I will die on this hill: Apple Music is the superior music streaming service. Arguably one of the hottest takes in today’s world — I am a ride or die Apple Music user. As I am sure many other users can relate, not a day goes by where I can escape unwarranted persecution for my choice of music platform.

The world of streaming has taken over the music industry, with the days of purchasing music falling by the wayside. The beauty of this digital revolution is the ability to access a seemingly endless range of music. Within seconds you can switch from classic rock to rap, from heavy metal to alternative. These days there are many different streaming services that cater to different individuals depending upon their interests. Soundcloud, Amazon Music and Tidal all have their own dedicated target audiences. However, it seems the vast majority of the population is divided between Apple Music and Spotify. 

I will admit that Spotify offers a number of really fascinating features. The Spotify Wrapped feature has recently become particularly popular. Through this feature, you are able to see everyone’s top songs, albums and genres at the end of every year. It even offers the ability to see where you rank out of certain artists’ listeners. That being said, Apple Music offers something somewhat similar: Replay. All of my top songs from the past year were also organized into one easily accessible playlist, alongside statistics of my top artists and total minutes spent listening. Apple Music also lacks the ability to create collaborative playlists; however, you can easily follow other users and see mixes that they put together. 

Another main point that Spotify lovers present in their argument against Apple Music is Discover Weekly, a curated playlist with 30 songs that is updated every Monday. The algorithm behind the playlist is geared towards the user’s listening history, exposing them to new music that they are likely to enjoy. I will admit that I am jealous of this feature, as it is one of the only reasons I would ever consider switching back to Spotify. That being said, Apple Music also offers curated radio stations and a wide variety of playlists that are updated weekly. At no point have I ever felt as though I could not find new music while using the app. 

One of Spotify’s biggest added bonuses is its wide range of podcasts, which is perfect if that is the type of entertainment you are looking for. However, if we consider the service as a music service at its core, then one would easily assume that supporting musicians would be the company’s main objective. 

Spotify’s integrity as a reliable source of music has recently been called into question following their bout with rock legend Neil Young. After hugely successful podcaster Joe Rogan began spreading false information about the COVID-19 vaccine, Young publicly announced that he would no longer allow his music to be offered on their platform. In order to maintain the revenue earned from Rogan’s podcast, the company ultimately moved to remove Young’s entire catalog from their platform. It is true that this blow was probably only devastating to fans of his music, including myself, but this decision begs a broader question: Can you really trust a service dedicated to music that values money over the artists themselves? Personally, I cannot. 

Apple Music also offers other perks. Downloading music from other platforms such as YouTube and uploading into the Apple Music feed is incredibly easy. Using the Music app you can easily import audio files and sync them directly with the rest of your music library. I have done this with a number of songs that are not readily available on traditional streaming services. The process is far more complex through Spotify, as it does not allow easy connection to the iPhone’s general library.  

Another huge benefit of Apple Music is its uncompressed audio feature called “Dolby Atmos,” which is available to all listeners for no added cost. This gives users the opportunity to achieve the same high quality listening experience that they would from a classic CD or vinyl record. Through this feature, artists are also able to produce more complex soundscapes, adding more depth and dimension to the listening experience. Thus, in terms of the quality of music and clarity of sound available digitally, Apple Music is the obvious choice.

At the end of the day, both streaming services have a lot to offer, and you really cannot go wrong either way. We are lucky to be living in a time where these amazing choices are so readily available to us all. That being said, I will continue to stand my ground as a proud Apple Music user.