(ThyBlackMan.com) Before we start our Amazon Music vs Apple Music comparison and pick the best music streaming service, it is important to know that you should not overlook Spotify. In 2006, this Sweden based company started its journey and finally became one of the top music streaming app. Amazon and Apple followed its footsteps, joined the game, and made the world of music streaming more interesting.
Both Amazon Music and Apple Music are great but paying for two or more music services doesn’t make sense. In this Amazon Music vs Apple Music comparison, we will look at different areas of these services including price, features, pros, cons, and availability.
Amazon Music vs Apple Music – Which Service Has The Best Plans?
Amazon has categorized its music service into two parts – Prime Music and Amazon Music Unlimited. If you’re a Prime member, you get Prime Music for free and in that package, you get access to over 2 million songs for free. But if you are willing to listen to “tens of millions of songs” Music Unlimited service is a paid solution 
available for you. For Prime members, the service charges are $7.99 per month/$79 per year. For non-prime members, the same service costs $9.99 a month.
Apple Music offers 45 million songs for the price of $9.99 per month, and if you are a student, you can avail the service for $4.99 per month. For a family subscription of Apple Music, users have to pay $14.99 per month. Amazon also offers Students plan for the same charges ($4.99) and its family package is also available for $14.99 per month. But Amazon’s free Prime Music and a lower subscription fee for Prime members make it a better choice. And there’s a special Music Unlimited plan for Echo Device owners – for only $3.99 per month.
Winner: Amazon Music
Amazon Music vs Apple Music – Which Service Has More Content?
Amazon says it offers two million songs for free as a part of its Prime Music subscription and tens of millions of songs to the Music Unlimited subscribers. The company doesn’t share numbers while Apple Music clearly states it offers 45 million songs plus the users’ entire iTunes library.
For entertainment lovers, exclusive music is not something as important as those exclusive TV series on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu and HBO Now. Apple was doing great when it brought exclusive music from Taylor Swift, Usher, Frank Ocean before every other music streaming service. But in the age of YouTube, VEVO and other digital channels, it is easy for users to find music online. These music albums were timed exclusive and later arrived on other music on-demand services as well. Apple Music offers more songs than Amazon Music Unlimited and it also offers the Beats 1 radio.
As far as the content is concerned, the offerings from Amazon Music Unlimited and Apple Music are almost the same. Amazon Music Unlimited and Apple Music almost certainly bring the newest music albums on day one of their release. Given its track record of bringing exclusive and variety of content, Apple Music beats Amazon Music Unlimited.
Winner: Apple Music
Amazon Music vs Apple Music – Which Service Is More User-Friendly?
Amazon Music Unlimited works with Alexa voice controls. It means you can use it on devices including the Echo and Dot. Alexa is now smart and if you want the virtual assistant to recognize a song just by listening to the music or a phrase, it can efficiently do the job for you.
Just like Apple Music, Amazon Music is available on multiple platforms. Users on iOS, Android, PC, Mac, Fire tablets, and Fire TV can use the music streaming service. The service also works with home and car entertainment products. Apple Music is available on all the Apple products and Android devices. The service is also supported by CarPlay.
If you are an Android user, you will be disappointed to see how poorly the Apple Music app performs on Android. It is totally different from how it looks and works on Apple devices and this is one area where Amazon’s mobile app beats Apple.
Winner: Amazon Music
Amazon Music Unlimited is undoubtedly a great choice, especially for Amazon Prime subscribers. Amazon also offers extra discounts to prime users and for Alexa users, there are many benefits. Apple, however, is offering a great mix of content from iTunes library, and its on-demand music service. Both the services are completely ad-free, so choose the one that fits your needs.
Staff Writer; Corey Shaw
Have any Tech Tips? News? Hit up our Tech Guru at; CoreyS@ThyBlackMan.com
