, their free plans have limitations that are quite frustrating for the users. To overcome this, both the music apps have premium plans that provide more features, user control, and unlimited functionality. A brief comparison of pricing plans for both apps is given below.
| Spotify |
| YouTube |
| Single |
| $10 |
| $10 |
| Double |
| $13 |
| N/A |
| Student |
| $5 |
| $5 |
| Family |
| $17.99 |
| $15 |
Spotify
Spotify premium plan has extra features like AI DJ (few countries only), Spotify Duo, and Mini. Also, Spotify has one extra pricing plan for duos/couples living at the same address, hence, can share the plan that would cost them $6.5/month each, much less than the individual plan.
YT Music
YT Music has similar pricing plans as Spotify but the main difference between the two audio streaming apps is the features available at the same price. Youtube has fewer features in the same pricing plan whereas Spotify promises you a plethora of benefits, hence gaining an edge.
Spotify
In terms of Pricing plan and paid features, Spotify wins with more features at the same price.
Spotify vs YouTube Music: User Interface and Design
When we talk about user interface, both Spotify and YouTube Music have competitive designs that enhance user experience.
Spotify
Spotify’s user interface is intuitive and sleek and helps users discover music and playlists immediately. The homepage greets users with personalized playlists, newly released music, and curated playlists that are customized on the base of the user’s history. Navigating through the app is easy. The now playing screen shows you albums, playback controls, and lyrics if available. Additionally, Spotify’s algorithm-driven playlists add that charm to the overall experience.
YT Music
The biggest disadvantage of the YouTube music app is the unavailability of a desktop app. So users have to ultimately switch to a web player for playing music on a PC. YouTube, like spotify, shows filterable search results, but YouTube has an edge over presenting you the search results. The app shows detailed results, which include top music charts, albums, and videos.
Spotify
In terms of User Interface, Spotify wins as it has easy-to-navigate, search, and playback options.
Spotify Vs YouTube Music : Content
Well, for me, Content is the actual deciding criteria on which I can truly assess the two apps. “Content is King”. Regardless of all the features that the app has to offer, remember, what the user is on the app for, CONTENT!!!
Spotify
In terms of content, Spotify is the actual king. Why?? Well, besides the 100 million tracks that the app has on its database, the value of podcasts and documentaries cannot be ignored. Spotify has podcasts from the world’s popular personalities like Obama, Kim Kardashian, and Joe Rogan, and that spotify has paid them to put them on board. In short, the app is making efforts to add more value by adding valued content.
YT Music
Nonetheless, YouTube Music also has over 100 million songs in its database. However, the world’s most renowned app has room to add more value to its app like podcasts, documentaries, interviews, and much more.
Spotify
In terms of Content, Spotify has a vast library of music and podcasts and still adding.
Spotify Vs YouTube Music : Sound quality
And when the talk to the town is MUSIC !! how can we forget about the sound quality? It is the part and parcel of every music-consuming experience. WHY? Have you ever tasted food without salt? A good quality audio is just like the salt is to the food. Without this, you just can’t have the real taste of the music.
Spotify
Spotify has 5 different sound qualities in its premium plan. One of the most user-friendly audio quality is “Automatic” which spotify adjusts according to the internet connection you have. You may also choose from different audio settings, from 24 kbps being its lowest and 320 kbps as its highest audio quality.
YT Music
The YouTube audio quality ranges from 48 kbps to 256 kbps. This means that spotify at its highest can give you the best quality audio, hence, Spotify is the winner between the two. Even, the free version of YT Music does not provide the audio quality equivalent to Spotify.
Spotify
In terms of Audio Quality, Spotify has better streaming and hence an edge over YouTube.
Spotify Vs YouTube Music: Music Discovery
Do You know what the best achievement of Columbus is? He DISCOVERED America!!! Yes .. that is the power of Discovering new things, places, and ideas. You might get out of ideas when listening to music. That is where a music streaming app plays its part. It DISCOVERS!! The power of discovery begins when your mind stops thinking of new songs to listen to.
While the power of YouTube music in discovering is significant, Spotify algorithms for curating playlists based on your preferences, listening history, and liked songs are exceptional.
Spotify
Spotify’s features for discovering new music are “Discover Weekly”, “Release Radar”, “Your Mixtape” and “Discover Mix” which are ones you can always count on as the best music-discovering features.
YT Music
Youtube is also no less than Spotify with its “Your Mixtape” and “Discover Mix” features. They also have curated playlists based on your listening history.
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Spotify
In terms of Music Discovery, Spotify is the winner with a state-of-the-art algorithm curating playlists for users.
Spotify Vs YouTube Music: Music Library
“Where words fail, music speaks”, and music streaming app’s libraries are a plethora of feelings being spoken out, expressed, and explained. The music libraries of spotify and YouTube are vast. However there are minor differences, let’s explore.
Spotify
Spotify library has 100 million racks, 5 million podcasts, and audiobooks making its library the most comprehensive library among other music streaming apps.
YT Music
YouTube, too, has 100 million tracks in its database and recently started to add podcasts in its music library which is only available in the United States for now.
Spotify
In terms of Music Library, Spotify has an extensive library and hence wins.
Spotify Vs YouTube Music: Premium Additional features
And when everything else is not enough, music streaming apps still have a lot to offer. They have insignificant features that cater to many of its users either actively or passively.
Spotify
1. Song lyrics to make songs more understandable
2. Spotify wrapped
3. Song complete history
4. Allows to play in the background
5. Spotify Connect, lets you connect with any other device using your phone as a control.
YT Music
1. No song lyrics
2. You can import local audio files on YouTube music easily.
3. You cannot play the songs in the background.
4. Google Chromecast, which lets YouTube music connect and play on any other device.
Spotify
In terms of Premium Additional Features, Spotify leads with an increasing number of added premium features.
Spotify Vs YouTube Music: Device Compatibility
Device compatibility was never an issue, once upon a time!!! But with the advancement of technology, new gadgets are introduced now and then. The apps need to update themselves for device compatibility.
Spotify
Spotify has taken device compatibility seriously. The app is not only compatible with iOS and Android, but also it has apps for Windows and macOS. Spotify is also integrated with Google Assistant, Alexa, and Siri.
YT Music
YouTube is compatible with both Android and iOS, however, it relies on a web player when it comes to Windows and macOS. YouTube is only integrated with Google Assistant and Siri but not with Alexa, which is a big drawback.
Spotify
In terms of Device Compatibility, Spotify takes the lead.
To Wrap Up
After I have thoroughly explained using facts and figures, if you still bear the question: Is spotify better than YouTube music? Then the answer is an absolute YES!!! Spotify has been offering a lot of features and has gone long ahead when it comes to music streaming, podcasts, and much more. Just because the platform has only been focused on audio, the company has worked on its features deeply to cater to a wide demographic, preferences, tastes, and needs.
