Music has always been the food to the soul. It doesn’t matter in which mood you are, you will get the perfect music to suit your vibe or boost your mood.
After the invention of the internet, we used to download our favorite music and store it on our devices to listen to whenever we wanted to.
But now, we stream music. And for that, several applications are there to make music accessible to us anywhere and anytime. The best thing is that you do not need to use your device’s space to store your favorite music, and you are getting access to millions of songs and different types of music.
When we are talking about online music streaming and the sources, Youtube Music and Spotify are the two best applications at present. But when you are thinking about only having one on your device, you need to know which one is best, between Youtube Music vs Spotify.
Here, in this article, I will give you a complete insight into both the applications and then a comparative guide on which one you should have as per your requirement. Let’s start with the basics of both Youtube and Spotify.
What Is Youtube Music?
We all know about Youtube but in 2014. It has differently launched Youtube Music Key. Youtube music is a new music streaming service that is developed completely by Youtube under Google.
This one is particularly designed as a complimentary video streaming service in order to extinct Google Play Music. Before branding as Youtube Music in the year 2018, this app underwent several rebranding as well.
At present, you can access Youtube Music from 95 countries. It has more than 50 million Music and Premium users.
What Is Spotify?
Two Swedish entrepreneurs named Martin Lorentzon and Daniel Ek got the idea of Spotify. In 2008, this music streaming was launched in Europe and really quickly gained popularity. By 2011 it got its first million subscribers.
At present, it has become one of the most popular and most used music streaming services available.
As of the date of February 2022, Spotify is accessible to 184 countries and around 406 million active users every month.
Youtube Music Vs Spotify: Comparison
Now, you get the basics you need to know about Youtube vs Spotify. It is time to compare the details of these two music streaming solutions. When you are thinking about any streaming services, it is obvious that you will look for the plans and subscriptions they are offering.
And those things are also going to influence your decision on which one you should use. So, here, I have curated a comparison guide of these two applications.
Youtube Music Vs Spotify Free Plan Comparison
Both Youtube Music and Spotify operate on a freemium business model. Both of them provide free plans to allow users to stream music, of course, with ads. At the same time, you are getting the option of upgrading to a premium account on both of these streaming platforms.
In both apps, you will find differences in free plan offerings. Although you will be able to access the entire content library, it matters how you will get to listen to that content.
They differ.
Here is a table to guide you on those differences.
| Features To Compare | Youtube Music Free Plan | Spotify Free Plan |
| Access to entire content library | Yes | Yes |
| Background play | Yes, but only on web player | Yes for all players, including Spotify web player |
| Skips ad | After 5 seconds for some ads | No |
| Skips song | Unlimited. YES! | Maximum of 6 songs every hour |
| Offline streaming | No option to download for both videos and songs | No download options for songs |
| On-demand playback | On all platforms yes | Only on Spotify webplayer and desktop |
| Playback modes | Offers video and song mode | No video mode |
| Number of audio quality settings (Webplayer) | ⦿ Normal (128kbps) ⦿ Low (48kbps) | ⦿ Normal (128kbps) |
| Number of audio quality settings (desktop app) | ⦿ Normal (128kbps) ⦿ Low (48kbps) | ⦿ High (160kbps) ⦿ Normal (96kbps)Low (24kbps) ⦿ Automatic (on the basis of internet speed) |
| Number of audio quality settings (mobile) | ⦿ Normal (128kbps) | ⦿ High (160kbps) ⦿ Normal (96kbps) ⦿ Low (24kbps) ⦿ Automatic (depends on internet speed) |
| Highest audio quality | 128kbps | 160kbps |
Youtube Music Vs Spotify Pricing And Plan Comparison
Just the way, both Youtube Music and Spotify offer free plans, they have paid subscription plans as well. But they are virtually identical to each other in terms of basic premium features and pricing offered.
So, here I have curated a table to compare the plans of both Youtube Music vs Spotify.
| Plans | Youtube Music | Spotify |
| Student Plan | $4.99 per month | $4.99 per month |
| Family plan | $14.99 per month | $14.99 per month |
| Individual premium | $9.99 per month | $9.99 per month |
These paid plans always provide the same standard set of features both on Youtube Music and Spotify. Here they are.
- Option of downloading songs for offline listening.
- Full access to the whole content library.
- On-demand, ad-free playback.
- High-quality audio streaming.
Still, there are some fundamental differences that I have discussed below.
Access To Other Streaming Platforms
With Spotify Premium Family Plan, you will also get access to the Spotify Kids plan, which is not available in the Family Plan of Youtube Music. Apart from this, there are some additional perks for those who are getting Premium Student Plan. Apart from the attractive 50% discount, students also get the two popular VOD streaming services, SHOWTIME and Hulu.
At the same time, Youtube Music also provides a similar type of perk through the usual Premium plan. If you have signed for Youtube Premium, your account will get automatic access to Youtube Music Premium along with Youtube Originals.
