Music
YouTube Premium vs Spotify vs Apple Music: which music subscription to pick
Three top music services with very different catalogs, family plans, and extras. We compared library, price, offline, family plan, and region rules — here's how to choose.
| Dimension | YouTube Premium Music + YouTube ad-free + downloads | Spotify Best discovery, podcasts, social | Apple Music Lossless + Dolby Atmos, deep Apple integration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Music library size | ~100M tracks + every official MV / live / remix | ~100M tracks, strongest podcast catalog (6M+ episodes) | ~100M tracks, deepest lossless + Atmos catalog |
| Audio quality | 256kbps AAC (no lossless tier) | 320kbps Ogg (Spotify HiFi lossless — TBA) | Lossless (ALAC up to 24-bit/192kHz) + Dolby Atmos |
| Price (individual) | $13.99/mo (US), ¥1,180/mo (JP) | $11.99/mo (US), ¥980/mo (JP) | $10.99/mo (US), ¥1,080/mo (JP) |
| Family plan (up to 6) | $22.99/mo, separate YouTube Music included | $19.99/mo, Spotify Kids + mix of plans | $16.99/mo, Apple One bundles iCloud+ / TV+ / Arcade |
| Offline downloads | Yes, smart downloads + background play | Yes on Premium, up to 10,000 tracks/device | Yes, full library sync across Apple devices |
| Video / extra bundle | YouTube ad-free + YouTube Music + YouTube Originals | Music videos (Canvas), Spotify Video podcasts | Music videos + Apple TV+ trial + Apple One bundles |
| Region restrictions | Discounted in IN, TR, PH, AR; geo-restricted in CN | Available in 180+ markets, not mainland CN | Available in 175+ markets, tight KYC for Apple ID region |
Bottom line
If you watch YouTube daily and want a single subscription to kill ads everywhere, YouTube Premium is the obvious pick — music comes bundled. If discovery, playlists, and podcasts matter, Spotify is still the best-in-class. If you live on Apple devices and care about lossless / Dolby Atmos, Apple Music is the only one that hits audiophile quality, and Apple One makes it the best deal once you stack iCloud+, TV+, and Arcade. If you're on Android, family-of-6, and tight on budget — go Spotify. If you're in a low-priced YouTube region (IN, TR) and want one sub for music + video, YouTube Premium wins on value.
Full pages for each side