Apple Music Reportedly Surpasses Spotify Subscriber Count in the U.S.

[69650]

Well if you hate Siri so much there’s little incentive to stay within Apple environment. Smartphone is only little part of digital ecosystem nowadays. By “locking in” all your products you get the most of your purchase.

On the other hand, mix and matching everything will end you up with almost nothing. Spotify works relatively well with Google Assistant and their smart speakers, but iPhone might not work too well with those. I mean can you imagine someone using iPhone and Google Home Max? Sure it works if you download another google app. But you're just hindering the potential for both devices.

To say that if you don’t use Siri there is little incentive to stay within the Apple eco-system is ridiculous. I’ve tried Siri several times and given up on it because it’s so bad. But it’s just one app. I use my iPhone, iPad and Macs every day very happily without Siri. Locking in all your Apple products just leaves you with a poor user experience. I buy eBooks from Amazon, I watch video using Amazon Prime, I use Deezer because you can stream Hi-Resolution music unlike Apple Music. They all work absolutely fine on my Apple products.

If you stay locked in to Apple products you’re sacrificing quality for convenience. I accept that a lot of people will be happy with that but a lot of us are also happy to go for a mixed environment.

 

[Guy Clark]

It is utterly crazy how individuals on here get so emotive when it comes to a product anything related to Apple having ingested far too much of the kool-aid.

The fact is and I subscribe to both Apple Music and Spotify have their strengths and weaknesses. At work I primarily listen to Spotify as the Android app is easier to navigate and I consider Spotify to have a better more accessible catalogue of music.

 

[norbinhouston]

It is utterly crazy how individuals on here get so emotive when it comes to a product anything related to Apple having ingested far too much of the kool-aid.

The fact is and I subscribe to both Apple Music and Spotify have their strengths and weaknesses. At work I primarily listen to Spotify as the Android app is easier to navigate and I consider Spotify to have a better more accessible catalogue of music.

It is utterly crazy how individuals on here get so emotive when it comes to any news about Apple doing well.

 

[wemax]

This small mind mentality cracks me up every time. You guys must not know a lot of people or never leave your tiny bubble.

I know tons of people on Apple Music and on Spotify. I'd say it's pretty representative of the market share growth we've seen reported. Initially, most people I knew had Spotify, and Apple Music share steadily grew to where I know lot's of people on both services.

... and this is why anecdotal reports aren't reliable. You must know that the number of people you know is just a tiny tiiiiiiiiny fraction of the people out there. You don't? Jeez, I feel sorry fo you. Expand your horizons.

so you're saying cause i know all the hip and young kids, only old and clueless people get apple music? gotcha

 

[RickInHouston]

Word. Spotify is good, but part of what makes AM great is that I don’t have to download yet another dang app across my devices. On top of all of AM’s other features, it’s perfect for me.

Yes. Downloading another app is just so ...

Sorry, I just quite finish this sentence. Easy, difficult, wasteful, time consuming, Liberal, ...

 

[Guy Clark]

It is utterly crazy how individuals on here get so emotive when it comes to any news about Apple doing well.

Which is what I believe I said.

 

[palmerc]

A very refreshing view. Do you have the link of the Horace article you’re referring to please?

http://www.asymco.com/2017/04/06/contact-less/

 

[bobenhaus]

That's nice. Personally I still prefer Spotify.

I think overall Google Play music is the best. Also uploading your own music is free. Also more music in general.

 

[Markoth]

I call B.S. I’ve never met an actual person in the real world who uses Apple Music instead of Spotify.
[doublepost=1530876265][/doublepost]

Spotify has a great iPad interface.

Spotify is also widely known to have the most complete music library.

And, once again, I call B.S. I’ve never met an actual person in the real world who uses Apple Music instead of Spotify.

There are a lot of people who live outside of your local Californian population center, believe it or not. I doubt you even know most people who live in your area. Anecdotal evidence is rather shaky, don't you think?

 

[npmacuser5]

From what I see, All the music services have essentially the same music at the same price point with a few exceptions. Comes down to integration, curating, suggestions, and user preferences. I am a Prime user, the savings (costs $6.66 a month) more then offset the advantages of other more exspensive offerings. I can be bought.

 

[truthertech]

If you care about the artists who create the music, then there is simply no choice as Apple Music pays them the most, by far.

 

[npmacuser5]

If you care about the artists who create the music, then there is simply no choice as Apple Music pays them the most, by far.

