After One Month With Apple Music, I’m Ready to Ditch Spotify

On June 30, the day that Apple’s new streaming service, Apple Music, made its debut, I wrote to my old music-streaming service via Twitter: “Dear @Spotify, it was nice while it lasted, but I think I’m going to break up with you for @AppleMusic. I’ll miss you.”

After a month of living with Apple Music, I’m standing by that knee-jerk reaction. I haven’t canceled my Spotify premium account yet, but I plan to before the next billing cycle begins. After trying both services, I’ve arrived at the conclusion that — although the two services aren’t all that different and I’m still more comfortable using the more familiar Spotify — Apple Music better serves my needs. Here’s why.

All this and MP3s, too

Why do you still need your MP3s if you subscribe to a streaming service? It’s a completely valid question. The answer is that streaming services are still missing a lot of good music (including such essential artists as the Beatles, Prince, and antistreaming agitator Neil Young). While I’ve yet to go as far as Neil on this, I do find it comforting to know that I can always open my Apple Music app, click My Music, and still hear “Revolution,” “Sexy M.F.,” or “Old Man,” should I feel the urge.

The price is right

Price is kind of a nonissue at this point, since Apple Music is offering a three-month trial for free. But even after that deal disappears, the price of Apple Music will still be competitive.

Apple and Spotify both charge $9.99 a month for an individual account, but Apple’s family plan sets it apart: For $14.99, you can get up to six family members on your account. Spotify also offers a family plan, but it’s more expensive ($19.99 for two family members, $24.99 for three, and $29.99 for four).

Apple’s plan works for my family. My wife was recently complaining that her 16 GB iPhone was running out of storage space, but she still wants access to new music and was tired of hearing me rave about streaming. So Apple Music came around just in time. My son (a recent college graduate) is a rabid music fan and was happy to be able to dive into Apple Music on my dime.

Not everyone, however, wants to make the change. My college-age daughter has no interest in making the switch, even though it would be free for her, since I’ll pick up the tab for the family plan. She pays a $4.99 student rate for Spotify and shares playlists with her boyfriend — something she can also do on Apple Music, but only if they’re both on it. So far, neither of them seems willing to make the switch.

Radio on the stream?

Much has been made of Apple Music’s Beats1 radio station. I’ve taken it for a test spin and liked the eclectic programming, but found the hypey DJs and over-the-top production values too much like, well, radio for my taste.

I don’t need my streaming service to re-create radio. I still have access to terrestrial radio and listen regularly. I want my streaming service to be an alternative to radio, without the elements from radio that I find annoying.

That said, Beats1 does have some interesting celebrity playlists and guests, including recent visitors Jamie XX and St. Vincent. The only problem has been finding out exactly when these things air. I’ve only discovered them after the fact — but I can still listen to them like podcasts by following links.

Personalization and playlists

The other element of Apple Music that has been getting a lot of attention is its customization features. When you first sign on, you’re presented with a series of red bubbles featuring artists and genres. Since I have eclectic tastes, I clicked on nearly every bubble (even though some of my favorites weren’t there).

As a result, when I click on the For You heart icon in Apple Music, I get an wide-ranging mix of suggested playlists. On a recent visit, these included “Chase That Beat!” (featuring Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, Chris Brown, and others), “The Rolling Stones: ’60s Singles,” and “Romantic Dinner” (a playlist full of Big Star, Radiohead, R.E.M., My Morning Jacket, Ryan Adams, and others that is so spot-on with my tastes it’s kind of frightening). Big Brother is not only watching — he knows what you like to listen to, too.

I’ve also appreciated the playlists in For You and New sections. The latter include lists compiled by Apple editors and by tastemaking publications (ranging from GQ and Q to Mojo magazine and Fader), as well as others organized around activities. Among the latter, my wife recently raved to me about an “’80s Dance Party” list she stumbled across in the Dancing section; she uses it for working out. There are literally hundreds of playlists available for nearly every activity imaginable, including “Getting It On.”

The only things missing from these playlists are those wildcard songs that unpredictably and unexpectedly ring your chimes — the song you’ve never heard before or haven’t heard in years but still thrills you when it comes on the radio or pops up when you shuffle songs on your iPod. (Does anyone still do that?)

Still, that’s a relatively small complaint when Apple Music is offering almost all the music you (and your family) could possibly consume at a really reasonable price. For the avid music fan, it’s a (completely legal) steal.