And that's especially true when not all headphones support Apple Music's lossless option, as Apple's wireless AirPods, even the AirPods Max, won't. That's not to say that headphones and speakers don't make a difference at standard resolution. The latter is true Hi-Res Audio, so you'd need a good pair of wired headphones to fully appreciate it. There are a couple of options for streaming higher-resolution music, ranging from “CD-quality” 16-bit/44.1kHz up to 24-bit/192kHz. This will change once Spotify HiFi eventually launches, though when it comes to resolution and bit rate, Apple Music's 'lossless' feature has Spotify beat.

Spotify streams songs at three different rates (~96 kbps, ~160 kbps and ~320 kbps) all in the Ogg Vorbis format, though the highest caliber is limited to paid Premium subscribers. Standard-quality Apple Music tracks are 256 kbps AAC files, the same format as tracks purchased from iTunes. Premium comparison for the full rundown of differences. However, Spotify's free option will interrupt your listening with recorded ads, as well as ads within the app, while paying for the Premium tier will get rid of both. The pricing for each Spotify and Apple Music is very similar, with one big difference: the former offers a free starting tier.

Plus: How to get an Apple Music student discount - get 50% off a monthly subscription.

Starting over? Here's how to delete your Spotify account.

Learn how to transfer Spotify playlists to Apple Music.

Spotify face-off will compare both services as they currently stand, to find out if Spotify remains king or if Apple Music deserves your subscription instead.

The rival Spotify HiFi was announced well before this, but has yet to actually materialize. Apple has made big strides in improving its library and feature set, including the addition of both spatial audio and lossless audio in June 2021.

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