YouTube Music is the cheaper of the two in the US and comes included with YouTube Premium, while Spotify wins on sound quality, with lossless audio up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz against YouTube Music's top setting of 256kbps. As of October 2026, Spotify Premium Individual is $12.99 a month and YouTube Music Premium is $11.99.
Both services have huge catalogues and good apps, so the choice usually comes down to three things: what you pay, how much you care about audio quality, and whether you want videos and covers mixed in with your music. Here's how they compare, using only what each service states on its own pages.
YouTube Music vs Spotify prices (US, as of October 2026)
| Plan | YouTube Music Premium | Spotify Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Individual | $11.99 a month | $12.99 a month |
| Annual | $119.99 for 12 months | Not shown on the US plans page |
| Two people | No two-person plan | Duo: $18.99 a month, 2 accounts |
| Family | $18.99 a month, you plus up to 5 family members aged 13+ in your household | $21.99 a month, up to 6 Premium accounts |
| Student | $5.99 a month, annual verification | $6.99 a month, includes a Hulu plan subject to eligibility |
| Free trial | 1 month for $0 on each plan, eligible new members | Individual: 2 months for $0 if you haven't tried Premium |
Prices are in US dollars and come from youtube.com/musicpremium and spotify.com/us/premium. They change by country, so check the plan page where you live before you sign up. For the full YouTube Music breakdown, see the YouTube Music Premium price breakdown, and for Spotify, Spotify Premium prices.
Sound quality: the clearest difference
This is where the two services split most clearly. Spotify's Premium page lists lossless music with sound quality up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz. YouTube Music Help lists four streaming settings for Premium members, and the highest, High or Always High, has an upper bound of 256kbps AAC and Opus. If you don't choose a setting, YouTube Music uses Normal, which tops out at 128kbps.
Whether you'll hear it depends on what you listen on: lossless matters most on good wired headphones or a decent home speaker, and it's the main reason audio fans pick Spotify. If you do stay with YouTube Music, change the setting yourself: Settings, Data saving, Audio quality on Wi-Fi, then High.
Where YouTube Music comes out ahead
- Videos in the same app. You can switch from audio to video on a song with one tap, and YouTube says its catalogue covers over 100M songs, videos and live performances.
- Your own files in your library. You can upload up to 100,000 of your own songs from a computer, in FLAC, M4A, MP3, OGG or WMA, and play them ad-free, in the background and offline even without Premium.
- A cheaper family and student plan. $18.99 and $5.99 against Spotify's $21.99 and $6.99.
- It comes with YouTube Premium. YouTube Help says the YouTube Music app, ad-free and offline, is included as part of YouTube Premium benefits. If you already pay for ad-free YouTube, you may not need a separate music service at all.
Where Spotify comes out ahead
- Lossless audio, as above.
- A two-person Duo plan at $18.99 for couples under one roof.
- Audiobooks. Spotify Premium includes 15 hours a month of listening time from its audiobooks subscriber catalogue.
- Social features like Jam, to play songs with friends in real time, and Blend, to compare tastes.
Free versions and podcasts
YouTube Music's free tier, according to its help centre, includes on-demand playback for songs and music videos, queuing, repeat and unlimited skipping, with ads. Background play and downloads for music need Premium. One catch worth knowing: YouTube Music Help says Premium members may still hear ads on podcasts, so Premium makes music ad-free, not every podcast.
Spotify's free plan isn't described on the Premium page I checked, so I won't guess at its limits here.
Switching from Spotify to YouTube Music
- Open the YouTube Music app and tap your profile icon.
- Go to Settings, then Privacy & data.
- Tap Transfer playlists from other apps, then Let's start.
- Sign in to your other service, pick the playlists, and tap Transfer to YouTube Music.
Your music stays on the old service, later changes don't sync, and podcasts can't be transferred. The full walkthrough is in how to transfer a Spotify playlist to YouTube Music.
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My verdict
If you already pay for YouTube Premium, use YouTube Music: it's included, and paying for Spotify on top is hard to justify unless you want lossless. If you're starting from nothing and listen mostly on headphones at home, Spotify's lossless audio and Duo plan are worth the extra dollar. If you share with a big household or you're a student, YouTube Music is the cheaper family and student option. Try each free trial back to back and keep the one you open without thinking.
Frequently asked questions
Is YouTube Music cheaper than Spotify?
Yes, in the US as of October 2026. YouTube Music Premium is $11.99 a month against Spotify Premium Individual at $12.99, and its family and student plans are also cheaper.
Does YouTube Music have better sound quality than Spotify?
No. Spotify lists lossless audio up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz, while YouTube Music's highest streaming setting has an upper bound of 256kbps AAC and Opus.
Is YouTube Music included with YouTube Premium?
Yes. YouTube Help says the YouTube Music app, ad-free and offline, is included as part of YouTube Premium benefits.
Can I move my Spotify playlists to YouTube Music?
Yes. In the YouTube Music app go to Settings, Privacy and data, Transfer playlists from other apps, then sign in to Spotify and choose the playlists.
