Amazon Music vs. Apple Music: Which non-Google service is better for Android users?

A Quick Overview

Where collecting cassettes and CDs were once fashionable, it is the era of streaming. True to that, there are plenty of music streaming services out there including Amazon Music and Apple Music, allowing us to listen to any type of track and audio whenever we want, regardless of where we are. With easy search options, filters, sorting, and the ability to make playlists, convenience like this has never been known before. With dozens of music streaming services, it is a big question which one to choose.

The top options are Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, and Google Play. In this post, we will do our best to compare and give you the facts and features of Amazon Music and Apple Music. Hopefully, we will be able to help you narrow it down. For comparison’s sake, we will be looking at Amazon Music Unlimited’s single-user plan and Apple Music’s single-user plan. Both of them offer family plans, but the former has other plans like HD plans, single-device plans, and even student plans!

Pricewise, there is not much to choose since both of them are priced competitively. However, Amazon Prime users will get some discounts for Amazon Music. Let’s look at them both to see which one is better.

Amazon Music Unlimited

Users who are already Amazon Prime members don’t need to pay separately for its Music service. It has more than 50 million songs to satisfy you. With different tier options to meet different needs, Amazon Music has free plans called Prime Music, student plans, family plans, single-device plans, and even HD plans. While Amazon’s  Music service is not known for expertly-curated music or personalized playlists, it is gradually getting better in those areas. Recently, the streaming service introduced playlists like My Soundtrack and My Discovery Mix. In addition to this, it has come up with features like the Side by Side playlist series that has artist commentary.

Amazon is working to promote Amazon Music via all its area, including its website, on the web, via Echo smart speakers, and more. In the real world, you might see huge banners, posters, and so on. Besides advertising in this manner, Amazon even had Dua Lipa, Taylor Swift, and other celebrities perform for Prime Day concert. It was promoted and shown on its media platform, including its Fire TV. The best part of using it is that it comes for free with Amazon Subscription. It is really a great deal. Because, in addition to the use of its streaming service, you will be able to enjoy Amazon Prime Video, two-day shipping, and so much more. Don’t confuse yourself between Amazon Music and Amazon Music Unlimited. While the former has only about 1 million songs, the latter can provide you with about 50 million tracks.

Pricing

The very fact that Amazon Music allows for seamless integration with its smart speaker Echo makes it a better experience. Price-wise, it costs about $9.99 a month. However, it comes for free with Amazon Prime subscription and we just cannot stress it enough. Another discount is if you own an Amazon Echo. If so, you will be able to enjoy Amazon Music for just $3.99 a month. The platform allows users to create their own library as well.

Apple Music

Although Apple has already dipped its toes into the music industry with its iconic iPod and iTunes, it entered the music streaming quite late. However, when it did arrive, there was no way anyone was able to complete it for a while. Apple acquired Beats in 2014, mostly for Dr Dre’s streaming music service under the same name and of course, for its content. Since Beats was already an app on Android, it was an easy enough job to transition Apple Music to this existing platform and user base. Overall, it was a great move and we are grateful since it gave us the opportunity to give it a try.

Features

Apple Music on Android has plenty of features, most of which are similar to that of the ones present on Apple devices. This includes features like AI-powered personalization and customization, expert music curation, and more. The suggestions offered by Apple Music is so much better and right on the spot when compared to other streaming services. It is true that Amazon Music offers suggestions as well, but it just cannot compare to Apple Music at this time. While Apple Music on Android is pretty unbeatable, it does have a few issues.

For instance, there is no free or ad-supported music tier. This is a very basic thing that most streaming services offer. In addition to that, Apple Music does not offer any discounted tiers excepting student plan and family plans. This is different from Amazon Music which is offered for free if you are already subscribing to Amazon Prime.

The issues apart, Apple Music could seem to be an obvious choice if you won a Mac or any iOS device. Since the streaming service is naturally integrated with iTunes, which in turn is a default addition of every Apple device, you can be sure this will offer you a seamless experience. With the latest macOS Catalina, iTunes will be replaced with the actual Apple Music app, along with the Apple TV and Apple Podcasts. Apple Music offers a three-month free trial for new users. Price-wise, Apple Music is slightly more expensive as well.

Verdict

Both Amazon Music and Apple Music have an excellent selection of tracks. However, if we have to go with one, we tilt slightly towards Amazon Music Unlimited over Apple Music. While Amazon gives its users many choices of pricing plans along with a ton of music. Amazon Music Unlimited is available at higher quality bitrates, which is an important aspect for audiophiles. On the other hand, Apple Music has amazing playlists with a great suggestion algorithm. At the end of the day, it is up to each user to see which service would suit their needs the best.