Here's a comparison between Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music to determine what they offer.
Spotify Premium vs Apple Music vs YouTube Music Premium (left to right)
Photo Credit: Spotify/ Apple/ YouTube
Music streaming today has become the default way for people to listen to their favourite music. The convenience of instant access to millions of songs has transformed everyday listening habits. The question now is no longer whether to subscribe to a streaming service, but which one to choose. Among the most prominent are Spotify, Apple Music, and Apple Music — each offering its own blend of pricing, features, and library. While some of these platforms offer a basic tier that provides free, ad-supported music streaming, you must pay to access others.
So, if you're planning to embark on your music streaming journey or contemplating a switch from your existing service, we've compared Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music to determine what they offer to help you get the best value.
Spotify offers four subscription plans in India: Lite, Standard, Platinum, and Student. The Spotify Premium Lite plan costs Rs. 139 per month. Meanwhile, the Standard and Platinum plans are priced at Rs. 199 and Rs. 299 per month. Notably, both of these plans allow up to three users to share a single Spotify Premium account, provided they reside at the same location.
For students, there's a Spotify Premium Student plan, but it is only applicable for students with a verified identity card.
Apple Music is priced at Rs. 99 per month in India for the Individual plan. Multiple users can also benefit from a single subscription courtesy of the Family plan, which costs Rs. 149 per month. This allows up to six people to get unlimited access to Apple Music on their devices. Currently, Apple's Student plan is the most inexpensive way of streaming Apple Music in India, priced at Rs. 59.
Like Spotify, YouTube Music also offers four premium plans in India — Individual, Family, Two-Person, and Student. The first one is priced at Rs. 119 per month. The Family and Two-Person plans, allowing multiple users to share a YouTube Music Premium subscription, cost Rs. 149 and Rs. 179 per month, respectively. There's also a Student plan, priced at Rs. 59 per month.
Alternatively, users can also opt for the YouTube Premium subscription, which not only offers an ad-free experience on YouTube but also a subscription to the music streaming service. Its price begins at Rs. 149 per month for the Individual plan.
Note: Both Spotify and YouTube Music offer ad-supported free listening tiers. However, there are several caveats, such as limited playback control, lower audio quality, no background playback, and restricted skipping.
| Feature | Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ad-Free Listening | Yes (paid tiers) | Yes | Yes (paid tiers) |
| Max Audio Quality | Up to 320kbps; Lossless on higher tiers | Lossless & High-Res Lossless; Spatial Audio | Standard + video/audio switching |
| Offline Downloads | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Special Audio Features | AI DJ, AI playlists, DJ-software support | Spatial Audio, Lossless, Classical app | Background play; seamless video integration |
| Family Plan Support | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Unique Strength | Best for discovery & AI tools | Best for high-fidelity audio | Best for video + music experience |
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