With Apple Music automatically coming to every iPhone and iPad with the iOS 8.4 update, how does the new streaming service stand up against Spotify?
Music Discovery
When you first launch Music in iOS 8.4, you'll see an interface that makes you choose your preferred genres and favorite artists. The app will then use the data collected to customize the For You tab with suggestions that you will enjoy. The said tab becomes more accurate the more you use the app and tap the heart option.
Radio
Apple Music and Spotify both have the radio feature but they differ. Apple Music has a 24/7 global radio station called Beats 1 which broadcasts to more than 100 countries and is anchored by DJs in Los Angeles, New York and London. It does not just play music but also offer exclusive interviews.
Meanwhile, Spotify does not have live radio but you can create stations based on your favorite artists, genres, songs or playlists and the app will find songs to match them with. You can up or down songs to help the service better grasp what you want to listen to.
Connect
While Spotify helps you enjoy music in different situations, Apple is more focused on the idea that you are connected to your favorite artists. The Connect section in Apple Music is a social network for artists where they can share photos, videos, demo tracks and more with their fans — you. As a fan, you can follow your favorite artists and 'like' or comment on their updates.
Sharing
Apple Music and Spotify both offer options to share music but the other one has a wider take on it.
Apple Music lets you share an artist, album or track only via text, e-mail, Twitter and Facebook. On the other hand, Spotify lets you share an artist, album or track to your personal Spotify, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, e-mail, text or WhatsApp. Moreover, Spotify lets you follow friends showing you what they are listening to.
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You can see a list of the features of Apple Music and Spotify below:
| Features |  |
 |
| $2.99 (P134.55) | P129* | |
| Family Plan | $4.99/month for 6 people | 50% off* each extra account |
| Trial Period | 3-month free trial | 60 days free trial |
| Skips | Unlimited | Up to 5 songs (Spotify Free) |
| Offline Playback | YES | YES |
| See what friends are listening to | NO | YES |
| Watch music videos | YES | NO |
| Listen to Podcasts | NO (separate app) | YES |
| Available to Countries | 100 | 58 |
| App Availability | iOS and Android (this Fall) | iOS, Android, Windows |
| Stream Taylor Swift | YES | NO |
*Spotify Philippines
And if you just want to try out Apple Music, it's totally fine. You can easily stop the subscription renewal by opening the updated Music app and you can see a red silhouette in the upper left corner. Tap that and select View Apple ID, look for the Subscriptions section and tap Manage. From there, you'll see all the subscription you have in your iTunes account. Tap on Apple Music and you can either change your subscription from individual to family or simply turn off automatic renewal.
But, if you think Apple Music and you are a perfect match, there is no need to turn it off. Sit back and enjoy your free streaming until the end of September!
