Google Play Music vs Apple Music: Which Offers the Better Deal?

With the launch of Google Play Music All Access in India, Apple Music has serious competition in the market. Google Play Music All Access is a music streaming service that lets you download or stream all the songs in Google’s catalogue for just Rs. 89 per month - note, this pricing is only introductory offer for those who subscribe within the next 45 days with the price rising to Rs. 99 per month later.

As we all know, Android is dominant in India and Google Play Music is pre-installed on most Android smartphones sold in the country. This gives the company an advantage Apple doesn’t have. Even though Apple Music is baked in to the Music app on iOS, the number of iPhones in India is relatively low.

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Google Play Music All Access vs Apple Music in India

Apple’s music streaming service is available on Android as well but the competition is tough on Google’s platform. So should you get Google Play Music All Access in India or Apple Music? We took a look at pricing of both services to help you decide.

The catalogue for Apple Music and Google Play Music All Access in India is equally good, so you don’t need to worry about that. Just get on the free trial and find out if these services have the music you need. Then you can look at the pricing and decide what you want.

Google Play Music All Access in India offers a single subscription service at an introductory price of Rs. 89 per month. This is only applicable for those who subscribe in the first 45 days. After that, the price of the subscription service will be Rs. 99 per month. For new subscribers Google offers a 30-day free trial, after which you start paying.

On the other hand, Apple Music’s most affordable plan is for students only - it costs Rs. 60 per month. For others, the price is Rs. 120 per month. However, if you’ve never used Apple Music before, you get a free trial for 3 months. Apple also offers a family subscription plan for just Rs. 190 per month and this can be used by up to six people.

Google Play Music All Access offers a family subscription plan in the US but at this point it’s unclear if that will make its way to India. In the US, also offers a complimentary YouTube Red subscription that lets you watch YouTube without ads along with some original shows. However, YouTube Red is not available in India and we don’t know whether Google will offer that service in the country anytime soon. Google did not respond to our question regarding YouTube Red's India launch, but here's what the company said about a family subscription: "Google Play is always aiming to bring the best of the content people love to Indian consumers,  we have no news to announce at this time but will let you know when we do".

As of now, Apple Music definitely offers a better deal for students. Alternatively, you could sign up for the family plan on Apple Music and split the cost between a few people. If these aren’t an option, in India you should get Google Play Music All Access as soon as possible to be on the Rs. 89 subscription tier.