Apple Music will soon overtake Spotify as the number one subscription music streamer in the U.S.
For as long as we can remember, Spotify has had the largest number of subscribers to its paid music streaming service. And while Apple has been gunning for the top spot ever since it gave birth to Apple Music in 2015, Spotify has remained on top. In fact, the most recent data show that Spotify's 70 million paying customers (another 70 million users subscribe to the ad-supported free tier) are almost double the 36 million that shell out monthly for Apple Music.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple Music's subscriber growth is on a pace that will allow it to soon overtake Spotify. When that occurs, possibly as soon as this summer, Apple will be able to claim the title as the largest paid music streamer in the U.S. Those familiar with the data say that Apple Music is growing its stateside subscriber base monthly at a pace that is two and a half times faster than Spotify. Each month, Apple has increased its U.S. subscriber list by 5% compared to 2% for its rival.
Spotify has a library of 30 million songs compared to the 45 million tunes streamed by Apple Music. At Spotify, an individual subscription is $9.99 per month which includes unlimited skips, the ability to listen to playlists offline, and more. Students can pay $4.99 per month and also get Hulu for free. A $14.99 family plan covers a family of 6, and an individual plan in $9.99 monthly. Apple's pricing is the same, following the three month free trial. Students pay $4.99 per month, individuals are charged $9.99 monthly, and the $14.99 per month family plan will stream music to a family of 6.
Once Apple Music leapfrogs Spotify this summer, we just might see it remain the most popular paid music streamer in the states for some time.
source: WSJ
One reason why Apple is closing in fast on Spotify has to do with the fact that Apple Music is pre-loaded on the tech titan's popular devices including the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch Series 3 and others. Next Friday, Apple's HomePod smart speaker launches. Apple CEO Tim Cook says that the HomePod's premium speaker gives it an edge in sound quality over the competition, and the device will directly stream tunes from Apple Music. To hear the content from other music streamers like Spotify, HomePod users will have to use Apple's AirPlay feature from another Apple device. Remember, Apple's smart speaker is not compatible with Bluetooth.
Spotify has a library of 30 million songs compared to the 45 million tunes streamed by Apple Music. At Spotify, an individual subscription is $9.99 per month which includes unlimited skips, the ability to listen to playlists offline, and more. Students can pay $4.99 per month and also get Hulu for free. A $14.99 family plan covers a family of 6, and an individual plan in $9.99 monthly. Apple's pricing is the same, following the three month free trial. Students pay $4.99 per month, individuals are charged $9.99 monthly, and the $14.99 per month family plan will stream music to a family of 6.
source: WSJ
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