Spotify Rules, Apple Music Drools. (written by a former apple music user).
Bold statement, I know! I’m someone who feels like an alien when I speak about my Spotiverse because most of my close friends chose the dark side.
Oh…sorry, I meant Apple Music.
I’ve used both, & I must say, Spotify not only takes the cake, but eats it too.
Spotify is like the cool girl Amy Whinehouse of streaming services, and Apple music is like a Swiftie with a frappuccino in hand.
It’s just…different.
my streaming service journey
Picture this: it’s 2009 and you’re shuffling through your iTunes library on your green iPod nano. You spent about 4 minutes untangling your corded headphones so the first song that plays better make it worth the wait.
oh yes. shawty’s like a melody in my head got me singin “replay” by Iyaz.
life is good.
What ever happened to Iyaz anyway?
i kept the itunes store in business
I hope whoever put this U2 album on everyone’s iPod got fired. Or maybe they got promoted. Because what a great marketing scheme for U2!
My iTunes Store/Apple Music journey began in 2008 when I recieved my first iPod shuffle (hand me down from my parents).
I actually have a playlist of songs that I can remember from the deep depths of my heart & hippocampus. Here it is, in all of it’s glory:
Anyways, I vividly remember having an educational conversation with my father about how the iTunes music library worked. Back in those days, you had to purchase your song on the home computer for .99 cents & then transfer the song onto your iPod through complex technology.
*USB cable and drag and drop motion enters stage right. <—
then…BADA BING BADA BOOM! brand new song on your iPod!
EXCEPT: my dad said that any song with a red box that says ‘explicit’ was forbidden on my iPod :(
(and forbidden on my iPod only…since I was…the…youngest….)
Did I get in trouble for listening to Flo Rida, Snoop Dogg, and Eminem on my iPod. Absolutely. What can I say dad? Mama ain’t raise no bit—
As technology advanced about as fast as you can say lickity split, we had to adapt to the changing times.
Soon enough, my iPod shuffle morphed into an iPod nano, then exited it’s cocoon and flapped its big beautiful iPod touch wings…then took a nose dive…onto the floor..& shattered completely (sorry mom).
But then, finally, I graduated from an…an…ugh. It pains me to say this….an android :/ … to my mom’s old iPhone 5s, my god what a day for past Brooke!
Good riddance to the embarrassment I felt from being the girl with green text bubbles.
however.
At this point in my life I was a freshman in high school. It was 2016 and my parents have yet to make the switch to Apple Music.
I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt because Apple Music did launch in June of 2015, BUT it was well into summer sixteen (an absolute riot of a summer for music) and the Aden’s did not have a streaming service subscription.
This was a MAJOR problem, because Brooke loves music. She has always loved music. AND, because of inflation I assume, the iTunes store upped it’s price for one singular song from the .99 cents we all knew and loved, to $1.29.
good god man! this must be what it feels like when my parents look at gas prices. greedy bastards!
Then, one fateful day, my parents sat me down, looked me dead in the face, & said,
“Brooke. You are CUT OFF from the iTunes store. You MUST stop spending so much money on music. We CANNOT condone this behavior. Who is this ‘Weeknd’ you keep buying?? He has such outrageous hair! We don’t understand how this could happen!”
Okay. That might have been exaggerated for dramatic effect. But nevertheless, a similar conversation was had, and I was in deep doo-doo.
A minor detail that is incredibly important to the story is that I, Brooke Elizabeth Aden, had been asking my parents to switch to Apple Music FOR MONTHS. And they refused because they “didn’t understand it” and “it was a scam”.
OK BOOMER.
This is a reoccurring issue between my parents and I. I chalk it up to generational differences. I grew up in the ~ digital era ~, and they grew up during wartime.
We just aren’t the same!
I have come to realize that it’s important for me, the token gen-z, to be patient with my parents during times of change.
“THIS IS AN INTERVENTION.”
As I sat there, stunned, in front of both of my parents, I decided that it was finally time to host my first intervention, at the ripe age of fourteen.
I, a financially dependent sixteen year old girl, must explain to my parents that we could have avoided this issue entirely if they would have listened to me MONTHS ago when I proposed that the Aden family makes the bold and brave switch to Apple Music.
(An incredible business move might I add, but imagine being in your forties and taking financial advice from a sixteen year old, I probably wouldn’t do it either).
After a lengthy conversation, going back & forth, my parents finally, and hesitantly, agreed to get an Apple Music subscription. HUZZAH!
Babygirl I’ve seen it all! I went through puberty with you! As much as I hate you now, I must appreciate what you did for me. Kisses for the logo from 2010-2012, you did me SO RIGHT.
apple music enters the chat
Late to the party, but still here, is Brooke Aden, your newest Apple Music user.
