Our Verdict
Apple Music is a polished experience , with a Brobdingnagian array of choice , pleasing design , and the splendid Beats 1 radio place that can help you come upon new and exciting artists . If euphony is your passion , then this is the one . But if you just want some special tunes and already have an Amazon Prime account statement , then Prime Music is fundamentally a freebee that is well worth exploring before sign up to any other service .
The music - streaming market is more competitory than ever , with virtually all of tech ’s enceinte dogs desire a part of the increasingly juicy pie . Two of the more popular services are provided by Apple and Amazon , both of whom are close on the coat - tails of industry leaderSpotify .
Amazon Prime Musicis uncommitted as part of the Prime service of process . Many people sign up for this simply to get gratis next - day legal transfer , but it also entitles them to television and moving picture on Prime Video , plus Kindle book though Prime Reading .
Apple Music(which wereview here ) has no such inducements , but it remains the most commodious service for anyone using an iPhone , and at present tense the only one that ’s to the full integrated into Apple’sHomePod – although you’re able to also use Amazon Music , Spotify , Audible and other services onHomePod via AirPlay .
But which is the practiced service for you ? In this article we compare Apple Music and Amazon Prime Music ( as well as Amazon ’s more expensive Music Unlimited service ) for features , compass of songs , exploiter - friendliness and economic value for money , so that you sleep with what each has to proffer .
For comparisons of Apple ’s cyclosis offering with other rival services , you might care to readApple Music vs Google PlayandApple Music vs Spotify .
Highlights
Let ’s start with the top - cable features and high spot offered by each of the services .
Apple Music
Amazon Prime Music
Price
The primal differentiator for a circumstances of the great unwashed will be the price tag .
Apple Music costs £ 9.99/$9.99 a month for the received parcel . ( If you ’re a student you’re able to get it for £ 4.99/$4.99 a calendar month , and there ’s a £ 14.99/$14.99 family package which enable access code for up to six citizenry . )
That ’s a middling stock price for euphony stream services in the UK and US , and if you utilize it often enough can be a really safe way to save money on grease one’s palms albums and singles from iTunes . There ’s also the added bonus of saving quad on your iPhone as the songs are stored in the swarm unless you download them for offline listening .
you may contract up for a three - monthtrial of Apple Music hereor by opening the Music app on your iPhone and tapping the For You tab . ( You may demand to spread out preferences and go to Music > Show Apple Music . )
Amazon Prime Music can not be buy on its own ; the music inspection and repair is bundled as part ofPrime rank , which costs £ 79/$99 a year or £ 7.99/$12.99 a month – significantly less than Apple Music – while also let in next - Clarence Day bringing , Amazon Prime Video and Amazon Prime Reading .
It ’s worth signing up to the free trial of Amazon Prime ( clickhere in the UKorhere in the US ) if you have n’t done so already , as it imply you ’ll be able-bodied to try all of the aforementioned feature for one calendar month to see whether you recall it ’s deserving the money .
Amazon Music Unlimited
If you ’re a Prime phallus , it ’ll cost you a further £ 79/$79 per year or £ 7.99/$7.99 per month to contract up for the Music Unlimited standard parcel ( one user , multiple devices ) . If you ’re not a Prime appendage it ’ll be £ 9.99/$9.99 a month .
Students can get a rebate , just like on Apple Music , with the monthly cost coming to £ 4.99/$4.99 .
Catalogue
One of the most authoritative marketing points for a music streaming avail is the selection of songs . Apple Music beats Amazon Prime Music in this department , and by a long shot too . Apple offers a whopping 50 million song , while Prime has just two million . This balance is now redress if you sign up with Music Unlimited , however , which also has 50 million track on whirl .
Of course , the value of these enceinte libraries depends on how mainstream your tastes are ; and having that many tracks at your fingertip does n’t weigh if you do n’t care them . If you ’re a massive fan of one or two artists in particular it ’s worth mark they ’re available on your service of choice .
Apple Music has had a few notable , albeit usually impermanent , exclusives on finicky albums , but with Amazon ’s media clout nail you could be sure it will have some of its own .
One area where Apple Music outstrips Amazon is with music videos , so if you like to view your favourite creative person , this might be something that tap the balance .
Compatibility
Apple is notoriously unwilling to dally nicely with other companies ’ platforms , while Amazon is much more easily - going . But in the pillowcase of music streaming both business firm extend fairly seemly compatibility .
What devices can stream Apple Music?
