Quick Answer
- Choose Spotify if you want the best streaming quality (320kbps), more reliable recommendations, podcasts, and a richer feature set like Connect, Wrapped, and collaborative playlists.
- Choose YouTube Music if music videos, covers, remixes, and live performances matter more to you — or if you already pay for YouTube Premium.
- Pricing won’t decide it. Both charge about $11–12 per month for individual Premium, with similar student and family plans.
- Still torn? Read the full comparison. If you’re on Spotify’s free tier and want higher-quality offline music, a dedicated converter can close that gap without a subscription.
Multiple music streaming services are available on the market. YouTube Music and Spotify is the most famous music streaming services today. Fame has resulted in Spotify vs. YouTube Music battle – which is better?
Initially, YouTube was perfectly positioned to take over the music streaming platform. Given that, Google is the most popular search engine used globally, and the second most popular search bar that folk types stuff into is YouTube. Now that Google Play Music has officially been transformed into YouTube Music, it is right to ask why it is gradually losing grip as far as music streaming service is concerned. In this article, we’re going to give you an in-depth comparison of YouTube music premium Vs. Spotify to find out which one is worth your money.
1. YouTube Music vs. Spotify: Sound Quality
When it comes to sound quality comparison, YouTube music plays content at a bit rate of up to 256kbps AAC while Spotify streams up to 320kbps. Both allow you to enjoy the maximum quality by becoming a premium subscriber.
But when you want to preserve your data, you may choose YouTube Music because it has data saver mode that turns down the level to 48kbps AAC as opposed to Spotify, which can stream at a minimum of 96kbps, and still provides outstanding quality for higher beats per second.
| Quality setting | YouTube Music | Spotify |
|---|---|---|
| Premium (max) | 256kbps AAC | 320kbps Ogg Vorbis |
| Free tier | 128kbps AAC | 160kbps (128kbps on web player) |
| Data saver mode | 48kbps | 96kbps |
The winner here will depend on your preferences. For possible sound quality, choose Spotify, but if you want to stream music at the lowest possible quality, then YouTube Music is the best bet.
Well, if you are a Spotify free account holder, you can use Audkit Spotify Music Downloader to download Spotify songs for playback without premium. This tool also allows you to improve sound quality from 160kbps to 320kbps.
Main Features of AudKit Spotify Music Converter
- Download Spotify music for local playback without Premium
- Batch convert Spotify songs to MP3, AAC, WAV, etc. at 5X speed
- Keep original sound quality and ID3 tags like titles, albums, etc.
- Support to transfer Spotify music to other apps or devices
2. YouTube Music vs. Spotify: Content Provided
Content is what separates a good streaming service from a great one, and both platforms bring deep libraries. Spotify’s catalog now tops more than 100 million tracks, plus a massive podcast library. YouTube Music covers a similar official catalog and then goes much further, because it draws on YouTube itself: official music videos, live performances, concert clips, fan covers, remixes, mashups, and thousands of non-label uploads you won’t find on any other service.
Both platforms also lean on algorithm-based playlists that adapt to your habits:
- Spotify: Discover Weekly, Release Radar, Daily Mixes, mood- and activity-based playlists, plus city charts that show what’s trending in metros like Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, and Chennai.
- YouTube Music: My Mix, Discover Mix, New Release Mix, and genre- or decade-based playlists.
Other content differences that matter:
- Music videos: YouTube Music plays audio and video seamlessly, and one tap switches between the two. Spotify doesn’t treat video as a core feature.
- Podcasts: Spotify has one of the biggest podcast catalogs in the world; YouTube Music has none, though YouTube itself hosts plenty of video podcasts.
- Your own music: YouTube Music lets you upload up to 100,000 personal tracks and stream them anywhere; Spotify can only sync local files from your computer.
- Social playlists: Spotify supports collaborative playlists and following friends; YouTube Music has no social layer.
If you want one app for all your audio — music plus podcasts — Spotify is the more complete package. If you want the deepest possible music library, especially unofficial versions and live recordings, YouTube Music is unrivaled.
3. YouTube Music vs. Spotify: Music Discovery
Discovery is where the two services take completely different approaches.
Spotify is widely considered the best in the industry at recommendations. Features like Discover Weekly, Release Radar, and Daylist are built on years of listening data, and the algorithm surfaces an impressive mix of old favorites and new artists. The more you listen, the sharper it gets.