It’s 2019 and boy do I have a SEA of music now at my fingertips! Past Brooke started COOKING up some playlists that are still on my parents’ Apple Music profile to this very day. While getting on Apple Music was a thrilling experience, it was incredibly short lived.
Apple Music was still relatively new to the market, and it came with a long list of problems that I simply couldn’t overlook. Unfortunately, by the time my parent’s made the switch, I was already sixteen, driving my own vehicle, and had my own part time job.
I would drive myself to school & work, attempting to listen to my new Apple Music playlists when tragedy struck.
Not once.
Not twice.
Not even three times, but almost every time I would disconnect from Wi-Fi, my Apple Music simply just, wouldn’t play! It’s almost like Apple Music was better at NOT playing music then it was at making it play.
Imagine having ‘music’ in the name of your company and not allowing users to hear it. Christ!
Now this may have occurred for many reasons. It could have been because I didn't download the songs to my device (which I chose not to because I didn’t have a ton of storage on the trusty iPhone 5s), it could have been a bug on Apple’s end, or it could have been the devil himself.
At this point and time, there is no way to know who was behind this madness, but please sympathize with me as I tell you my experience driving to school each morning:
It’s 7:30 am. I’m late (as per usual).
I hate the mornings. Not only am I upset I have to go sit under fluorescent lighting for eight hours with a bunch of goons I don’t care about, but I have to listen to more goons lecture about things I don’t care about, call on me when I don’t have my hand raised then get upset when I don’t know the answer, get insulted, poked, prodded, while simultaneously getting all of my buttons pressed in the hallways and in the classroom by other students, get hissed at by a sweaty kid with multi-colored hair wearing a tail…
& a partridge in a pear tree.
WELCOME TO PUBLIC SCHOOL!
I am in a bad mood. It’s the morning and all I want to listen to is some 2014 Forest Hills Drive and vibe on the way to my own personal hell.
EXCEPT, it DOESN’T play. For the entire. Ride. To. School.
I fumble with my phone (while driving) (don’t try this at home) trying to figure out the problem.
Clear & close the app.
Reopen it.
Still doesn’t play.
Curse the Apple Music Gods!!!!
Restart my phone (that should do the trick)! Except it doesn’t.
APPLE MUSIC JUST SUCKS.
Do you see why this upsets me? Not only does all of that happen most of the time I use Apple Music, I am also a teenager with insane hormone levels, feeling everything in a very intense and passionate way (everything is the end of the world, duhhh).
oh. but it gets worse.
My mother starts hijacking my sacred playlists.
One thing about me is I need a playlist for every single mood I could possibly feel. I had one for happy vibes, sad vibes, vibe vibes, country vibes, & the list goes on.
Now I don’t listen to my country playlist often, but it was summer, the windows were down, my hair was blowing in the wind, I had my shades on, and I wanted to listen to some Kenny Chesney, SUE ME! When suddenly, I hear a song that I most certainly did not add. A country song that…I don’t like.
*GASP.
I’m sick.
My left eye starts twitching with anger.
I HAVE HAD ENOUGH.
the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Past Brooke was FED UP. Done.
I thought, I make my own money now (at the local trampoline park that had me work too long of shifts with not enough breaks) and it’s time for me to take matters into my own hands.
spotify, please save me, dear god.
There I was, pulled over on the side of the road, gasping for air, barely breathing, after I found out what my mother has done.
If she..started adding songs..to this playlist…that means…GASP! She’s taken over my other ones too. This has got to be the worst day of my life (it wasn’t) and I cannot have this a moment longer.
That day I made a vow that this would never happen to me EVER again. So I downloaded Spotify, attached MY debit card number to the account, and the rest is history.
So, Apple Music users, why should you care about Spotify?
Well, the answer is simple. If you have no interest in switching, then carry on. You can go ahead and use your mediocre streaming service that is probably attached to your parents’ credit card.
But if you’re ready to become a big kid and might even be SLIGHTLY interested in making the switch, let me attempt to persuade you.
why spotify: spotiwhy, if you will.
Spotify hit the market in 2008, paving the way for modern music streaming platforms. By securing licensing agreements with record labels, creating a ‘freemium’ model that offered multi-tier accounts with ads and ad-free, Spotify was able to market a user-friendly music streaming service with a wide catalog of music & convert people using the free version into paying customers.
Ultimately, the innovative Spotify brand gave the traditional music industry a run for it’s money, making music MORE accessible, EASY to use, and offered personalization features that other brands weren’t doing at the time.
they’re the world’s most used music streaming service for a reason….
An apple music user once told me that Spotify is the ‘android’ of music streaming services, at first I was baffled & wildly offended, but after doing some research, Android controls two thirds of the mobile market worldwide, so maybe it was a backhanded compliment.
the brand:
According to their website, Spotify’s mission is to:
“unlock the potential of human creativity—by giving a million creative artists the opportunity to live off their art and billions of fans the opportunity to enjoy and be inspired by it.”
