Why people leave Apple Music
- The Android app is a second-class citizen. Updates lag iOS by weeks, Spatial Audio support is uneven, and the interface still feels translated rather than native.
- No free tier. Apple Music charges from day one with only a 30-day trial. Spotify, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, and Pandora all offer free ad-supported tiers.
- No social features. Apple removed Connect and never replaced it. Sharing playlists or watching what friends listen to is awkward by design.
- Lock-in friction. Switching away takes work because Apple’s library exports are partial. Soundiiz and TuneMyMusic help but cannot transfer everything.
If those points are friction for you, here are seven Apple Music alternatives worth installing.
Which app should you choose?
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Spotify if personalisation and the broadest catalogue ecosystem matter most. Discover Weekly is still the gold standard.
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YouTube Music if you want catalogue depth including live performances and uploads no other service licences.
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Tidal if you want Hi-Res FLAC at the lowest price. $10.99/month undercuts Apple Music with arguably better quality.
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Amazon Music if you have Prime. The included tier is free with your existing membership.
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Deezer if you want the largest licensed catalogue at 120 million tracks and HiFi included on Premium.
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Qobuz if classical, jazz, and audiophile genres are your focus. The catalogue depth in those genres beats every other service.
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SoundCloud if independent and underground music is what you actually listen to.
Stay on Apple Music if you live entirely inside the Apple ecosystem and use AirPods, an Apple Watch, and CarPlay daily. The handoff and Spatial Audio are smoother than any alternative on Apple hardware.
1. Spotify — best discovery and personalisation
Spotify’s recommendation engine remains the deepest reason to switch. Discover Weekly, Daily Mix, and Release Radar surface artists from outside the top 1,000 in a way that Apple Music’s algorithm rarely matches. The platform pulls from billions of listening signals across 600+ million users.
Premium covers the same 100 million-track catalogue, plus 80 million podcasts and 15 hours of monthly audiobook listening. Spotify Connect handoff between phone, desktop, smart speakers, and TVs is more reliable than Apple’s AirPlay-or-bust approach for non-Apple hardware.
Audio quality tops at 320 kbps Ogg Vorbis. Lossless has been promised for years but is not shipping on standard Premium plans. For listeners who do not chase audiophile quality, this is irrelevant.
Advantages:
- Best-in-class recommendation engine
- Strongest podcast catalogue
- Spotify Connect across non-Apple hardware
- Free tier with ads
Disadvantages:
- No lossless tier yet
- Premium price climbed to $12.99/month
- Free tier limits skips and on-demand playback
Pricing: Free with ads. Premium Individual $12.99/month, Family $21.99/month, Student $5.99/month.
2. YouTube Music — best catalogue depth
YouTube Music indexes the full YouTube video library alongside its licensed catalogue. Live performances, fan covers, remixes, bootlegs, and obscure DJ sets are all searchable in ways Apple Music cannot match. For listeners who chase deep cuts or unofficial uploads, no licensed service comes close.
Premium streams audio-only at up to 256 kbps AAC, plus the full YouTube video catalogue ad-free. The AI radio feature builds playlists from text prompts. Bundling with YouTube Premium is the value play if you watch YouTube regularly.
Audio quality is the limit. There is no lossless tier and no plan to add one.
Advantages:
- Largest practical catalogue including UGC
- Live performances and rarities
- AI radio from text prompts
- Bundled with YouTube Premium
Disadvantages:
- No lossless audio
- Free tier requires screen on for video
- Premium price climbed to $11.99/month
Pricing: Free with ads. Premium $11.99/month, Family $18.99/month, Student $5.49/month.
3. Tidal — best Hi-Res FLAC value
Tidal undercuts Apple Music’s $10.99/month and includes Hi-Res FLAC at every paid tier. The audio fidelity is audibly better on most albums released after 2018. The catalogue covers 110 million tracks.
Editorial curation skews heavier toward hip-hop, R&B, and jazz, with strong artist-direct content. The recommendation engine is decent but trails Spotify on broader pop and rock discovery. The user base is smaller than Spotify or Apple Music, which means quieter social features and fewer collaborative playlists.
For Apple Music users specifically chasing audio quality, Tidal is the strongest direct competitor.
Advantages:
- Hi-Res FLAC at $10.99/month
- Strong hip-hop, R&B, jazz curation
- Highest payout rate to artists per stream
- Cleaner Android app than Apple Music
Disadvantages:
- Smaller user base means fewer shared playlists
- Genre-skewed editorial coverage
- Discovery weaker than Spotify
Pricing: HiFi $10.99/month individual, Family $16.99/month, Student $4.99/month.
4. Amazon Music — best for Prime members
Amazon Music Prime ships free with a Prime subscription. Prime members get ad-free shuffle access to a curated 100 million-track catalogue, plus most ad-free top podcasts and a rotating selection of full albums. The Unlimited tier unlocks on-demand playback and HD/Ultra HD lossless audio.
For Apple Music users who already pay for Prime and want to stop paying separately for music, this is the cleanest move. The Prime tier essentially makes music free if Prime is already in the budget.
The recommendation engine is the weakest of the major services. Discovery is functional but rarely surprising. The Echo and Alexa integration is unmatched.