Updated more complete list in this link:

https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2018/01/16/streaming-music-services-pay-2018/

 

[decafjava]

Updated more complete list in this link:

https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2018/01/16/streaming-music-services-pay-2018/

So Spotify and Google are the worst, no surprise.

 

[iSayuSay]

Yes. Downloading another app is just so ...

Sorry, I just quite finish this sentence. Easy, difficult, wasteful, time consuming, Liberal, ...

Except it’s not just “downloading another app”. iPhone nowadays have 256GB so space is not an issue.

It’s about how well the other device connected.

So Spotify and Google are the worst, no surprise.

Spotify still struggle to make money for profitability. Apple on the other hand, has all the capital in the world to subsidize its music service with hardware sales. Music streaming should be a complimentary service for buying the hardware, not a standalone business.

 

[truthertech]

Updated more complete list in this link:

https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2018/01/16/streaming-music-services-pay-2018/

Thanks for update. In 2018. Apple increased the amount that it is paying to an even greater amount, making the disparity with Google and Spotify even more stark. This is why the musicians themselves thank Apple.

"In 2017, Apple Music paid $0.0064 per stream. This year, the number has risen to $0.00783."

 

[chatin]

Most likely not active users. I have Apple accounts but haven't used them due to problems switching computers.

 

[FFR]

Most likely not active users. I have Apple accounts but haven't used them due to problems switching computers.

Why would you pay for Apple Music and not use it.

 

[chatin]

Why would you pay for Apple Music and not use it.

I let the payment methods expire. Apple's restriction on switching computers once a year is antiquated.

 

[Chopper9]

It was bound to happen.

Apple Music is better than Spotify in every way.

Rubbish.

Both your post and Apple Music.

 

[decafjava]

Rubbish.

Both your post and Apple Music.

His post maybe but I disagree about Apple Music.

 

[carloss_r]

Current apple music user and previous Spotify user. Spotify is great, of what I remember, I imagine its gotten better now. But I never see the argument between apple music and Spotify. Just use whichever one you enjoy and move one with life. Its great that apple is ahead in users by a "hairline" but in the end they are just a service with the same intention in mind, offering users the ability to stream music.

 

[Sevendaymelee]

I would perhaps sign up and get on that subscription if iTunes wasn't so annoying.

It is impossible to search through iTunes music without a gigantic hassle. If you aren't buying into the modern dreck they are pushing, they stifle your ability to find anything unless you have a precise-laser-focus-trigger-phrase search. They won't even RECOMMEND within a genre unless it is new and dumpy. Hidden gems of the past are paved over by popularity and corporate junk.

How many times can I listen to Pink or U2 or (hip, modern, boring, suburban-bland band) before I barf? About once. Maybe less.

Apple has a massive problem in archiving and displaying and presenting of music. Your money masters might lead around the noobs by a nose ring, but I want something fresh from the days of great music and hifi production. Apple Music doesn't help me.

And gramps, here, hates the loudness war, too. Someone, please, stop with compression and let me turn up the volume to hear nuance.

How hard is it to hit "search", type in the band/artist you want and then tap on their name? Because that's literally ALL YOU HAVE TO DO to find what you're looking for. Hit search, type in what you want, tap on it and bam... you have what you're looking for. Simple. Easy.

 

[ROGmaster]

Bullish practices such as the 30% cut for making subscriptions on the App Store (effectively impeding Spotify to acquire customers on the iOS devices) and the inability of Spotify to integrate with Siri start to pay off. Especially in the US where iOS market share is so high.

I hope Europe acts against Apple on these fronts soon. From the US I don't expect much.

I think they already do. Apple Music is way less popular in Europe and on Android where it has a 3.5/5 user rating.

 

[nia820]

It was bound to happen.

Apple Music is better than Spotify in every way.

Spotify was busy trying to gain costumers at all costs and relying on inertia (e.g. libraries you can’t export) to keep them in their service.

I think that comes down to personal opinion. I’ve had both and I personally prefer Spotify.
[doublepost=1531115506][/doublepost]

I've used for a while now and the recommendations have been terrible the entire time. That's the advantage Spotify has over Apple Music, the recommended music and playlists are way better.

I pay for both thanks to Spotify's bundle deal with Hulu. Apple Music is great for organizing my own music, Spotify is better for nearly everything els

Agreed, Apple Music recommendation were always crap. Whereas Spotify was always spot on what songs I like.

 

[Shanghaichica]

Well I’m going to cancel my Apple Music subscription. There’s no point in paying for both Apple Music and YouTube premium (google play music). I can airplay google play music to my HomePod.

I get other stuff in YouTube premium that I want.