What a mission statement! I must say, I’m a sucker for a good mission/vision statement. Not only that, but their signature green is more than just a color.
It’s strategy, science, & innovation beautifully baked into a perfect hex code.
for the non-art majors/minors, let me break this down for you.
It’s color theory.
Every color on the wheel is associated with different meanings, moods, feelings. We associate colors with certain emotions, like sadness with blue or anger with red. But it’s more than that. Yes, feeling sad is associated with blue, but so is trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, & depth.
When you look at brands like Mayo Clinic, Ford, even Facebook, they didn’t choose blue because it was pretty, they chose it because it has meaning that aligns with their brand, & they wanted to communicate that same meaning to their audiences.
So, what does this mean for Spotify’s signature green?
The Spotify brand uses a wonderfully simple color palette, green, black, & white. The black, perhaps it’s most used color, symbolizes sophistication, power, & elegance (only coming in dark mode, THANK YOU SPOTIFY)! The white provides contrast, it represents a fresh perspective and simplicity.
I appreciate when companies don’t overcomplicate their branding, at the end of the day, the color comes into play with the artists being able to choose their album’s cover art.
the green:
Like I said before, brands pick and choose their colors with extreme care. The color green may remind you of a lush landscape, growth, or some gross vegetables your mom made you eat growing up.
For Spotify, their bright & unmistakable green shouts from the rooftops:
INNOVATION! ENERGY! PASSION! DISCOVERY! DYNAMISM! ARTISTRY! YOUTH! LIFE! PROGRESS!
It’s not a wise forest green.
It’s not a soothing pale sage green.
It’s a bright, in your face, energetic, beautiful, unique shade of green.
Now that you know the background of the brand, let’s get into why I’m glad I made the switch.
spotify superiority:
the pros:
Largest catalog of music available
Features promote social media use (free advertising for Spotify)
Spotify Jams allow multiple you and your friends to add to one queue simultaneously
Incredibly user friendly, doesn’t have complicated features, excellent personalization
AI DJ!
Promotes upcoming artists on features Spotify playlists
Recommends new music based on listening habits
Algorithm favors artists, making it easy for them to get new listeners.
Free audiobooks included with Premium
Spotify Wrapped.
(just to name a few)
ai dj
My Spotify AI DJ knows me better than I know me.
AI DJ is a feature that personalizes a queue based on listening habits, listening history, and pushes recommendations it thinks the listener will like. I personally use AI DJ when I can’t decide what playlist to pick, and it always HITS!
I love him so much I want him to take me on a date.
Xavier, if you read this, call me.
calling all spotify users…
When I find out someone uses Spotify over Apple Music, I get a warm fuzzy feeling inside because it means that we can immediately connect about something. I always follow them and stalk their playlists.
I can tell so much about a person through their music library. If they make their own playlists or listen to pre-made ones by the app. What their playlists are called, if there are captions describing the vibe, & the songs weaved through them, if we listen to the same kind of music, how many playlists they have and how long they are, what their playlist covers look like, (I can keep going).
I can read you like a book when I get my grimy little fingers on your music profile (Spotify OR Apple Music). It’s like your music library reveals all of your secrets, I mean, my playlists certainly reveal some of mine.
welcome to my spotiverse:
I feel like a circus animal with my Spotify around here, it’s genuinely rare to find someone in the wild (South Dakota) who uses Spotify, so when I do, it’s a very special moment for me and there is an immediate unbreakable bond between us.
Spotify and Apple Music users, you can get to know all of my secrets here: (the public playlists only)
I currently have 172 playlists.
Yes. I know this is absurd, but it also means I spend quite a bit of time in the app. In 2023, I listened to 95,016 minutes of music. That’s like 65 days straight. I am aware that’s insane, but I love it :D !
I love how Spotify makes it easy for me to generate a new playlist. Like I said before, I NEED a playlist for every single one of my complex female moods.
They range from my favorite songs from my favorite artists, seasonal playlists, gangsta rap, guilty pleasure songs, karaoke songs, playlists made for other people (who don’t even use Spotify), orchestra pop covers, and so many more. Spotify will suggest songs that they think will fit the vibe by even just the title of your playlist, their algorithm is chefs kiss.
I’m going to link some of my most treasured, favorite, and meaningful playlists below. A lot of time and thought was put into making these absolutely perfect playlists, so explore them, discover a new song, and enjoy the show.
the best day of the year: spotify wrapped
It’s late November, I’m shaking in my boots, anxiously awaiting the arrival of perhaps the best marketing ploy in the game, Spotify Wrapped. Something about Spotify is they know how to generate buzz within their community.
