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Over the past decade, Spotify has cornered the market on music streaming services. The company has become synonymous with listening to and expressing your taste in music, but it isn't without its competitors. Most notably, there's Apple Music with a diehard fanbase boasting its superior sound quality, but there's also the often unsung Amazon Music.
Both Amazon Music and Spotify launched in 2008. They each have a catalog of over 100 million songs and are available on iPhone, Android, and desktop, but Spotify has captured music lovers' attention. How do these music services compare?
With Amazon Prime Day around the corner, we must ask: Is Spotify that much better than its Amazon counterpart?
Amazon Music Unlimited and Spotify Premium are at similar price points
Amazon Music and Spotify both have a free ad-supported and subscription listening tier.
For Prime members, Amazon Music Unlimited costs $9.99/month or $99 annually. Non-Prime members pay $10.99 monthly, and Spotify Premium costs $11.99 monthly. Both music services also have family plans. The Amazon Music Unlimited family plan allows for up to six people and costs $14.99 per month or $149 annually. Spotify offers a family plan for up to six people for $19.99 a month, in addition to a $5.99 student subscription and a $16.99 duo subscription.
Spotify raised its prices twice in the past year, from $9.99 in 2023 to its present price.
Amazon offers five months of Amazon Music Unlimited for free in conjunction with Prime Day.
Amazon Music Unlimited boasts higher sound quality
Amazon Music Unlimited's main advantage over Spotify Premium is its sound quality. While both music services feature compressed music for their free tier of subscribers, Amazon Music Unlimited listeners can listen to songs in SD, HD, Ultra HD, Dolby Atmos, or 360 reality audio when available. Meanwhile, Spotify has teased HiFi lossless audio since 2021 without ever releasing it.
While the differences between lossless and compressed audio quality might not be noticeable to the casual listener, Amazon Music Unlimited wins over Spotify for those looking for a listening experience akin to CD-quality.
Spotify's interface is more intuitive
Amazon Music and Spotify have similar app user interfaces, but Spotify's desktop version is miles ahead of Amazon Music's basic design. Spotify's desktop version is a feast for the eyes and features nearly identical usability to its app; you can even download music offline.
Spotify's personalization and social functions take the cake
Spotify has an unparalleled recommendations algorithm that allows users to follow other users and make collaborative playlists. While Amazon Music also features recommendations, they aren't as on the nose, and the music service lacks any of the social components that define Spotify's listening experience.
The verdict
Depending on your listening priorities, either could work for you. Spotify is the right fit if you prioritize music discovery and swapping playlists with friends. But if you're a diehard music-head who wants top-tier sound quality above all else, Amazon Music is for you.