Advantages:
- Bundled with Prime at no extra cost
- Ultra HD lossless on Unlimited
- Strongest Alexa and Echo integration
- Most ad-free top podcasts on Prime
Disadvantages:
- Recommendations weaker than Spotify or Apple Music
- Unlimited tier is a separate $12.99/month for non-Prime
- App design clutter from Amazon ecosystem
Pricing: Prime tier included with Prime ($14.99/month). Unlimited $12.99/month standalone, $11.99 for Prime members.
5. Deezer — largest licensed catalogue
Deezer carries 120 million licensed tracks, the largest catalogue of any traditional streaming service. HiFi audio is included on Premium at no upcharge, and the Flow radio feature is one of the smarter lean-back options on the market.
For Apple Music listeners who hit licensing gaps on European, Latin American, or African releases, Deezer often fills the holes. SongCatcher song-identification is built into the search bar.
The discovery engine is good but not Spotify-grade. Editorial playlists are well done.
Advantages:
- 120 million track catalogue
- HiFi audio included on Premium
- Flow radio is unusually good
- Strong European and Latin coverage
Disadvantages:
- US discovery weaker than Spotify or Apple Music
- Free tier requires shuffle on mobile
- Some Premium features delayed in the US
Pricing: Free with ads. Premium $11.99/month, Family $19.99/month, Student $5.99/month.
6. Qobuz — best for classical and audiophile genres
Qobuz is the audiophile choice. Hi-Res FLAC up to 24-bit/192 kHz is the default. The catalogue runs to 100 million tracks, but the depth is in classical, jazz, and acoustic genres where mastering quality matters most. Editorial booklets and liner notes are included.
The Sublime tier adds purchase discounts on download-to-own files, making Qobuz both a streaming service and a high-quality music store. Audiophiles who buy as well as stream find this combination unique.
The catch is mainstream catalogue depth. Recent pop, hip-hop, and global hits sometimes appear later on Qobuz than on Apple Music or Spotify.
Advantages:
- Hi-Res FLAC up to 24-bit/192 kHz
- Best classical and jazz catalogue
- Editorial booklets and liner notes
- Sublime tier bundles streaming and purchases
Disadvantages:
- Pop and hip-hop catalogue arrives later than competitors
- Higher price point than mainstream services
- Smaller social and playlist sharing community
Pricing: Studio $12.99/month individual, $17.99/month duo, $21.99/month family. Sublime tier higher.
7. SoundCloud — best for independent music
SoundCloud hosts more than 400 million tracks, with a huge portion from independent artists, producers, and DJs. DJ mixes, free downloads from artists, unreleased demos, and early-career acts live on SoundCloud in ways they do not on Apple Music or Spotify.
The free tier allows on-demand listening with ads. Go and Go+ add ad-free playback, offline saves, and broader catalogue access. For Apple Music users who feel boxed in by major-label catalogues, SoundCloud opens up a different musical universe.
Audio quality peaks at 256 kbps AAC. No lossless tier exists.
Advantages:
- Massive independent and underground catalogue
- DJ mixes and unofficial remixes
- Cheapest paid tier on this list at $4.99/month
- Strong artist payouts via Fan-Powered Royalties
Disadvantages:
- No lossless tier
- Catalogue overlap with majors is partial
- Recommendations skew to genre echo chambers
Pricing: Free with ads. Go $4.99/month, Go+ $10.99/month.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Lossless | Free tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spotify | Discovery and personalisation | No | Yes |
| YouTube Music | Catalogue depth and rarities | No | Yes |
| Tidal | Hi-Res FLAC value | Yes | No |
| Amazon Music | Prime members | Yes (Unlimited) | Yes (limited) |
| Deezer | Largest licensed catalogue | Yes | Yes |
| Qobuz | Classical and audiophile | Yes | No |
| SoundCloud | Independent music | No | Yes |
FAQ
Is Spotify better than Apple Music?
Spotify wins on discovery, podcasts, and free tier access. Apple Music wins on lossless audio at the base price and Apple device integration. The choice depends on which trade-off matters more.
Can I move my Apple Music library elsewhere?
Yes. Soundiiz, TuneMyMusic, and FreeYourMusic all transfer playlists from Apple Music to Spotify, YouTube Music, Tidal, Deezer, and Amazon Music. iCloud Music Library tracks transfer cleanly; uploaded MP3s do not.
Is there a free Apple Music alternative?
Spotify, YouTube Music, Amazon Music free tier, Deezer free tier, and SoundCloud free tier are all genuinely free with ads. Tidal and Qobuz require paid subscriptions.
What is the cheapest Apple Music alternative?
SoundCloud Go at $4.99/month is the cheapest paid subscription on this list. Tidal Student at $4.99/month matches it. YouTube Music Student at $5.49/month is the cheapest with a deep mainstream catalogue.
Which alternative has the best lossless audio?
Tidal, Qobuz, and Amazon Music Unlimited all support Hi-Res lossless at 24-bit/192 kHz. Deezer’s HiFi is 16-bit/44.1 kHz CD quality. Spotify and YouTube Music do not offer lossless at all.
