Music is a big aspect of society for teenagers. Many feel like music is a part of their identity. It is one of those things that allows them to not feel alone in this world. Many also like the aspect of being able to express themselves through the music they listen to or even sometimes the music they write. 

Apple Music and Spotify are two big rivals in the world today just like Starbucks and Dunkin’ or Chick-fil-a and Raising Canes. They are the two biggest streaming platforms for music. The big question is which one is better. They each have their own good parts but also there are some downsides to both. 

In a survey sent out the student body, 64 students said that they use Spotify as their streaming service. Many students said that their favorite part was that they receive their Spotify Wrapped at the end of the year. 

Spotify Wrapped is a little presentation that the platform puts together for every Spotify user at the end of the year. It includes the user’s top artists, top songs, and top genres. It also includes fun things like being in the top percentage of listeners for a certain artist. Students also said that they love being able to see their friends’ playlists and to be able to make playlists with one another. Students least favorite part about Spotify was the ads. On Spotify, there is an option to pay for the premium. The downside of not having a premium subscription is dealing with ads in between every couple of songs.  Another thing students dislike is that when using the free version you only get six opportunities to skip a song per hour. 

In the survey, 38 students said they use Apple Music for streaming music. Many said that they enjoy being ad-free compared to how Spotify has lots. Many of them also said that they like the format of the service better. They enjoy how easy it is to use. However, students do not like having to pay for Apple Music. Apple Music requires a paid subscription unless the user wants to buy each song individually, which can get very pricey. The students who subscribe though think that the $4.99 per month fee is well worth it. Overall though the student’s least favorite part about Apple Music is not having a wrapped up summary of the year like Spotify Wrapped. They wish they could see their musical statistics for the year. 

There are also some things that both apps have in common such as the ability to listen to music while being offline if it is downloaded. Many students say that they enjoy the layout of both Spotify and Apple Music and they are both simple to use. But their main dislike of both is consistent: having to pay for certain features. 

Even though more students use Spotify, both platforms are popular with students and feed their need for music.