YouTube Music is one of many Spotify alternatives that you can try, and it features both a diverse library and intelligent music discovery features. But is YouTube Music better than Spotify? Find out in this complete comparison.

1. Spotify vs. YouTube Music: Music Libraries

Spotify and YouTube Music differ in terms of their music libraries, but there is also a lot of overlap.

Spotify

As of November 2023, Spotify has more than 100 million songs in its catalog. Whether you're looking for Post Malone's latest album or rock music from the 1960s, Spotify has you covered. Many new artists also start by sharing their tracks on Spotify, which helps massively.

YouTube Music

YouTube Music hosts, like Spotify, more than 100 million songs. One big advantage of YouTube Music is that you can find mashups, concert clips, and remixes that aren't available on Spotify. Given YouTube's close partnerships with labels, you probably won't face too many issues when searching for your favorite songs.

Despite Spotify having such a big collection of music, we're going to give YouTube Music the upper hand in this category. The simple reason is because of the integration that YouTube Music has with YouTube. Nonetheless, the differences are marginal.

If you want to learn more about what YouTube Music is, check out this complete beginner's guide to YouTube Music.

Winner: YouTube Music

2. Apps and App Design

The Spotify and YouTube Music apps cover computers, tablets, and smartphones. Nonetheless, the apps are designed differently and will therefore appeal to different users. Here's a YouTube Music vs. Spotify comparison for the apps and app design.

Spotify

The Spotify App Interface

The Spotify app features a dark theme with neatly organized sections. You'll see both personalized and saved playlists in the Your Library section—and with some useful Spotify playlist tips and tricks, you'll get the most out of your listening experience.

On Spotify, you can also see what you've recently been listening to at the top of the Home tab. Here, the app will also recommend new podcast episodes and music that you may interest you.

The Search tab sits between Home and Your Library. This is where you can quickly look for content you want to play.

On the Spotify desktop app, you can see the artist page for songs that you're currently playing. You'll also find their bio and upcoming tour dates.

YouTube Music

The YouTube Music App Interface

YouTube Music has a well-designed app that features four tabs:

  • Home
  • Samples
  • Explore
  • Library

You'll also find a search bar.

In the Home tab, you'll find a list of recommended music videos as well as mixes that were created for you. This works similarly to the Spotify Daily Mix feature. Furthermore, you can discover recommended albums and more.

The Samples section features snippets of songs that might interest you. Spotify included a feature similar to this in 2023, but YouTube Music's version is still arguably better.

The Explore tab is where you can search for new music based on what's just been released, plus charts and different genres. Meanwhile, the Library is where you'll find all of your saved tracks, albums, artists, and playlists.

Spotify is the unquestionable winner here. The design is more practical and its interface is much more intuitive. YouTube Music has made numerous improvements, but it still needs some work before it can compete.

Winner: Spotify

3. Music Discovery

Is Spotify better than YouTube Music for music discovery? Many people would say yes, but the differences aren't as clear-cut as you may think. Here's a rundown of what Spotify and YouTube Music both offer in this respect.

Spotify

Spotify App Discover Features

For years, Spotify's biggest strength has been its music discovery features. With tools like the Weekly Discovery playlist and the ability to add recommended music within your created playlists, you could easily spend all day discovering great new songs and artists.

Plus, Spotify hosts specific genres for moods and activities. That allows you to simply search for topics like "Focus", and Spotify will instantly pull up white noise playlists. An automated radio station can be launched from any track or artist you like as well.

That's not all. Spotify's algorithms curate special daily and weekly playlists for you. Apart from that, the company claims there are over 4 billion playlists created by both Spotify's own curators and other users. Plus, you can check out Spotify sites to find new music and playlists.

You can even use Spotify's AI DJ to mix up your music stream with new track suggestions.

YouTube Music

A list of different genres in YouTube Music

Although YouTube Music does have tools for discovery, these can often feel limited compared to Spotify. The Explore page allows you to search different moods and genres, but it's not on the same level as what Spotify can offer.

