I tried 3 different music streaming apps and this is the one I kept

While physical media is making a comeback of sorts, the majority of people listen to music through streaming services, and that’s increasingly the case in cars since most of them don’t come with CD players anymore. With modern cars having access to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto — both in some cases — it’s easier than ever to connect your phone to your car and start listening with the aux cord.

The only thing left for you to do is pick the music streaming service that’s best for you. I tried out Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Spotify, and all of them have their share of pros and cons. Apple Music has spatial audio, and that’s one of the driving reasons I picked up an Apple TV 4K, but I don’t reap those same benefits in my car. YouTube Music was included as part of my YouTube Premium membership, and that gave it excellent value if you were already paying for Premium. Spotify is the service I’m most familiar with, and even though I tried out other services, it’s what I ended up going for in the end. As it turns out, it’s difficult to break long-held habits, and I don’t want to leave behind my hours spent creating playlists. That’s not the only reason I’m sticking with Spotify, but it’s certainly one I can’t ignore.

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Spotify is still on top

A familiar face

Pocket-lint / Spotify

Old habits die hard, and that’s a big reason why I keep going back to Spotify. It might not be the best service, but it’s the one I’m most familiar with. I’m not alone when I say it’s hard to leave behind years of curated content in favor of a new platform. While there’s nothing wrong with YouTube Music or Apple Music, I just don’t feel like they do enough to truly stand apart from Spotify. A lot of it is the community as everybody loves to share their Spotify Wrapped at the end of the year. Although there’s a similar feature with YouTube Music, it doesn’t have nearly the amount of cultural impact as Spotify’s. Having a sense of community is nice, and it’s a feeling I don’t get with other music services, although Apple Music does come closer than YouTube does.

While familiarity is what wins out, Spotify has some nice features that its competition doesn’t have. Spotify’s Daily Drive has become a big part of my life because it’s nice to stay up to date with the happenings of the world while mixing in my favorite songs. With how fast the news cycle is these days, it’s nice to have quick updates that keep me informed if I happen to miss something. The Daylist is also a nice feature as it puts everything together in a curated playlist for me when I’m feeling lazy and don’t want to seek out specific songs.

Ultimately, a lot of this comes down to personal preference, and there’s nothing to be ashamed of if you like what YouTube Music or Apple Music has to offer. Every service is solid, so it’s tough to go wrong with any of them. For example, I miss having Dolby Atmos since ditching Apple Music, but considering that it only worked well in my living room, it’s not a giant loss for me. It’s just these features aren’t enough for me to leave behind years of comfort I built up on Spotify. On the contrary, somebody signing up for a service for the first time could easily be convinced by these differences.

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How can YouTube or Apple turn the tide?

It’s hard to break habits

While there are some nice features on YouTube Music, there are some notable things missing that could help make it more appealing. A big thing for me is the lack of a desktop app. Both Apple Music and Spotify have this as an option, but YouTube Music has to be used in a browser. I prefer to have a dedicated app, and it’s something YouTube could certainly add for the future. Although Apple Music has a Windows app, it leaves a lot to be desired.

I think the problems run deeper than that, however. It’s hard to shake brand loyalty, and I know that from experience. Whatever you try next, whether it’s a new cable service, phone brand, or music app, you’ll always compare it to what came before. I did the same thing when I tried out things that weren’t YouTube TV. I wasn’t happy about the price hikes to close out 2024, so I checked out a variety of different services, but I eventually found my way back to YouTube TV in the end. Part of that is because the other services came in at the same price, so I just wanted to stay with what I was most familiar with.

At their core, YouTube Music and Apple Music are just as good as the other music services because they all do the same thing as each other. Some of them have better audio quality than others, but unless you’re an audiophile with a perfect setup, it’s something you won’t even notice. That comes with its own can of worms though. If no service does a great job of setting itself apart from the competition, how do you get people to sign up? I have already talked about the stranglehold Spotify has with Spotify Wrapped, and even if everyone else added something like that, it would be chasing the trends instead of innovating. Something nice about YouTube, however, is that it has access to all types of music through what’s uploaded to the platform. It’s not reliant on officially uploaded music, and that gives YouTube Music a deeper library than its competition.

A big step toward getting people in the door is YouTube Premium. This bundle cuts out ads from YouTube and comes with a YouTube Music subscription. It’s really the best of both worlds, especially if you’re looking for a music service and don’t mind leaving behind your previous one. Premium costs $14 a month, so it’s about the same price as a standalone Spotify or Apple Music subscription with the added benefit of a better YouTube viewing experience. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough for me as I opted for a YouTube Premium Lite subscription and stayed with Spotify.

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