YouTube Music’s discovery engine is powered by Google. It learns from your YouTube history, searches, and likes, which means it can recommend a niche cover or a live session that no other service would think you’d enjoy. Its weakness is search clutter: type a song name and you may see the official upload, a live version, three covers, and a sped-up remix before the exact track.
For most listeners, Spotify is the safer pick for discovery — its recommendations are more consistent, and its editorial playlists are famously well-curated. But if you love digging into covers and bootlegs, YouTube Music can surprise you in ways Spotify never will. It’s close, but we’d give this round to Spotify.
4. YouTube Music vs. Spotify: Pricing and Plans
Both services follow the same freemium model: a free, ad-supported tier plus a paid Premium plan. Prices vary by region, but in the US they compare like this:
- Spotify Premium: about $11.99/month for one person.
- YouTube Music Premium: about $10.99/month.
- YouTube Premium: about $13.99/month — the bundle that matters. It includes YouTube Music Premium, ad-free YouTube, and background playback for both apps.
- Family plans: both cost roughly $18–20/month for up to six accounts.
- Student plans: both offer discounts to about $5–6/month.
The free tiers are where the experience really differs. YouTube Music’s free plan is ad-heavy and blocks background playback entirely on mobile — lock your screen and the music stops. Spotify’s free tier is also ad-supported, and on mobile you can’t play albums or playlists in order (shuffle only, with limited skips), but background playback works and the overall experience feels more polished.
Pricing verdict: it’s nearly a tie. Spotify edges ahead on free-tier polish, while YouTube Music wins on bundle value if you already watch YouTube daily — YouTube Premium effectively gives you two services for one price.
5. YouTube Music vs Spotify: Other Features
The day-to-day experience is shaped by the extras, and here the gap is significant.
Spotify’s standout extras:
- Spotify Connect — start a song on your phone, hand it to your speaker, control it from your laptop. It’s the most seamless multi-device experience in streaming.
- Wrapped — Spotify’s annual personalized recap has become a cultural event every December.
- Lyrics, crossfade, and local files — synchronized karaoke-style lyrics, smooth track transitions, and the ability to browse music stored on your PC.
- Social features — follow friends and artists, share playlists, build collaborative playlists, and compare tastes with Blend.
YouTube Music’s standout extras:
- Audio/video switching — one tap toggles between the audio track and its official music video.
- Chromecast support — effortless casting to TV and speakers.
- YouTube Premium bundle — ad-free YouTube, downloads, and background play across all of YouTube, not just Music.
- Personal uploads — keep up to 100,000 of your own tracks in your library.
Spotify clearly wins this round on feature depth. YouTube Music keeps things simpler, and its best play is really the YouTube Premium bundle.
FAQs About YouTube Music vs. Spotify
Which is better, Spotify or YouTube Music?
For most people, Spotify is the more complete service: higher streaming quality, stronger music discovery, podcasts, and a richer feature set. YouTube Music is the better fit if you watch music videos, love covers and live performances, or want YouTube Premium bundled in.
Which service has better sound quality?
Spotify. Premium streams at 320kbps, while YouTube Music caps at 256kbps AAC. On typical wireless earbuds, most listeners won’t hear a meaningful difference.
Does YouTube Premium include YouTube Music?
Yes. YouTube Premium bundles ad-free YouTube, background playback, and YouTube Music Premium in one subscription — a strong deal if you use both apps daily.
Can I download Spotify music without Premium?
Officially, no — downloads require Spotify Premium. However, a dedicated converter like AudKit Spotify Music Converter can download Spotify tracks to MP3 or other formats for offline playback on any device.
In Conclusion
As YouTube Music vs. Spotify 2020 battle comes to an end, it is apparent that Spotify is the superior service. Unlike YouTube Music, it’s better for discovering new music, has more playlists, offers robust social features, and offers you access to a number of podcasts. It is also packed with effective features, including crossfades. However, that doesn’t mean that it can be everyone’s choice.
There are still reasons why you should opt for YouTube Music instead of Spotify. YouTube Music is a great option if you like watching music videos and would want to enjoy YouTube premium features as well, though at an extra cost. The choice is all yours!
Elle Johnson
Staff Editor
Elle Johnson has been working in the technology and music software field for over 5 years. She is dedicated to providing easy-to-use guides and effective tips to play music anywhere.