What would you choose? Spotify or Apple Music?

Music consumption in this digital age has only seen newer and newer heights, where Spotify and Apple Music are like the two gods sitting at the very top, acknowledged by both the consumer and the musician. These are the biggest platforms to showcase the thousands of hours of work put in by the artists, to reap the best worth for their dexterity. This blog takes you through a musician’s perspective and gives insights into today’s largest debate about the Music Streaming platforms - What is Better, Spotify or Apple Music?

The Revenue Models

For every single stream on Spotify, the company pays out $0.0033 to $0.0054, depending on the revenue you collect through the month. That roughly sums up to $3 to $5 for every thousand streams. And if your music manages to touch the mighty million, it brings you around $4000. Meanwhile, Apple Music pays out $0.01 per stream on average, depending on the subscription cost of the region bringing in the streams, meaning every 100 streams make you a buck, $10 for every stack of streams, and close to $7000 to $10,000 for a million plays. The uncertainty occurs because the regions garnering your streams may vary, and the revenue they collect is variable. 

Then why would I waste my time on Spotify? 

The disparity and the difference in larger numbers seem ridiculous and probably make you question why not just focus on Apple Music with the best you have. Well, it’s because Apple Music has close to 88 million paid subscribers, while Spotify has a whopping 220 million paid subscribers, creating a much larger pool for artists to dive into for their marketing. 

Spotify’s algorithms are god-send for the musicians who are in their beginning stages because of features like personalized algorithmic playlists, curated for every single account based on the music heard previously. It helps elevate the views of the artists, by itself. However, there should be a big enough chunk to generate meaningful revenue out of it. Musicians can also interact with the fans with the  ‘collaborative playlists’ feature. Making a deeper connection with their audience virtually. 

But… is it really worth the effort?

Yes. Spotify has tons of features that trump Apple Music in terms of its versatility and garnering engagement. Some key features would be:

• Spotify lets you share your jams on social media platforms directly which is a groundbreaking feature to garner a wider audience. 
• The playlist-centered culture of Spotify, which tends to put more emphasis on human-curated playlists, as well as algorithm-oriented playlists, helps garner a better reach. 
• Spotify also integrates with all voice assistants like Alexa, Google Assist, and Siri. 
• It also advertises upcoming tour dates and venues for the artists as well. 
• Spotify’s graphical EQ lures a lot of people in to have a personal tweak according to their tastes. 

So why would anyone choose Apple Music?

Although Spotify includes tonnes of features and is far ahead of Apple Music, it still holds its features which make it a tight grab over the streaming platforms. 

• The revenue per stream is higher for Apple Music, as already mentioned. 
• Exclusive releases are a really big thing on this platform. 
• It’s always a better option around an IOS ecosystem, providing a much more comprehensive user experience. 
• Has a higher streaming quality and allows ‘Spatial Audio’ as well. 
• Audiences are more likely to pay here for their subscriptions and premium memberships.

A bit more detail, if you will.

Exclusive Release is a feature provided by Apple Music that allows musicians to pre-release their music to their premium subscribers’ community. It gives a sense of a more personal connection with your audience. 

Spatial Audio is a feature that imitates surround sound and brings in a 3D experience to Apple users. The app plays the Dolby Atmos format featuring spatial audio, without actually taking any certain steps, provided the artist has provided the audio. Also, this has no additional costs to upload.

Apple Music uses ALAC (Apple’s Lossless Audio Codec), which provides lossless audio quality for the users. But that is strictly limited to wired connections, at least for now. Bluetooth connections do have minor attenuations (signal loss), but that’s almost impossible to lash out a difference if anyone wants to differ the quality from the AAC format, which Spotify provides as well. 

Spotify’s Graphical EQ provides a 6-band customizable equalization. Which provides a much more versatile experience where the user can easily access and set it according to their preferences. Meanwhile, Apple Music only has a bunch of presets to choose from, limiting the audiophiles in their listening experience. 

Confused? I understand. Choosing one is obviously a tough decision to make. It totally depends on the artists’ perception, which is subjective. Some would want a better wider reach and garner as much audience as possible, some wouldn’t want to compromise with the ultimate and immersive 3D experience. A few might want to make the most out of every stream, while the others just want their music to be heard. There is no wrong or right when it comes to a perception for choosing a better streaming platform. 

However, if it’s more about monetization, checking out Amazon Music for Artists and Tidal would be a lot of help too. These platforms pay you more than Spotify and Apple Music in today’s time. 

We at GreaseRelease, have a bunch of curators on our network who are looking for new & exciting music to push on their massive playlists. If you make music and want to reach a wider audience, check out our submission platform and get a chance to reach millions of listeners! Submit your tracks now! 

 

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