They know it’s coming. We know it’s coming. & they build it up to be better each and every year.
I love when software or people tell ME about me. You’d THINK that I would be the one who knows me best, but I think my Spotify wrapped knows me better.
This is my audio aura. Why is it so accurate?! This is the personal touch that I was desperately searching for.
Spotify Wrapped keeps it real. Here’s what they have to say about it:
“Think of 2023 Spotify Wrapped as a celebration of the real, the realer, and the realest listening moments that defined our year. It’s the receipt that you’ll definitely want to keep—from the song you secretly couldn’t stop streaming to the artists and podcasts you weren’t shy to shout your unwavering admiration for. Keep scrolling to get an inside look into all things #SpotifyWrapped!”
Spotify Wrapped is one of my favorite days of the year because I get to learn about me and my listening habits, but more importantly, I get to learn about other people and their listening habits.
Yes. Apple Music has “Apple Rewind”, but it’s not nearly as much as an event as Spotify Wrapped is. It’s not an experience, it’s not shared as much, it’s not art. Its just…there. Not to mention they completely copied the idea from Spotify (and they also release it before Wrapped so they can at least have a fighting chance on social media).
If you want to join in on the fun that is Spotify Wrapped, it’s not too late to make the switch.
My wrapped has aged like fine wine.
These playlists just barely scratch the surface of my Spotiverse. BUT, I will say, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows on Spotify okay…I must admit…there are some areas of improvement.
spotify grievances:
They don’t allow me to have every single song I’ve ever added to my library in one place. There’s the ‘Liked Songs’ playlist, but I don’t want to add every single song to my liked songs, because some don’t deserve that clout. (Apple Music has this feature) Sometimes I want to be feral and listen to everything I’ve ever added so maybe I can discover a song I haven’t heard in years. I’ve managed to work my way around this issue by making playlists according to my age, like the iPod Brooke and High School Brooke playlists.
Shuffle is questionable…the algorithm pushes songs on your shuffle queue based on how recently you’ve listened to it. Basically, the songs you recently listen to will be pushed to the top of your queue, making it easy for songs you haven’t heard in a while to get buried in the depths of your Spotiverse, almost never to be heard of again…this makes me sad because I want my shuffle to push the forgotten songs, most of the time, that’s what I’m looking for!
Weird features: Spotify will occasionally have pop ups with weird features, like the one where you click a button and it gives you three songs based off of a prompt, or the time capsule (maybe I’ll appreciate this one in ten years…) but this isn’t useful for listeners like me.
Pitiful pay: Spotify pays $0.003-$0.005 per stream. This means an artist with 10,000 streams would only be making minimum wage…not cool. Apple Music gives $0.01 per stream to the artist, making it one of the top paying music streaming platforms.
Volume and Sound Quality: there have been many times where I wish Spotify played the music louder. Maybe it’s me losing my hearing, but I’m pretty sure this is a problem within the app.
The graphic design of Spotify Wrapped is almost always questionable and gets clowned on the internet (Spotify, if you’re reading this, I can help).
HERE YEE HERE YEE:
I do not tolerate Spotify slander UNLESS you have used the service and had a negative experience with it. I am ALLOWED to say Apple Music sucks because I had a very REAL and BAD experience with it. I’ve USED both, and made the switch because I HAD TO in order for me to enjoy listening to music. I do have some things about Spotify I would change, but I realize I can’t have it all.
brooke aden’s genius suggestion for spotify:
A dream of mine is to work for Spotify’s marketing team one day. (Spotify if you’re reading this, trust me, I have what it takes. Call me). I have a million dollar idea for the brand to make it a bigger and better experience all around.
brooke aden’s idea:
Make it easier for people to see what their Spotify friends are listening to, a Spotify Story, if you will.
I KNOW my snapchat and Instagram communities don’t care what song I’m vibing to extra hard to that day. If I could post a song I love extra that day on my Spotify Story to appear on the top of mine and my followers’ feeds, then maybe my Spotifollowers would feel more inclined to listen to the song right then and there since it’s within the same app. This would drive traffic to new artists, Spotify playlists, and Podcasts, making everyone happy. (I would totally put my Daylist on my Spotify Story…just saying).
convert your apple music playlists to spotify
quickly and easily:
TuneMyMusic allows you to make the switch with a few clicks, if you want to try something new, do it here:
food for thought
Apple Music beef aside, I think it’s important for you to understand what kind of listener you are before deciding to commit to dating a music streaming service. At the end of the day, you spend a lot of time in your preferred music app, and you should choose what’s best for you.
While I’d like to say I’m not biased since I did have a negative experience with Apple Music, I think I still might be.
I simply believe Spotify is superior and will preach this until the end of time.
Spotify, I love ya! (call me)
