Best Music Streaming Apps: Spotify vs. Apple Music vs. YouTube Music

Choosing a music app used to be simple. But in 2025, the “Big Three”—Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music—are fighting harder than ever for your monthly subscription.

They might look the same on the surface. They all have millions of songs. They all have mobile apps. They all cost about the same amount of money. But when you look closer, they are very different. One is perfect for people who love high-quality sound. Another is best for people who watch a lot of videos. And one is the king of social sharing.

This guide will compare them side-by-side. We will look at the price, the sound quality, the “smart” features, and the problems real users are facing in 2025. By the end, you will know exactly which one to pick.

1. The Contenders: A Quick Overview

Before we fight, let’s meet the players.

• Spotify: The world’s most popular music app. It is famous for its playlists, social features, and working on almost every device you own.
• Apple Music: The choice for iPhone users and audiophiles. It offers the highest sound quality at no extra cost and integrates perfectly with the Apple ecosystem.
• YouTube Music: The powerhouse for video lovers. It combines official songs with music videos, live covers, and remixes that you cannot find anywhere else.

2. Pricing and Value: Getting the Most for Your Money

In 2025, prices have gone up for almost everyone. However, “value” means more than just the price tag. It is about what you get for that price.

Individual Plans

• Spotify: Costs about $11.99/month. There is a free version, but it has ads and you cannot pick the exact song you want to play on mobile.
• Apple Music: Costs $10.99/month. There is no free version. You must pay to play. However, they sometimes offer 3-month free trials.
• YouTube Music: Costs $10.99/month for just music. But the real secret weapon is YouTube Premium. For about $13.99/month, you get ad-free music plus no ads on regular YouTube videos. This is widely considered the best value deal in streaming.

Student and Family Deals

If you are a student, you are lucky.

• Spotify Student: Costs ~$5.99/month and often includes Hulu (with ads) in the US.
• Apple Music Student: Costs ~$5.99/month and includes Apple TV+ for free. This is a great deal if you like watching Apple’s TV shows.
• YouTube Student: Discounts are available, usually around ~$5.99 to $7.99 depending on your region.

Winner for Value: YouTube Music (Premium). Getting ad-free YouTube videos along with your music is a game-changer for many people.

3. Audio Quality: Can You Hear the Difference?

This is where the biggest difference lies. If you have expensive headphones, read this section carefully.

Apple Music: The King of Sound

Apple Music gives you “Lossless” and “Hi-Res Lossless” audio for free. This means the music sounds exactly like the original recording in the studio. They also have Spatial Audio (Dolby Atmos). This makes the music sound like it is coming from all around you, not just left and right. It feels like a 3D movie for your ears.

Spotify: Still Waiting for HiFi

For years, Spotify promised a “HiFi” tier with better sound. As of late 2025, it is still not available to everyone or costs extra. Spotify streams at “320kbps,” which is good enough for most people on the bus or at the gym. But if you sit in a quiet room with good speakers, it does not sound as clear as Apple Music.

YouTube Music: The “Good Enough” Option

YouTube Music has the lowest technical quality (256kbps). However, many users say it sounds louder and brighter than Spotify. For casual listening, you probably won’t notice the difference.

Winner for Sound: Apple Music. It is the clear winner for audiophiles.

4. Music Discovery: Finding Your Next Favorite Song

We all hate it when an app plays the same five songs over and over again. Which AI is the smartest?

Spotify’s Superpower

Spotify is famous for its “Discover Weekly” playlist. It is frighteningly good at guessing what you like. In 2025, they also have the AI DJ. This is a robot voice that talks to you like a real radio DJ, explaining why it picked a song. It creates a very personal “vibe” that other apps cannot match.

YouTube Music’s Secret Weapon

YouTube is owned by Google, the search giant. It knows everything you have ever watched. Because of this, YouTube Music’s “My Supermix” is incredible. It mixes your old favorites with new discoveries perfectly. It is also the best at finding a song if you only know the lyrics (e.g., typing “song that goes na na na”).

Apple Music’s Human Touch

Apple relies more on human experts than robots. Their radio stations (like Apple Music 1) have real DJs picking the songs. Users report that Apple’s “Discovery Station” has improved a lot in 2025, but it is still a bit slower to learn your tastes compared to Spotify.

Winner for Discovery: Spotify. The AI DJ and daily mixes are still the gold standard.

5. The App Experience: Bugs and Glitches

How does it feel to actually use the app every day?

The “Spotify Connect” Advantage

This is a feature only Spotify has. You can play music on your computer, but control the volume with your phone. You can switch from your phone to your PlayStation to your smart speaker instantly without the music stopping. It is seamless and magic.

The Windows Nightmare for Apple

If you have an iPhone and a Mac, Apple Music is beautiful. But if you have an iPhone and a Windows PC, be careful. In 2025, users still complain that the Apple Music app for Windows is slow, buggy, and crashes often. It freezes when loading libraries and feels “half-finished” compared to the Mac version.

YouTube’s “Web App” Feel

YouTube Music does not have a real desktop app; it is basically a website in a window. It works fine, but it lacks advanced features like sorting your playlists easily or cross-fading songs on the computer. Mobile users also complain that they cannot search inside a playlist, which is a basic feature.

Winner for Experience: Spotify. It works smoothly on every device, from gaming consoles to cheap laptops.

6. Unique Features You Might Miss

Sometimes, one small feature is the reason to buy.

• Podcasts & Audiobooks: Spotify puts music, podcasts, and audiobooks all in one app. Some people love this; others hate the clutter. Apple keeps podcasts in a separate app.
• Karaoke: Apple Music has a feature called “Apple Music Sing.” You can turn down the vocals of almost any song and sing along with real-time lyrics. It is very fun for parties.
• Covers and Remixes: Only YouTube Music has the unofficial songs. If you want to listen to a “Slowed + Reverb” remix or a live concert recording that was never officially released, YouTube Music is the only place to find it.

Final Verdict: Which One Should You Choose?

There is no single “best” app. It depends on who you are.

Choose Spotify If:

• You want the best playlists and social sharing features.
• You use many different devices (like an Android phone + iPad + Windows PC).
• You love podcasts and want them in the same place as your music.
• Ideal for: The social butterfly and the multi-device user.

Choose Apple Music If:

• You care about sound quality (Lossless/Spatial Audio).
• You are deep in the Apple ecosystem (iPhone, Mac, HomePod).
• You want a clean app that focuses only on music, not podcasts.
• Ideal for: The audiophile and the loyal Apple user.

Choose YouTube Music If:

• You watch a lot of YouTube videos (the Premium bundle is a steal).
• You like listening to obscure remixes, covers, or live versions.
• You want a simple app that “just works” with Google’s search smarts.
• Ideal for: The video lover and the bargain hunter.

Bonus Tip: Switching is easy! If you want to change apps but don’t want to lose your playlists, use a transfer tool like TuneMyMusic or SongShift. In 2025, Spotify even added a native tool to help import your library. So don’t be afraid to try something new!