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YouTube Music to MP3 Converter

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YouTube Music vs. Spotify: Which is Better?

hanna ellis By Hanna Ellis
Updated on: April 23, 2024

You can stream music, make playlists, find new songs, etc. via services like Spotify and YouTube Music. Even though they all initially appear to be very similar, such as free versions, huge music libraries, charging standards, and sound quality. While they also show a lot of differences, including different restrictions for the free version and some differences in content and charging plans, these two services also have some different perks, etc.

When choosing which streaming service to subscribe to, these differences should be considered. To assist you in deciding which application to use, we'll show the details in this post. In addition, this article will also teach you practical tips on how to save YouTube Music and Spotify playlists to MP3 format.

youtube music vs spotify

YouTube Music is a music streaming platform that offers users access to millions of songs and videos. It allows users to create personalized playlists, listen to radio stations, and explore new music based on their listening history and preferences. Some of the features of YouTube Music include:


Ad-free listening Users can enjoy uninterrupted music without any ads.
Offline listening Users can download YouTube Music songs and playlists to listen to offline.
Personalized recommendations YouTube Music uses machine learning algorithms to recommend music based on a user's listening history and preferences.
Access to live performances, remixes, and covers A vast library of live performances, remixes, and covers that users can enjoy.
High-quality audio Offer high-quality audio streaming up to 256kbps.

Overall, YouTube Music provides a comprehensive music streaming experience for users who want to discover new music and enjoy their favorite songs at any time.

youtube music

Spotify is a popular music streaming service that offers users access to millions of songs, podcasts, and other audio content from around the world. With Spotify, users can browse and listen to music from a wide variety of genres and artists, create custom playlists, share music with friends, discover new music through personalized recommendations, and more.

In addition to its basic music streaming service, Spotify also offers several premium subscription plans that provide additional features such as ad-free listening, higher-quality audio streaming, offline playback, and unlimited skips. The company has also recently expanded into the podcasting space, offering users access to a growing library of original podcasts and exclusive content.

spotify

The audio quality isn't as good as it would be with a paid subscription, whether you use the free version of YouTube Music or Spotify.

Spotify has some additional restrictions, such as the inability to select songs from albums or playlists and the requirement to randomly shuffle tracks. There are also limitations on how many songs you can skip on your mobile device.

You can listen to whatever song you want on YouTube Music, and there are no skip restrictions. The only extra restriction is that you need to keep your screen on to keep the music playing.


Features YouTube Music Free Spotify Free
Access to Entire Library yes yes
Skip Ads after 5 seconds no
Background Play yes (web player only) yes (all platforms)
Skip Songs yes (unlimited) yes (maximum of 6 songs/hour)
Offline Streaming no no
Audio Quality Settings (desktop) low (48kbps)
normal (128kbps)
Automatic (depends on internet speed)
Low (24kbps)
Normal (96 kbps)
High (160kbps)
Audio Quality Settings (web player) Low (48kbps)
Normal (128kbps)
Normal (128kbps)
Audio Quality Settings (mobile) Normal (128kbps) Automatic (depends on internet speed)
Low (24kbps)
Highest Audio Quality (mobile) 128kbps 160kbps

Music Library and Podcasts

Both YouTube Music and Spotify offer tens of millions of songs. Whichever platform you choose, you'll have access to a huge library of content. Most songs are available on both platforms, so you're sure to find what you're looking for. Nevertheless, Spotify gives you access to a wide selection of podcasts. So if you're into podcasts, Spotify is the way to go. But if you're exclusively interested in music variety and music videos,YouTube Music is a great option.


Service Number of Tracks Excels at Music Variety & Videos Excels at Podcasts
YouTube Music 100 millions yes no
Spotify 100 millions no yes

The most significant difference between the two services in terms of content is that Spotify gives you access to a wide selection of podcasts. At the same time,YouTube Music is focused on music and music videos.

