New releases are easier to compare because record companies tend to supply the same version to everyone: iTunes, CD-mastering and digital-streaming services.įor this test, we wanted a mix of commonly used Apple devices and relatively high-end listening equipment. For example, in one of our earlier tests the version of Miles Davis' 'Kind of Blue' on Spotify actually sounded better than the one offered by Tidal, even though Tidal's lossless compression should sound better. If you're listening to an older (predigital) recording, the version your individual streaming service uses could be one of dozens of different versions floating around. The setupĪs we found when we compared Spotify to lossless-audio newcomer Tidal, listening tests can be tricky, especially with older material. So, from a technical perspective, both Apple Music and Spotify are starting from a strong - albeit not identical - baseline. Suffice it to say, both formats have their own fans, and both are preferred by most enthusiasts over MP3. Right off the bat, the higher number might make Spotify look better, but in reality the two compression formats aren't directly comparable by bit rate alone. Apple Music is streamed at 256Kbps in AAC ( Advanced Audio Coding) format, while Spotify offers the Ogg Vorbis format at 320Kbps. The two services use different encoding formats and a different bit rate. Bit rate and encoding formatsĪs with all digital media, these two music services use file compression to maximize bandwidth - so you can stream and download music even over speed-challenged online connections, ideally without gaps or interruptions. For some sessions we turned to Tidal as a lossless reference, but further comparisons with the likes of Google Music, Amazon Music, Rdio, Rhapsody and other services are beyond the scope of this test. We decided not to include competitors like Pandora in this comparison because theseĪre preset to some degree, and the listener can only occasionally skip songs, whereas Apple Music and Spotify are on-demand music services allowing playback from an a la carte library, and are more likely to replace people's record collections. Why Spotify should ditch its free music option.

Apple Music vs Spotify: What's the difference?.

Why Apple Music's most playful feature may be its most crucial one.

Qualita audio spotify vs apple music