Monthly subscriptions to music streaming services are simple - sign up and get listening, it's as easy as that. Each platform offers its own stand-out features and advantages, and different plans to suit you and your listening needs best. We're taking a look at the top main contenders to help you choose between Spotify and Amazon Music.
There are multiple tiers of both service depending on your budget, your willingness to hear adverts as well as music and the amount of features you want. We'll outline those, and their free trials, as well as explaining the difference between the two music libraries.
For more music streaming comparisons, check out our piece on Apple Music vs Spotify. Or for the full lowdown on the different music streaming services available, check out our guide to the best UK music streaming services to try.
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What's the difference between Amazon Music and Spotify?
Spotify has a free entry-level subscription. You'll pay nothing but only get six 'skips' an hour and worse streaming quality, plus there are adverts on non-premium Spotify. However, pay £10.99 per month for premium and you'll get rid of the ads and open up the whole library. There's also the option of a £17.99 per month family membership, a £14.99 Spotify Duo membership offering music for two under the same roof, or a student membership for £5.99 per month.
Spotify Premium offers a one month free trial so you can try before you buy.
Sign up to Spotify Premium for a one month free trial
Amazon's music offering has a slightly more complex list of options. Firstly, there's Amazon Music Free which provides access to a range of tracks and podcasts, but only to be played in shuffle mode (there's no skipping). Then there is the Amazon Music Prime which is included with Amazon Prime or costs £8.99 per month, and allows uninterrupted, ad-free music of millions of songs.
If you want the expanded library of Amazon Prime Music Unlimited, that will cost £10.99 per month, or £8.99 per month if you've already got a standard Amazon Prime membership. Amazon offers a similar family plan to Spotify coming in at £17.99, and a student plan at £5.99.
Keen to try it out? Amazon Music Unlimited is currently offering three months of its service for just £1. This offer runs until 4pm on Thursday 11th January.
Get three months of Amazon Music Unlimited for £1
It's worth noting that during extended use, we've found Spotify to work more smoothly and encounter less issues. It also offers better suggestions to help you discover new music, which is a huge plus for those who are curious to add to their personal favourites libraries.
If you're on a long journey and don't fancy listening to music the entire time, you might find our 'can I watch Disney Plus offline' guide helpful.
Spotify Premium vs Amazon Music Unlimited
Those wanting the more high-end plans — Spotify Premium and Amazon Music Unlimited — will get access to the very best offerings from these providers.
For example, Amazon Music Unlimited's library has approximately 100 million songs, rather than the two million on the basic Amazon Music Prime library. Spotify has a similar offering. Bear in mind, both outlets also offer podcasts, too. So if you're a podcast fan it's worth checking that your favourites are available on your chosen platform.
When it comes to music, some artists are available on one platform and not another.
For Spotify, one of the real bonuses of Premium over non-Premium is the improved streaming quality and the lack of ads. The sound quality goes up from 128kbps to 320kbps. It's a big difference, making for an audible improvement and more immersive listening experience, especially if you're pairing the app with some of the best Airpods out there.
When it comes to streaming quality though, Amazon wins. Music Unlimited offers lossless audio streaming across many of its tracks, albums and content. This is partly because Amazon Music HD — which used to be a separate, pricier tier of Amazon's offering — is now included with Amazon Music Unlimited.
Amazon Music vs Spotify verdict: Which music streaming service should you buy in 2024?
Having noted some of the key differences, Amazon Music Unlimited looks like the choice for those who are prioritising streaming quality and those who use Alexa devices.
However, Spotify's user interface generally works better and is more accessible in our opinion.
Both Amazon Music Unlimited and Spotify help you discover new music — with Spotify's bespoke playlists, like the 'Discover Weekly' mix, and Amazon Music Unlimited's 'My Discover Mix' which is updated every Monday.
Ultimately, which you choose will depend on your priorities. During personal use, we've found Spotify to be slightly more intuitive and enjoyable, but no-doubt audiophiles will be drawn to Amazon by that extra audio quality.
For more on audio, check out our best Airpods alternatives and best DAB radio guides. Plus, head over to the RadioTimes.com Technology section for the latest news, such as what is Amazon Luna and how much does Apple Music cost in the UK?
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We've answered your questions on the best UK streaming service and can I get Disney Plus on NOW TV? in our guides.
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