There are over five million podcast titles on Spotify. There’s a good chance the ones you’re listening to are available on the streaming service, regardless of whether they are famous or super-niche. This means that if you’re a Spotify user, you don’t need a separate app for podcasts anymore.

YouTube Music is a music streaming platform that focuses on providing users with access to a vast library of songs and music videos. The platform aims to create a personalized experience for users by analyzing their listening habits and suggesting new songs and playlists based on their preferences. With a catalog of over 100 million songs, YouTube Music allows users to discover new music, explore different genres, and watch music videos from their favorite artists all in one place. Overall, YouTube Music provides a comprehensive music streaming experience that caters to music lovers who enjoy both audio and visual content.

Pricing and Plans

Both apps are virtually identical in terms of pricing and the basic premium features offered. Here’s a quick breakdown of the Premium plans and their prices:


Platform Individual Premium Family Plan Student Plan
Spotify $11.99/month $19.99/month $5.99/month
YouTube Music $10.99/month $16.99/month $5.49/month

Audio Quality Difference

Both apps offer high-quality streaming. However, YouTube Music’s is capped at 256 kbps, and Spotify’s goes up to 320 kbps.

Additional Subscription Plans

Aside from their Individual, Family, and Student plans, Spotify also offers a Premium Duo plan. This allows two people to have two separate Premium accounts for a discounted price of $19.99.

YouTube Premium subscribers, who pay a monthly fee for an ad-free viewing experience on YouTube, also receive free access to YouTube Music Premium. This allows them to stream music without ads, download songs for offline listening, and play music in the background while using other apps or when their phone is locked. Additionally, YouTube Premium subscribers can access exclusive content, such as original series and movies, that is not available to regular YouTube users. Overall, by subscribing to YouTube Premium, users gain access to both ad-free video content and premium music streaming features through YouTube Music.

Bonus Access to Other Streaming Services

Unlike YouTube Music’s Family Plan, Spotify’s Premium Family Plan gives subscribers access to Spotify Kids. There are also additional perks in place for those who sign up for the Premium Student plan. Aside from a 50% discount, students also get access to two popular VOD streaming services, Hulu and Showtime.

On the other hand, YouTube Music offers a similar type of perk through their regular Premium plan. Those who sign up for a YouTube Premium account get automatic access to YouTube Music Premium and YouTube Originals. Essentially, subscribers get ad-free, on-demand playback on three different streaming services.

The YouTube Music streaming service has a lot of appeal for those already invested in the Google ecosystem, especially those with an active YouTube Premium subscription that unlocks the entire YouTube Music Premium plan for free.

Another bonus for true music lovers: YouTube Music allows you to upload new tracks and offers a broad selection of covers, remixes, and unique song versions.

YouTube Music and Spotify offer similar pricing and plans. If you are a couple living in the same household, you may choose the Spotify Duo Plan, which is more cost-effective at $16.99 per month. You can also spend the same price to sign up for YouTube Premium, which helps you get rid of ads, download YouTube videos, and enable background play.

If you want to sign up for a free music streaming service, YouTube Music Free is more recommended, as it’s designed with fewer restrictions.

youtube music
Extra Tips: How to Download YouTube Music and Spotify Tracks as MP3 Files

Do you want to download YouTube Music and Spotify Music to your computer as MP3 files? The easy-to-use tools recommended below come in handy. No matter if you are a Free member or a Premium subscriber, you can use them to get what you need.

download spotify music to mp3
How to Download Spotify Music to MP3

How do I get songs from Spotify in MP3 format? I'm trying to figure out how to add Spotify downloads for regular playback to my MP3 player. I think I first need to download the Spotify songs as MP3 files. Is there a recording program, such as a music recorder or a Spotify music ripper, that I can use to do that? A suggestion?


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How to Download YouTube Music to MP3

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Hanna Ellis | Content Writer

Hanna Ellis is an experienced writer with a strong passion for technology, music, and software. Her experience allows her to skillfully infuse her passion into her writing, creating comprehensive, informative, and practical content that appeals to a wide range of audiences.