That means all the subscribers get on-demand, ad-free playback for 3 different streaming services.
Additional Subscription Plans
Apart from the Student, family, and individual plans, there’s also a Premium Duo plan on Spotify. With this plan, you will be able to access two separate accounts at a discounted price of $12.99 per month if you both live at the same address.
Audio Quality Differences
Youtube Music vs Spotify provide high-quality streaming. Still, while Youtube Music is restricted to 256kbps, you will get up to 320 kbps on Spotify.
Youtube Music Vs Spotify: Content Comparison
To be honest, Both Youtube Music and Spotify have massive content collections from different genres that include indie and mainstream artists. Here, I will guide you on how exactly those collections differ.
Variety Of Content
Along with having music, Spotify has also stuffed its collection with some rich non-music content that you can try. If you are one of their subscribers, you will be able to listen to some ambient sound playlists.
Apart from this, you are also getting the chance to indulge in spoken word beauty with a selection of more than 7,170 audiobooks. You must have heard about the impressive podcast collection on Spotify.
Here, the acquisition of companies that produces podcasts, such as Anchor, The Ringer, Gimlet Media, and Parcast. As per the report of February 2022, Spotify plays host to around 3.6 million titles.
You might be surprised to know that it is also an exclusive partner of The Michelle Obama Podcast, Archwell Audio, and The Joe Rogan Experience, along with the official podcast of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
Recently it also has launched Spotify Original Shows that combine spoken word content and music. Every show here explores music history, stories, and trends. All these are interpreted with songs that are only related to the topic.
Here, users also can interact with the songs by liking and saving those content pieces just the way the users do with a regular music playlist. Currently, it is hosting 7 of these shows. The list includes 60 Songs that Explain the 90s and Conspiracy Theories: Music Edition.
Now, if we look at the Youtube Music content pieces, they are more music driven. Obviously unsurprisingly. In case you are looking for podcasts, you will be advised to go to Google Podcasts.
Yes, I know that can be a little inconvenient when you are a Youtube Music subscriber and looking to integrate 2 features. In addition to that, if you are looking for spoken word tracks, audiobooks, or ambient sound playlists, you won’t be able to find them.
The interesting part is that there is a loophole in that setup. The best part of Youtube Music is the setup itself.
Amounts Of Music Content
As per the Data of February 2022, Spotify has more than 823 million tracks, and on an everyday basis, their algorithm adds 60,000 content pieces. The music offerings of Spotify are also diverse. And here, the credit goes to the exclusive partnership between Billboard and Spotify.
That means mainstream music lovers will surely find a lot of their favorite songs in any of the 4 billion playlists in Spotify’s collection. Another perk of this partnership also lets the subscribers stream popular Billboard charts, such as Billboard Weekly, Billboard 200, and Hot 100, straight from the specific application.
Apart from the mainstream, Spotify is also really good at highlighting the work of independent artists through a properly developed indie section. Here, I like to mention that the 2020 report of Spotify has shown that the market share of indie labels and artists grew by almost 2%, along with an increase of 49% in revenue.
Now, come to Youtube Music, which has accumulated around 70 million official music releases as of February 2021 in its library. And the reason behind it was a partnership with Universal Music group, Warner Music Group, which is known as VEVO, and Sony Music Entertainment.
Along with allowing the users to listen to their favorite top-of-the-chart hits, this partnership also lets them watch the official music videos directly from the application. Now, if we check out the collection of indie music, Youtube Music comes with a decent number of playlists.
Indie is lumped in under Genres with Alternative music, and that particular section has also curated around 32 playlists, such as Mellow Indie and Coffee Shop Indie. All you need to do is just type ‘indie’ in the Youtube Music search bar.
It will provide you with a list of several more playlists. But to be honest, the collection is not as vast as Spotify.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions):-
Now, check out some most commonly asked questions people usually ask me when it is about streaming services. When you are looking for YouTube Music vs Spotify. You might also like this one.
Ans: When you are thinking about enjoying Youtube content without any ads, you need to subscribe to YouTube Premium. You just need to pay a few dollars of subscription fee on a monthly basis, and then you will get access to unlimited YouTube content. The bonus is that you will also get access to Google Play Music with that.
Ans: I believe after reading this article, you will get to know which one will be the most suitable for you. If you want to enjoy audio content, like music, podcasts, and many more, Spotify will be the best for you. On the other hand, for video content, YoutUbe might be the best for you.
Ans: You might have heard of Pandora Premium. It is still one of the most popular streaming radio services in the entire United States. It also provides a no-ads Plus and a la carte Premium.
Ans: Well, Free YouTube Music often allows you to skip ads, but with the Spotify free option, you will not get the option.
Youtube Music Vs Spotify: Final Verdict
So, now you have got an idea about both music streaming platforms. You know the subscription fees, you know the amount of content, and the type of content you will get access to. So, on the basis of your requirement, you can pick the best one for you.
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