One area that YouTube Music does excel compared to Spotify is the ability to watch new music videos within the app. Like the Swedish streaming service, you can also view charts for different countries—along with a number of trending songs. YouTube Music is also useful if you want a service that makes decisions for you.

Despite YouTube Music's benefits, Spotify is the clear winner here. With Spotify, you have more control over what you'd like to listen to.

Winner: Spotify

4. Search Functionality

Both YouTube Music and Spotify have a search function. In addition to looking for particular song and album names, you can also use the feature to find music based on the lyrics.

YouTube Music's search results work similarly to Google and YouTube search. You type what you want to search for and then can choose from the list of suggestions. After selecting that, you'll see a list of the top results.

YouTube Music Search Functionality in Action

Spotify, on the other hand, generates search results as you search. So, you can quickly find what you're looking for. And if you've searched for a song based on the lyrics, you'll see Lyrics match written in text.

The Different Search Features in Spotify

YouTube Music does have strong search functionality, and this isn't surprising when you consider its ties with Google. But from a music listening standpoint, Spotify is again more intuitive.

Winner: Spotify

6. Podcasts

One area where Spotify easily beats YouTube Music is its ability to stream podcasts. Spotify has a rich platform for podcasts, with topics galore to explore.

Moreover, you can browse the most popular channels and follow one to receive notifications whenever a new episode is added. YouTube Music doesn't boast podcast support yet.

Winner: Spotify

7. Audio

YouTube Music's streaming quality differs from Spotify. Spotify's web player lets you stream at AAC 256 kb/s if you're a Premium subscriber. But if you aren't, that number is cut in half to 128 kb/s. The maximum within the Spotify app is 320 kb/s for Premium users and 160 kb/s for Spotify Free users.

You can always tweak numerous settings to make Spotify sound better, such as altering the equalizers and more.

YouTube Music can play content at a bitrate of up to 256kbps AAC. The minimum bitrate you can use for YouTube Music is 48 kb/s, which is higher than Spotify's (24 kb/s). While YouTube Music has a better bitrate than Spotify Free, it doesn't match up to the paid version. Moreover, Spotify has better flexibility when choosing either high-quality sound or data preservation.

For those reasons, we have to give Spotify the win here as well. However, the differences are relatively small and most users won't notice them.

Winner: Spotify

8. Additional Features

While YouTube Music doesn't do much extra beyond the music offerings, you can get ad-free watching on YouTube as it's included in a YouTube Premium membership. If you consume a lot of YouTube content, you will likely find that to be pretty helpful. Moreover, you can seamlessly switch between the audio and video versions for the songs that you listen to.

Spotify has introduced a series of handy features. You can read the lyrics for your song (if available), along with enabling crossfade between tracks. Moreover, you can follow your friends and see what they're listening to.

Another big advantage of using Spotify is the Spotify Wrapped feature, which provides a full overview of your music listening habits over the year.

Winner: Spotify

9. Pricing

phone with the Spotify app open

Spotify has a free version, but this features ads that can get quite annoying after a while. Pricing for a Premium subscription depends on where you live—but for US-based listeners, you will pay $10.99/mo for Premium Individual and $14.99 for Premium Duo. Students can get the service for just $5.99/mo, while a Family plan is $16.99 monthly.

When listening to music on YouTube without a Premium subscription, you can't listen in the background. YouTube Music costs $10.99 per month, while YouTube Music and YouTube Premium combined will cost $13.99 per month.

While the monthly membership pricing for both is similar, Spotify offers more value for money from the standpoint of listening to music.

Winner: Spotify

Spotify vs. YouTube Music: Which Should You Choose?

Is Spotify better than YouTube Music? Well, if you look at our categories assessed, Spotify comes out on top in most of them. YouTube Music is a great addition if you already have YouTube Premium, but we feel like the app's features are quite limited in comparison to Spotify.

Since you can get a free trial with both platforms, it's worth giving both of them a go. You'll also need to consider your needs; casual listeners may prefer YouTube Music, whereas serious ones should probably choose Spotify.