Key Takeaways
- Despite Spotify’s advantages, it might be worth considering a switch to Apple Music.
- Apple Music’s sound quality surpasses Spotify, offering a better listening experience.
- Apple Music’s streamlined interface and fewer recommendations can help limit mindless consumption.
Spotify is still the world’s most popular music streaming service, but now could be the right time to switch to Apple Music. Beyond further planned price increases, Spotify’s interface could be another reason to change. Learn why you may want to switch—and why I did—below.
The main reason why I left Spotify is because the app started to resemble social media too much. I didn’t really mind video overlays when playing songs, but I did not like seeing short-form videos on my home feed and when searching for songs.
You can argue that these videos offer interesting snippets of songs you may be interested in. But for me, they were little more than a distraction. I think that social media can be good for you, but only if you control your consumption—and when I saw these videos, I felt a lack of control.
If I go to a music streaming app, I want to stream music without having numerous bolts and whistles fighting for attention I don’t wish to give them.
2 Spotify Didn’t Feel Like Good Value for Money Anymore
Businesses need to make money, and raising prices is an excellent way to raise funds for product improvements. So, I actually didn’t have a huge problem with Spotify’s 2023 price increases. I also didn’t care too much about its plans to raise prices further in 2024, though some people may find this enough of a reason to cancel a Spotify subscription.
Instead, my gripe was that Spotify no longer felt like good value for money. When I first signed up for Spotify, I simply wanted to skip as much as I wanted and not hear ads. Now, however, I feel like the app has sacrificed the customer experience for needless add-ons.
Value for money is subjective, and it does sometimes mean that you need to choose what you sacrifice. But for me, Apple Music delivers what I want.
3 I Prefer Apple Music’s Sound Quality
There are many differences between Spotify and Apple Music, and sound quality is one of those. Spotify’s sound quality varies depending on whether you have a free or Premium subscription, but you can choose from 96 to 320 kbit/s.
Apple Music supports 44.1 kHz to 192 kHz and also features Dolby Atmos spatial audio. The music I listen to also, from a subjective standpoint, sounds nicer in my ears than when I listen to tracks on Spotify.
This could change in the future; Spotify indefinitely delayed its HiFi tier in 2023, having initially intended to release it in 2021. But for now, I don’t see a reason not to use Apple Music for sound quality. If you decide to keep Spotify, consider tweaking these settings to make Spotify sound better.
4 Apple Music Has a More Streamlined Interface
Another reason I switched from Spotify to Apple Music is that the latter has a more streamlined interface. Apple Music shows your recently played songs and playlists, each taking up more space on your screen. For this reason, it’s easier to navigate.
While some people love Spotify’s social aspect, I also like not having the third toolbar on the right-hand side. I know you can get rid of this, but I’d prefer not to have it there in the first place because it doesn’t add much value.
5 Spotify Offered Too Many Recommendations
You can use Spotify’s home feeds to discover new songs and podcasts, and overall, it’s better than Apple Music for offering recommendations. So, why did I switch to Apple Music if that’s the case?
I felt like Spotify offered too many recommendations.
While having new recommendations is great, it can lead to mindless consumption habits. All too often, I found myself spending far too much time listening to songs and podcasts that I didn’t want to, just because I could.
Having too much choice can be a bad thing in all walks of life, and music streaming is no different. While Apple Music isn’t as good at offering recommendations, I like that my time on the app is more intentional. I also don’t find myself constantly opening the app to skip tracks, meaning I can focus better on tasks.
6 Separate Apps Help Me Maintain Focus While Working
I initially discovered podcasts through Spotify, and I’m eternally grateful for that. I’ve learned tips from some of the best productivity podcasts and even learned new languages. However, when I listen to podcasts, I want to do it when I choose to—ditto for music.
Since switching to Apple Music, I’ve also changed to Apple Podcasts. While some people might not like having an extra app, I quite like being able to focus on one thing at a time. It also means that when I’m working, I don’t randomly start listening to content that will either distract me or I can’t pay full attention to.
If you want to join me in using Apple Podcasts, check out these tips and tricks to make the most of Podcasts on your iPhone.
7 Integrating Songs You’ve Downloaded Elsewhere Is Easier With Apple Music
While you can import files into Spotify, it’s often more complicated than finding and streaming songs on the app. One of the nicest surprises about returning to Apple Music is that it feels like the good old days of iTunes because it’s easy to integrate songs I’ve downloaded elsewhere.
If I use lo-fi or electronic songs in my videos and want to listen to them when working, I can import them into my library. Since they’re often unavailable on Apple Music, this is a happy middle ground. So, if you like combining songs from multiple locations, Apple Music is—in my opinion—a better choice than Spotify.
While Spotify has many advantages, Apple Music offers a better overall listening experience, and switching was the right decision. The sound quality is higher, and it’s nice to listen to songs without as many distractions. It’s also good to have recommendations without being overwhelmed. If you’re thinking about changing your streaming service, I’d recommend giving Apple Music a try.
