With so many online music streaming services vying for your attention and hard-earned money, how does Apple Music stack up when compared to its competitors? And if you’re a non-Apple user, is subscribing to the service worth it? I put Apple Music through its paces to see if it’s worth sticking with or moving on.
Apple Music review: Features
Over the past couple of years, Apple has turned music curation into art, and tuned out a great recommendation engine. After a few days of use, I found that Apple Music started featuring bands and genres worth paying attention to, with their reasonable Top Picks and “Inspired by”.
Admittedly, Apple’s AI can sometimes be a little wonky – a little strange to refer to this summer’s Punk Christmas playlist – but overall, the software does a good job.
In addition, the catalog, which is considered to be approximately 90 million songs, is extensive. Subscribers can download audio clips as well as live streams, watch an impressive selection of promotional videos, and there’s a range of radio shows and podcasts to tune in.
There is also an additional option to call up the lyrics while listening to an audio clip, swiping the lyrics along with the tempo. Not all songs have this feature, but it’s a nice touch.
Apple Music Review: User Experience
When it comes to UX, Apple puts most things into perspective. The Apple Music app is clean to look at — you can choose between light or dark modes — and browsing is intuitive. As part of the initial setup routine, you are asked to favor artists, bands, and genres, and it is from this solid foundation that Apple begins building its own music organization.
Her “core” combos are an easy win, while her recommendations are generally on the money. I was offered an “Inspired by Slade” playlist featuring Kiss (Rock and roll all evening), Ramones (Blitzkrieg balance of payments) and Bay City Rollers (Saturday night). Well, two out of three isn’t bad.
You can nudge Apple in the right direction by hitting the heart icon in the playlist sub-menu – likewise you can give tracks a hat – which helps to improve the organizing tools. Babymetal, Machine Head, Hawkwind… Heart, heart, heart – this should sort things out.
You can also share songs and lyrics via Instagram and Facebook.
However, the experience is not entirely customized. Music By Mood Train offers groups rated as “Chill”, “Fitness” and “Wellbeing”, but unfortunately nothing was labeled “Rage”, “Mosh” or “Sopping wet at Download”. Clearly a missed opportunity.
Apple Music review: Audio options
If you’re looking for one reason to jump out of Spotify, or simply shortlist the service against the competition, it’s audio quality. While Spotify continues to offer lossy streams, everything on Apple Music is lossless or better.
Apple Music offers a variety of options: CD quality 16-bit/44.1kHz, Apple Music Lossless 24-bit/48kHz and Hi-Res Lossless 24-bit/192kHz, while many albums like Rammstein’s zeit Available as Apple Digital Master and in Dolby Atmos! 320 kbps is nowhere near.
Dolby Atmos (aka spatial audio), in case you were wondering, is a more immersive listening experience than regular stereo, with a greater sound range and a greater sense of space around the instruments. zeitin Dolby Atmos it feels more instant and fireworks.
Retro rocker Def Leppard take whatever you want It also gets the Dolby Atmos treatment on Apple Music, which makes it sound like a good celebratory anthem.
And if you have the right head covering, especially the Apple AirPods Max or AirPods Pro With headphones, you can even get dynamic head tracking, adding to the illusion of being immersed in Dolby Atmos.
And while you won’t be able to access this particular option if you’re rocking a non-Apple headphone, Apple Music still sounds excellent. To get the most out of the service if you’re using a set of headphones like the Sony WF-1000XM4, be sure to turn on the Dolby Atmos option in the music options menu.
It’s not just new parts available in original quality. The 2009 Black Sabbath Catalog Editors are available as Apple Digital Masters, and they look phenomenal. Ozzy Osbourne singing on the title track Saturday Bloody Saturday You have studio clarity. Looks like he sang it yesterday.
Apple Music review: Cost
Like many other music streaming services, Apple offers a few different options to subscribers. Single plans cost $9.99 / £9.99 per month, with a family option available for $14.99 / £14.99 per month or $99.99 / £99.99 for an annual subscription. This gives up to six people the ability to access everything Apple Music has to offer and is a great option if you have a home full of music lovers.
The last option Apple offers is a student plan at $4.99 / £4.99 per month.
Apple Music review: The alternatives
Apple Music faces a lot of competition when it comes to quality music services. Tide competitor Heavy class It features MQA-encoded Hi-Res audio streams and Dolby Atmos audio mixes, but at £19.99 it comes at a hefty premium.
Qobuz also offers Hi-Res Audio for about ten years a month, but it lacks the Dolby Atmos option.
Apple’s undercut (if you’re an Amazon Prime subscriber), which offers both 24-bit HD and Dolby Atmos, is Amazon Music Unlimited. It’s impressive but ultimately can’t match Apple’s smart music curation.
No competitors have Apple Dynamic Heading Tracking, although it is limited to a small number of supportive headphones.