The great Amazon Music vs. Spotify debate makes it hard to know which of the two top music streaming platforms to choose from. I pay for Spotify Premium, but I also have an Amazon Prime membership. And in the summer of 2023, Spotify increased its pricing. So now this raises the question: Which one offers the better value?
Turns out that it depends. It would be great if there was a more straightforward answer, but it comes down to personal preferences and how you’ll use the services. I researched all the pricing options, music libraries, and features of both streaming services so you don’t have to. (Spoiler alert: I’m keeping the services I have.)
Here’s everything you need to know about Amazon Music vs. Spotify.
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1. Amazon Music and Spotify both have a free tier you can try first.
Amazon and Spotify both have free pricing tiers. If you haven’t used either of them before, I recommend starting there so you can get a feel for how each of the apps work. Both Amazon Music and Spotify offer ad-based free services, which means you can listen to any music or podcasts you want, but you’ll be frequently interrupted by commercials.
Now, I personally find Spotify easier to use. The search function and navigate are just simpler. However, Amazon Music has a bigger collection of songs, and it’s the better choice if you prioritize sound quality.
That said, both free tiers come at a fault. For either platform, you can’t select individual songs—you can only select playlists. And, you only get six skips per day for both platforms. Moreover, you can’t listen to music offline.
2. If you hate the ads, both platforms have a 3-month free Spotify Premium or Amazon Music Unlimited trial.
There’s nothing more annoying than listening to your favorite playlist, only to be interrupted by a loud advertisement for new car tires or insurance policies.
The good news is, you don’t have to pay for a subscription until you’ve tried both services. Both Amazon Music and Spotify offer a free three-month trial, so you can test them out to see which one is a better fit for you. Just be sure to set a reminder or calendar alert for yourself so you don’t forget to cancel at the end of the three months.
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3. With Spotify Premium’s price increase, Amazon Music Unlimited wins in terms of costs.
In July 2023, Spotify increased its pricing for the Premium Individual Plan from $9.99 per month to $10.99 per month. That price increase also affected the Premium Duo plan’s original price of $12.99 per month and the Premium Family Plan from $15.99 per month.
Spotify reasoned the increase due to its rapid growth in Premium subscribers and wanting to be able to continue delivering value to fans and artists. And affected subscribers were alerted via email.
It’s tricky to compare the two apples to apples since both platforms offer unique plans. For instance, Spotify offers a student, individual, duo, and family plan, whereas Amazon Music offers various plans for Prime members, non-members, and families.
Note that Amazon Music Prime is included with a Prime membership. However, it’s not the same thing as Amazon Music Unlimited—which is a service that’s equivalent to Spotify Premium. While there’s not too much in price difference, Amazon Music Unlimited wins in terms of costs.
4. If you aren’t a Prime member, Spotify and Amazon’s individual plan costs are neck in neck.
If you have a Prime membership, you’ll save $2 per month on the Amazon Music Unlimited subscription. (It is worth noting that because you’re paying for Prime, you’re definitely spending more in the long run. And I don’t recommend subscribing to Prime just to get the cheaper music streaming).
So that means that Amazon Music Unlimited is the cheaper option, but only if you’re already a Prime member. Prime members can get Amazon Music Unlimited for $107.88 per year, but subscribing as a non-Prime member will bump your yearly cost to $131.88.
That also means if you aren’t a Prime member, Spotify Unlimited’s individual plan costs exactly the same.
5. Spotify offers a duo plan to help you save money.
Amazon Music and Spotify both have family plans, which can save you a good amount of money. You can share your account with up to six members in your home. And for smaller families, Spotify offers a duo plan, which is designed for just two people. Amazon Music doesn’t have this.
Fun fact: You can save $41.94 per year by bundling your subscription with another person. That’s because when you divide the yearly price for the Duo Plan in half, you’re only paying $89.94 (versus $131.88 for the Individual Plan).
6. Spotify also has a student tier, which Amazon Music doesn’t have.
The best unlimited streaming option is Spotify Student, which allows students to subscribe to Spotify Premium for just $5.99 per month, instead of $10.99 per month. That means you’ll pay just $71.88 per year, instead of $131.88—a total savings of $60 per year!
7. Spotify has better playlist options, but Amazon Music has Alexa.
Now that we’ve talked pricing, it’s time to compare the actual streaming features. One reason I like Spotify over Amazon is that Spotify makes every user an individual playlist each week based on their listening history. It’s a combination of songs you’ve listened to a lot, as well as new tunes they think you’ll like. In my experience, the Spotify algorithm is super accurate, because I always love the playlists they make me.
Spotify also offers collaborative playlists, which means you can invite other users to add tracks to a playlist you’ve created. I use this all the time on road trips!
If you’re an Amazon Alexa user, you might find that the perk of connecting to an Amazon device is worth switching to Amazon Music. You can ask Alexa to play a song, playlist, or podcast and it’ll immediately connect to your speaker.
8. The music options are almost identical, but each platform has exclusive podcasts. Truth be told, Spotify definitely has more variety.
In terms of content, Amazon Music and Spotify have nearly identical music libraries. But when it comes to podcasts, you’ll find a lot more exclusivity. Spotify has been in the podcast game longer than Amazon has, so you’ll find more exclusive shows on Spotify, including a lot of big names. Dax Shepard’s podcast Armchair Expert is a Spotify exclusive (I listen to every episode, so this was definitely a factor in deciding to stick with my Spotify subscription), as is The Joe Rogan Experience. Other big-name podcasts like Call Her Daddy and Renegades: Born in the USA—the collaboration between President Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen—are also Spotify exclusives.
Podcasts exclusive to Spotify:
- Anything Goes with Emma Chamberlain
- Armchair Expert
- Bandsplain
- Call Her Daddy
- Crime Show
- Dope Labs
- Every Little Thing
- Heavyweight
- Jemele Hill Is Unbothered
- Larry Wilmore: Black on the Air
- Living & Learning with Reba McEntire
- Nosy Neighbors
- Not Past It
- Plain English
- Red Frontier
- Renegades: Born in the USA
- Reply All
- Son of a Hitman
- The Joe Rogan Experience
Over on Amazon Music, you’ll find several exclusive true crime shows, like the latest season of Dr. Death, The Shrink Next Door, and Cold. They’re adding new exclusive episodes all the time (especially with the help of programs from Audible Originals). Unless there’s a Spotify show you can’t live without, the podcast selection isn’t a reason to skip out on Amazon Music.
Podcasts exclusive to Amazon Music:
- Bad Batch
- Cold
- Direct Deposit
- Dr. Death S3: Miracle Man
- Killer Psyche Daily
- MrBallen Podcast
- Origins
- The Dating Game Killer
- The Shrink Next Door
- Summer in Argyle
Overall, Spotify is the better choice price-wise if you’re not a Prime member. It’s also easier to use if you’re a beginner, and it offers pricing plans for students and duos. Amazon Music is the better value choice if you prioritize sound quality and song quantity over ease of navigation.
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