Apple Music suits people who want Lossless audio, Dolby Atmos, sing-along lyrics and a classical music app across Apple devices, Android and PC. Amazon Music suits Prime members, who already get all the music ad-free, and audiobook fans who'd use a monthly Audible title. If sound quality and Apple devices matter most, choose Apple Music; if you have Prime, start with Amazon Music.
Both services have huge catalogues and both run on more than their own devices, so the choice isn't as locked-in as it looks. I read Apple's Apple Music page, Amazon's App Store listing for Amazon Music and Amazon's Music Unlimited page.
Apple Music and Amazon Music at a glance
| Apple Music | Amazon Music | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Not named (Apple Music Radio is free) | Yes, free with ads, no card needed |
| Sound | Lossless and Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos | HD and spatial audio on Unlimited |
| Extras | Apple Music Sing, AutoMix, Apple Music Classical | One Audible audiobook each month on Unlimited |
| With Prime | Not part of Prime | All the music ad-free, shuffle play |
| Devices | Apple devices, Android, PC, CarPlay, HomePod | Phones, Apple Watch, Alexa devices |
| Ads | No ads | On the free tier only |
What Apple Music brings
Apple's page leads with sound. Lossless audio keeps every detail of the original recordings, and Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos surrounds you. AutoMix blends one song into the next with beat matching, and Music Haptics add taps and textures for people who'd like to feel the music.
Apple Music Sing is the fun one: real-time lyrics, translations with pronunciations, adjustable vocals and a duet view, with your iPhone working as a microphone. The Apple Music Classical app is included, with listening guides synced to each piece, and Apple Music Radio is free to listen to. Shazam is built in as well, so you can identify a song playing around you and add it to Apple Music in seconds, and SharePlay in CarPlay lets passengers take turns choosing songs on a drive.
What Amazon Music brings
Amazon's listing sets out free listening with ads and no card, then Prime, which includes all the music ad-free with shuffle play plus top podcasts ad-free. Amazon Music Unlimited adds pick-and-play on 100 million songs, offline listening, unlimited skips and spatial audio.
Audible is the stand-out extra. Amazon's Music Unlimited page says Audible is now included, with one audiobook each month, and the app holds the largest catalogue of audiobooks from Audible. Any music you own from Amazon sits in your library too, and Unlimited adds unlimited skips and the most ad-free top podcasts, so podcast listeners get fewer interruptions. Prime members also get ad-free top podcasts without upgrading.
YouTube Music is the other big streaming plan, covered in the YouTube Music Premium plans.
The devices detail
A surprise for some people: Apple Music isn't only for iPhones. Apple's page lists iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac, Vision Pro, HomePod, Apple TV 4K and CarPlay, plus Android through Google Play and PC through the Microsoft Store. So an Android user can still pick Apple Music.
Amazon Music runs on phones, has an Apple Watch app with offline mode, and fits naturally with Alexa speakers. If your home is full of Echo devices, Amazon Music is the one you'll ask for by voice most often.
Who each music service suits
Apple Music suits listeners who care about Lossless and Dolby Atmos, karaoke fans, classical lovers and Apple households. Amazon Music suits Prime members, Alexa homes and people who'd like an audiobook a month bundled in. If you're moving across from Spotify, here's how to transfer a Spotify playlist to Apple Music, and how to add music to a video on iPhone once you've settled in.
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My advice on Apple Music or Amazon Music
If you already have Prime, open Amazon Music first and see if ad-free shuffle play covers what you need. If you want to pick every song, care about Lossless sound or love singing along, Apple Music is the stronger fit, and it works on Android too. If audiobooks are a big part of your week, Amazon Music Unlimited with its monthly Audible title is hard to ignore.
Do you make music streaming apps? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place in comparisons like this one.
Frequently asked questions
Does Apple Music work on Android?
Yes. Apple's page lists Android through Google Play and PC through the Microsoft Store.
Does Apple Music have Lossless audio?
Yes. Apple says Lossless audio preserves every detail of the original recordings, alongside Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos.
Is Amazon Music included with Prime?
Yes. Amazon says Prime members get all the music ad-free with shuffle play, plus top podcasts ad-free.
Does Amazon Music Unlimited include Audible?
Yes. Amazon's Music Unlimited page says Audible is now included, with one audiobook each month.
Is Apple Music Classical included?
Yes. Apple says the Apple Music Classical app is included with Apple Music.
