Spotify Under The Spotlight As Apple Music Bows
Spotify and Apple Music are about to be relentlessly compared, thanks to Apple Music’s recent introduction into the streaming music realm. That’s alright, though. Comparisons are bound to occur.
Both are services are designed to stream music on demand, and Mac lovers are likely to gravitate towards Apple Music simply because of brand loyalty. The three month free trial period doesn’t really hurt, either. Also, Spotify should feel some degree of threat; while the streaming music service does have millions of users, their audience took seven years or so to build. Access to Apple Music came with the latest iOS update, and while users have the option of declining the free trial, it is only a matter of time before Mac loyalists decide to sign on.
This is not to say Mac users totally shun Spotify. After all, Spotify was one of the first music streaming services available and is available for both iOS devices and Android. Apple Music won’t have anything for Android until the fall, and it is unknown at this point whether anything for Windows Phone is slated. Apple Music finally went live at 4pm GMT on 30 June, and while the service can access the substantial 30 million strong iTunes library, that does not mean that the service automatically comes with 30 million users.
The truth of the matter is this: Spotify and Apple Music are two incredibly similar services, and where one might be perceived as lacking in some way, it will make up for it in other ways. There are those that believe that Apple Music’s launch will effectively kill Spotify and its audience, and while that may not be wholly accurate, as no one can see the future, it’s certain that execs at Spotify are more than a little concerned by the Apple Music launch.
Apple Music will make Spotify totally irrelevant within a year — here's why http://t.co/20ljCn2kxY pic.twitter.com/h47tZ1r2qJ
— Insider Business (@BusinessInsider) July 2, 2015
Much has also been made of the fact that Prince has removed his music library from Spotify to stick with Tidal, another streaming service, and that Spotify does not feature Taylor Swift in its library. Swift chose to go with Apple Music after the service decided it would pay artists, after all, during the three month trial that users can have the service for free. Also, Apple Music has a Connect service that is designed to allow greater interactivity between musicians and their fans via social media, and Spotify appears to lack that sort of interactivity.
The bottom line is this. Both music streaming services and others are going to directly compete with each other, and that is bound to happen in the world of business. In terms of the two heaviest hitters, Spotify and Apple Music, no one quite knows who will emerge as the clear victor. Until then, all eyes will be on the battle for supremacy in the same way that people viewed the fight between Samsung and iPhone – with great anticipation.
(Photo by: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images Entertainment)