Apple Music works on iPhone , iPad and Mac , and because Google does n’t have an issue with Apple Musicappearing on Android , it works on most rival telephone and tablets too . The service is also available on the Apple Watch , HomePod , in CarPlay - compatible vehicles , and through Sonos speaker unit if controlledvia an Apple or Android devicewith the Sonos Controller app , Alexa , or via AirPlay .
Apple ’s avail now also put to work with Amazon ’s various Alexa - powered bright speakers , such as theEcho , by using spokesperson commands .
What devices can stream Amazon Music?
Amazon Prime Music and Music Unlimited work on pretty much all smartphones and tablet , with consecrate appsfor iPhone and iPadand anotherfor Android . If you ’re on a Mac or PC you may also download adesktop appor use the web participant .
As you ’d gestate , Amazon Prime Music make for on a broad range of Alexa wise talker , Fire TV , Fire tablets , plus there several non - Amazon devices that support the armed service . learn out thefull list .
Music discovery
mould out what medicine you ’re going to wish is a staggeringly authoritative aspect of a cyclosis service . We ’ve already established that Apple and Amazon offer a mind - bending number of lead . The problem is n’t having enough songs – it ’s find the ones that are good .
When it comes to discovering novel music , both Apple Music and Amazon Prime Music claim to offer intelligent , drug user - tender recommendation , but based on our experience with each service we much favor Apple ’s approach .
Apple Music has a tab call For You , which offer up on a regular basis update playlists ( curated by experts in that field or music genre ) , creative person spotlights , new releases and well-timed content for you to enjoy .
The tracks in For You are regulate by your tastes as Apple Music read them : for example , we were secernate during our testing that particular albums were offered “ since you ’re into blues ” . While this was okay , we find that it direct a mo of time for Apple Music to get to know you well , but this can be speed up by proactively course the app information about what you like and dislike . Over prison term it will startle consistently recommending songs that are of interest group .
For more direct breakthrough you could use Apple ’s Search or Browse tab or else , filtering by writing style or viewing playlists related to specific moods , bodily process and events .
Amazon Prime Music uses your late purchase and listening history to work out your taste , and also allow you to rap on the + image next to track and put in your My Music department so you’re able to make up a aggregation of dearie . During our meter using the service so far it has recommended largely the same tracks and we ca n’t find a dependable way to tell it what we really wish and dislike .
Amazon does proffer a decent play list section , though , with moods and genres to choose from which include ‘ Best of Prime Music ’ , ’ 50 enceinte 80s classics , ’ ‘ Morning cup of coffee ’ and more during our time with the Robert William Service . Of of course , Music Unlimited put up even more play list than its junior translation thanks to the much heavy choice of tracks available .
Design
Apple Music is by far the nicer service to appear at , although perhaps it has a bit too much going on in some sections . The For You tab has so many different types of passport , all clamour for your attention , that it can be almost consuming . There ’s a goodly natural selection of playlist , album , spotlight and new firing ( each of which can be horizontally scrolled ) .
To be average , many will drop most of their clip in the Library and Radio pill , which are far easy on the eye and Einstein . And if you ’re struggling to get used to Apple Music , sample ourHow to use Apple Musicguide .
Amazon privilege a dark pallet , but there ’s just as much on offer in terms of playlists , new album releases , and radio station being upgrade on the home check . The Recommended discussion section feels a little sparse in comparability to Apple ’s feeler , give the impression that the figure is n’t quite as refined .
Navigation is similar on both , with sections accessible by option at either the top ( Amazon ) or bottom ( Apple ) of the concealment . Tracks that are playing in the background are listed at the pedestal of the screen , but the bunglesome playact release on Amazon Music that want pushing up to recruit the track screen is n’t quite as easy to use as its Apple alternative .
Radio
Amazon Prime Music offers ‘ stations ’ but they ’re not really the same as a full - muck up wireless feature , something we consider a enceinte black mark in comparison to Apple Music ’s brilliant radio options .
Beats 1 Radio , for instance , is a live radio station that plays globally 24 hour per 24-hour interval , with DJs such as Zane Lowe , Julie Adenuga , and Ebro Darden convey something alone to the weapons platform with audience , live Roger Sessions , and the intromission of emerge artists to listeners . There are also plenty of additional channels to choose from that play a huge orbit of songs with as many skips as you care found on a finicky genre or mood .
Verdict
If music is your focal point , though , go for Apple ’s offering . Apple Music is consummate for listener who want to delight a huge image of songs , name new artists , watch music videos , and be toy with by Beats 1 with its great grasp of DJs .
