# Alternatives to Apple Music

Lossless catalog tied to Apple devices.

Apple Music ranks #4 of 10 in Music streaming, with an Alt Score of 73. It is proprietary, sold by subscription from $10.99/month and available on Web, iOS and Android. 9 of 10 checklist rows are verified against a public source.

Source: https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/apple-music/
Category: Music streaming

## Where Apple Music stands out

- **Music videos** — 2 of 6 apps with a verified answer have this
- **Import playlists from competitors** — 3 of 7 apps with a verified answer have this

## Overview

- **Who it's for**: Music listeners who want on-demand access to a large streaming catalog, especially those already using Apple devices (iPhone, Mac, Apple Watch, HomePod, CarPlay).
- **What you get**: A catalog of over 100 million songs with lossless and hi-res lossless audio, plus Dolby Atmos spatial audio support. Includes curated and algorithmic playlists, synced lyrics, offline downloads, and live radio stations like Apple Music 1. Available on iOS, macOS, Android, Windows, and web.
- **How it works**: Subscribe monthly (or via an Apple One bundle), then stream or download songs and playlists through the Music app or web player, with playback syncing across signed-in Apple devices.

## Profile

- **License**: Proprietary (verified 2026-07-11)
- **Pricing model**: Subscription (verified 2026-07-11)
- **Starts at**: $10.99/month (verified 2026-07-11)
- **Platforms**: Web, iOS, Android
- **Status**: active (verified 2026-07-11)

## Ranked alternatives

| # | App | Alt Score | Licence | Platforms |
|---|-----|-----------|---------|-----------|
| 1 | [Deezer](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/deezer.md) | 86 | Proprietary | Web, iOS, Android |
| 2 | [Spotify](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/spotify.md) | 78 | Proprietary | Web, iOS, Android |
| 3 | [YouTube Music](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/youtube-music.md) | 78 | Proprietary | Web, iOS, Android |
| 4 | [Amazon Music](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/amazon-music.md) | 73 | Proprietary | Web, iOS, Android |
| 5 | [Pandora](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/pandora.md) | 64 | Proprietary | Web, iOS, Android |
| 6 | [SoundCloud](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/soundcloud.md) | 64 | Proprietary | Web, iOS, Android |
| 7 | [Qobuz](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/qobuz.md) | 60 | Proprietary | Web, iOS, Android |
| 8 | [Bandcamp](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/bandcamp.md) | 55 | Proprietary | Web, iOS, Android |
| 9 | [Tidal](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/tidal.md) | 37 | Proprietary | Web, iOS, Android |

Alt Score = Verified coverage (90%) + Visibility (10%). See https://altcatalog.com/how-alt-score-works/

## Feature comparison

Legend: Yes / No / Partial / ? (not verified).

| Music streaming checklist | Apple Music | Deezer | Spotify | YouTube Music | Amazon Music | Pandora |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Subscription | Freemium | Freemium | Freemium | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starts at | $10.99/month | $11.99/month | $12.99/month | ? | $13.99/month | $4.99/month |
| License | Proprietary | Proprietary | Proprietary | Proprietary | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android |
| Lossless / hi-res tier | Yes | Yes | Partial | No | Yes | No |
| Free tier with ads | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Offline downloads | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Family plan | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Artist payout reputation | ? | Partial | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| Podcasts included | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Music videos | Yes | Partial | Partial | Yes | ? | ? |
| Lyrics | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes |
| Import playlists from competitors | Yes | Partial | Partial | Partial | Yes | ? |
| Web player | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |

## Sources

Sources for Apple Music. Each alternative is sourced on its own page.

- **Pricing model**: Subscription — <https://www.apple.com/apple-music/> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Choose the plan that's right for you. No commitment. Cancel anytime.”
- **Platforms**: Web, iOS, Android — <https://www.apple.com/apple-music/> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Works on iOS, Android, Windows, Sonos, smart TVs, and more”
- **License**: Proprietary — <https://support.apple.com/en-us/118288> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Copyright © 2026 Apple Inc. All rights reserved.”
- **Starts at**: $10.99/month — <https://www.apple.com/apple-music/> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Individual $10.99/month, first month free for new subscribers.”
- **Status**: active — <https://www.apple.com/apple-music/> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Music Haptics reach even more senses with taps, textures, and vibrations when you listen on iPhone.”
- **Lossless / hi-res tier**: Yes — <https://support.apple.com/en-us/118295> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “most of the Apple Music catalog is now also encoded using ALAC in resolutions ranging from 16-bit/44.1 kHz (CD Quality) up to 24-bit/192 kHz”
- **Free tier with ads**: No — <https://www.apple.com/apple-music/> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Always ad-free. It's everything music is meant to be.”
- **Offline downloads**: Yes — <https://support.apple.com/en-us/118288> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Or download music that you've added to listen to offline.”
- **Family plan**: Yes — <https://www.apple.com/apple-music/> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Share Apple Music with up to five people with a Family Plan.”
- **Podcasts included**: No — <https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-mini/listen-watch-and-play-apdd481dd775/mac> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Podcasts Listen to your favorite shows—from big names to independent publishers—discover your next favorite, or subscribe with Podcasts.”
- **Music videos**: Yes — <https://support.apple.com/guide/tv/watch-music-videos-atvb6e1c5b22/tvos> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “The Videos screen in the Apple Music app includes the hottest new music videos, curated video playlists, and Apple Music TV, a 24-hour livestream of popular music videos.”
- **Lyrics**: Yes — <https://support.apple.com/en-us/105076> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “With your Apple Music subscription, you can follow along as you listen to your favorite songs with perfectly timed lyrics and translations that appear line-by-line”
- **Import playlists from competitors**: Yes — <https://support.apple.com/en-us/118249> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “You can transfer your songs, albums, and playlists from other music services to Apple Music.”
- **Web player**: Yes — <https://support.apple.com/guide/music-web/welcome/web> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Apple Music on the web, you can listen on any device, wherever you are.”

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Ranked by verified data, never by who paid. https://altcatalog.com/trust/