Apple Music Is the World's Second Most Popular Music Streaming Service Behind Spotify

[threesixty360]

That is a great question, however, how do you explain the early 2000s dominance if iTunes across both windows and MacOS? I know that iPods were a thing, so they wanted to make it so more people, who didn't own a Mac, could get one and upload music. I guess this isn't a simple question to answer. Are there windows users that have iPhones and could benefit from a better apple music experience? Sure, but I don't think apple necessarily cares anymore. I'm not Tim Cook, but I see apple music as an enhancement to the ecosystem and I honestly do not think their objective is to overtake Spotify, just to make sure Spotify doesn't dominate in THEIR personal market. I'm not saying its right. And I'm not trying to downplay the legitimate complaints of windows and android apple music users, but its very possibly they don't really care.

I think you understand it well. Its more of a bonus for Apple that they have half Spotify's market share really.
The prime objective for Apple historically has been to make sure that all its users have access to core services and software. In the past Apple has been at the mercy of Adobe, Microsoft etc.. in that it's Mac platform wasn't supported well. And there wasn't much they could do about it.

So Jobs started making Apple have these core programs like Logic, Aperture, Final Cut etc... And in the modern world it has Apple Music, Apple TV etc.. So you can buy an apple device and have a decent version of anything you would normally want to do with your computer and apple could guarantee that.

If you look at the games industry where Apple doesnt have any hold, you can see how lacking it is for Mac titles. Developers openly and brazenly dont care about the Mac platform and dont produce for it. That in turn drives every gamer to Windows first. Just imagine that scenario if Apple didnt make these key 1st party products and services? They wouldnt sell anything like the devices they sell.

So yeah, any dominance like iTunes in 2000 is an anomaly (that happened because no other player got their act together and apple had a need for music because it was selling iPods). Generally every product and service Apple has is to protect it's device sales first and foremost. Even as they make loads of money (service division for example), its all in service of selling you thousand dollar phones and Macs. Thats how the business thinks. And its pretty unique to Apple because most companies are split in divisions where each division is very disconnected from each other.

 

[Mr. Dee]

I’m happy with my existing ripped music. If there is a random song I feel the urge to listen to I use YouTube or free Spotify. I don’t need to subscribe.

 

[AhRiHmAn]

Still Apple Music pays A LOT more streaming royalties than Spotify does.

So you say we should use a slow and full of bugs application just because they give a couple of cents more?
If artists are not happy with what they get , they should ask their labels why , not me.
And if you really want to give money to the artists , go to the shows , buy cds , but don' use any streaming service....

 

[mvdrl]

I’m happy with my existing ripped music. If there is a random song I feel the urge to listen to I use YouTube or free Spotify. I don’t need to subscribe.

That's me most of the time too - still finding gems in my own collection that I forgot about!
What I appreciate about Spotify and Apple Music is finding new artists, or new songs from artists I don't know as well...

 

[jjudson]

This is a reflection on how dumbed-down people have become to listening to quality, hi-rez music.

 

[Joey-San]

I would love to see the numbers for individual countries. Here in Germany literally everyone uses Spotify.

There are only very few people using Apple Music who are deep into the Apple-Ecosystem.

Me too.. I feel like it’s the total opposite here in the US. I feel like if you have an iPhone then you have Apple Music and contrary to what is said I think iPhones outsell Android phones at least 3:1.

 

[Grohowiak]

Me too.. I feel like it’s the total opposite here in the US. I feel like if you have an iPhone then you have Apple Music and contrary to what is said I think iPhones outsell Android phones at least 3:1.

Maybe in your circle.
Nobody I know has apple music. Majority is on Spotify with few on amazon as they are heavy into that eco system.

 

[Joey-San]

I would imagine it’s a lot more popular in America than Europe to be honest. I know very few people who use Apple Music too as it’s mostly Spotify or Amazon Prime Music here.

That’s crazy because I feel like everyone in the states uses either Spotify or Apple Music. I don’t know a single person who uses Amazon music

 

[one more]

Still Apple Music pays A LOT more streaming royalties than Spotify does.

Spotify, however, has an option to directly donate to (support) an artist you like.

 

[Joey-San]

Maybe in your circle.
Nobody I know has apple music. Majority is on Spotify with few on amazon as they are heavy into that eco system.

Oh wow that’s crazy and interesting. I used Amazon for a little while because they allowed me to upload my own music but in the end I never thought I would get a streaming service until Apple hooked me with their stupid 6 month trial, smh.

 

[anthogag]

I tried Spotify for a bit before I started using Apple Music. Spotify playlists were just music, no hosts, and quickly became boring.

Apple Music app on my M1 Mac mini is lousy. Apple Music app on my iPhone 13 Pro Max and 12.9" iPad Pro is okay. The app could be better.

I have AirPods Max. I bought the Apple lightning to 3.5mm cord to listen to Apple "lossless" and "Hi-res lossless" music and it is better than BlueTooth. Two issues: 1. spatial audio is not available when the cord is connected and 2. it could be louder

 

[gco212]

Still Apple Music pays A LOT more streaming royalties than Spotify does.

Not really. Apple pays more per stream, but that's an outdated metric that doesn't really capture anything. The contracts don't pay per stream, but is much more about revenue and power user fees. So while Apple may pay more "per stream", that's misleading, as Apple users tend to stream less than Spotify users, increasing the "per stream" payments but not the money actually being paid out.

