Product: Spotify or YouTube Music

SPOTIFY OR YOUTUBE MUSIC 

 

Youtube Music and Spotify continue to be well-known brands with enormous influence and a staggering user base, despite the saturation of the music streaming market. While it could be challenging for some to choose between the two given their similar-looking traits. What are the specific comparisons between these two titans? Which one will best suit your listening style?

Swedish businessmen Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon are the creators of Spotify. The app made its debut in Europe in 2008, and once it attracted its first million subscribers in 2011, it swiftly gained popularity. It's one of the most widely used music streaming services right now. There's a music streaming service called Youtube Music was created by Google's Youtube division. It was initially introduced as Youtube Music Key in 2014 with the intention of serving as an alternative video streaming platform to the now-defunct Google Play Music. The application underwent a few brand changes before becoming Youtube Music in 2018. 

The business models used by Spotify and Youtube Music are freemium ones. Users can stream music with advertising on both sites' free subscriptions. Both provide the choice to switch to a Premium account. The free plan options for both applications will likely differ greatly. Sure, you get access to all of their audio content, but there are several ways to listen to it.

 For free users, Youtube Music provides more flexibility. So if you're looking for a hassle-free platform that only allows you to stream music without too many limitations, this might be a better choice. Unlike Spotify, Free Youtube Music allows you to skip advertising. Whether in queue mode, shuffle mode, or from a playlist, you can listen to your music any way you like. Playback is restricted to only certain playlists on Spotify, on the other hand. Unlike Spotify, which only allows you to skip six songs each hour, you can skip as many songs as you like. The requirement that the mobile app must be open in order to listen continuously is possibly Youtube Music's only drawback. But, this shouldn't be an issue if you're using the desktop app.

 As you take a closer look, you can see that they are different in important ways. Both apps provide streaming in good quality. Yet, Spotify supports 320kbps, whereas Youtube Music is limited to 256kbps. Spotify provides a Premium Duo plan in addition to their Individual, Family, and Student options. This makes it affordable for two persons (living at the same address) to each have a separate Premium account.

Spotify's Premium Family plan allows users access to Spotify Kids, in contrast to Youtube Music's Family plan. Those who sign up for a Premium Student plan will also receive further benefits. Students receive a 50% discount in addition to access to Hulu and SHOWTIME, two well-known VOD streaming services. On the other hand, Youtube Music provides a comparable perk as part of their standard Premium subscription. Individuals who register for a Youtube Premium account have immediate access to Youtube Music Premium and Youtube Originals. In essence, subscribers receive on-demand, ad-free playback for three separate streaming services. 

Overall, Spotify shines more brightly than Youtube Music in many aspects. It provides more flexible subscription options and greater audio quality. Not to mention additional access to streaming services like Hulu, SHOWTIME, and Spotify Kids. The choice ultimately comes down to your needs and preferences. For individuals with children or those on a tight budget, for instance, Spotify might be a better option. Also, it can be preferable for students who frequently listen to podcasts and love streaming movies and TV episodes.