Variety Report

 

[Joey-San]

I’d like to use Apple Music but I don’t always know what I want to play. It seems Spotify is much better at playlists and providing me a varied list of stuff it thinks I’d want to listen to. If apple were better at that it would be good

I’ve used pretty much all of them and Apple is okay at it but I think my ranking for curated music goes Deezer, Spotify, and then Apple Music.

 

[MBAir2010]

Big deal
what music service does HillBilly Eillish sound better on?

 

[CrapShack]

This times 1000!

The absence of this TOTALLY OBVIOUS feature blows my mind.

"Follow The Artist" feature - wasn't that what Ping was supposed to be? And almost literally nobody used it?

iTunes Ping - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

And if you want to follow an artist, isn't that what You Tube / Instagram / Facebook is for? I mean how many times do you want your phone to "ping" you everytime some music goober coughs up a new track?

 

[Joey-San]

Maybe because there is no Windows Apple Music app.
Windows iTunes is f**king garbage.
No Apple Music, no lossless, no spacial audio, no hardware acceleration, no font smoothing.

Apple forgot Windows owns 85% of computer software market.

Meanwhile windows Spotify app is killing it??

True in everything you said but there is no way windows own 85% of the market. They only own like 75% of the market and the problem with that statement is I’m betting 85% of the market that uses streaming services is mobile. I know I’m not everyone but from my experience most people use their phones. I have the music app on my Mac but actually only use it maybe 10% of the time even when my laptop is right in front of me.

 

[_Spinn_]

Still listening to Pandora. Yikes! It's not even on the chart.

Same here. I remember when Pandora was the big streaming service. I refuse to use Spotify because I hate how they are gobbling up podcasts and locking them behind their app. Podcasts should be open and usable on any podcast app.

I'm actually surprised that Apple Music is number 2 in the world.

 

[ericwn]

You didn't really read the comment I quoted, didn't you?
Because then you would see the possibility, that my comment was purely sarcsam.

I did but you hid it well. it was surely also the lack of coffee on my part that contributed. Thanks much for clarifying!

 

[Rigby]

Still Apple Music pays A LOT more streaming royalties than Spotify does.

Spotify is not the problem, the labels are. Spotify keeps about 25% of the revenue, the labels take about 60%. The artist gets the remaining 15%.

In any case, Spotify has almost single-handedly saved the music industry after its collapse in the 00's.

 

[TheVowelO]

I would love to see total hours listened as a metric, because correct me if I'm wrong but the only reason Amazon music is on that list is because of it's inclusion in Prime not because anyone actually uses it.

Aint this the truth. I've never used Amazon music. Forgot I even had it part of my prime subscription. ?

 

[JippaLippa]

I don't mind Spotify users liking the service, but I fail to understand why Apple Music is so much criticised, and personally I love it.
I also think it really delivers a lot for the price you pay.
The only troubles are UI related.

On MacOS the app is a bit sluggish (however it was confirmed by apple that it soon will be pretty much rewritten) and on iOS I don't like the fact you cannot see the red hearts on the loved tracks, like you can on macOS.
Provided that Apple will fix these things, Apple Music will be perfect for me.

One thing I absolutely cannoy stand are the Spotify elitists, thinking their service is the only one worth having.
I'm constantly shared spotify links and when I tell people I don't have spotify I get an awkward "Oh...".
If I then tell them I use Apple Music I get a disgusted "Ooooh......"
SOMETIMES Spotify users can be a little arrogant.

Spotify's Mac desktop app is far superior to Apple Music on the app. It has a responsive, quick UI. It is easy to find things and songs stream immediately.

Apple Music, on the other hand, is slow and clunky, full of bugs and doesn't work half the time. It's the worst Mac App I use (and it's from Apple, on their own platform.)

I know people say this all the time, but it's true: Steve is spinning in his grave.

I agree, however the app is going to be made responsive and native very soon.
I'll agree that it was a bit annoying to wait for so long.

Apple Music's content is SURELY only for english speaking countries. There're absolutly only english songs on the service. ?

Right; I'm Italian and there are hundreds of Italian playlists and even lists based on cities and whatnot.
Also hundreds of Italian podcasts on the podcast app.
I only listen to Italian content 5% of the time, but there surely is the option.

 

[Pezimak]

I've used Spotify and currently use Apple Music, but I've found I have the effect of tracks skipping? When playing them in the car even though they are streaming. So I'm going to
try Deezer to see what they are like.

I've also tried Amazon Music. They are all much the same. So I'm just looking for good playlist recommendations, ease of use and track availability. And value. And high res audio.

 

[dz5b609]

I absolutely love Amazon music and use it every single day.

Obviously I didn't mean 'nobody' literal...

 

[groove-agent]

I would love to see total hours listened as a metric, because correct me if I'm wrong but the only reason Amazon music is on that list is because of it's inclusion in Prime not because anyone actually uses it.

When I tried Amazon Music I actually rather liked it. However, there's no incentive to use it over Spotify or Apple Music.

 

[groove-agent]

I subscribe to Apple Music but feel it has room to improve. To me it has a lacklustre user experience overall, and there are a lot of features it should have that it doesn't. For example, if you play/ discover music on your Mac, while on your phone you should be able to look at the recently played playlist to find it or simply be able to "hand off" that music to other devices. Maybe there's another way to do it, but to me it's not obvious. I wish you should control the playback on other devices like Spotify does (although you could airplay it). I've had a couple situations where that would be handy.