YouTube Music
Free / Premium $11.99 per mo (or via YouTube Premium $15.99)
Apple Music
$10.99 per mo (no free tier)
YouTube Music adds YouTube's huge catalog of live versions, remixes, and covers, and is included free with YouTube Premium. Apple Music includes lossless and spatial audio and integrates tightly with Apple devices, at a slightly lower standalone price. YouTube Music wins for YouTube users and rare tracks; Apple Music wins on sound and Apple integration.
Pick YouTube Music if you watch a lot of YouTube (the Premium bundle is the win) or love live versions, remixes, and covers.
Pick Apple Music if you are on Apple devices and want lossless and spatial audio included at a slightly lower standalone price.
YouTube Music and Apple Music both stream the major-label catalog, but each has a distinct edge. YouTube Music taps YouTube's enormous library of live performances, remixes, covers, and rare uploads you will not find elsewhere, and crucially it comes included with YouTube Premium, so heavy YouTube viewers get it effectively for free. Apple Music includes lossless and spatial audio at no extra cost and is woven into iPhone, Mac, Apple Watch, and HomePod.
On price, Apple Music is $10.99 a month, while YouTube Music Premium is $11.99, or included in YouTube Premium ($15.99) which also removes YouTube video ads. The choice is mostly YouTube's catalog and the Premium bundle (YouTube Music) versus sound quality and Apple integration (Apple Music).
We compare price, catalog, sound quality, the YouTube Premium bundle, and ecosystem.
| Quick facts | YouTube Music | Apple Music |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes (ad-supported) | No (trial only) |
| Price | $11.99/mo (or $15.99 w/ Premium) | $10.99/mo |
| Unique catalog | Remixes, live, covers | Official tracks |
| Lossless / spatial audio | Limited | Included |
| Best for | YouTube users + rare tracks | Apple users + sound |
Each row reflects the feature on each product's current public release.
| Feature | Y YouTube Music | A Apple Music |
|---|---|---|
| Free ad-supported tier | Yes | No |
| Live versions, remixes, covers | Best-in-class | Limited |
| Lossless / spatial audio | Limited | Yes |
| Bundled with ad-free video | YouTube Premium | No |
| Tight Apple device integration | Limited | Best-in-class |
| Discovery & algorithm | Good | Good |
| Cross-platform apps | Good | Good |
| Offline downloads | Yes | Yes |
Pricing and features change often. Always verify the current details on each product's official site. Last reviewed 2026-06-22.
Things neither product's marketing page leads with.
YouTube Music is unbeatable for rare and live tracks and is free with YouTube Premium, but its sound options trail Apple Music.
Apple Music includes lossless and integrates beautifully with Apple gear, but has no free tier and is less useful outside Apple.
If you already pay for YouTube Premium, paying separately for Apple Music means buying music twice.
The average person juggles a dozen subscriptions and forgets at least one. Subkept is a privacy-first subscription tracker: add YouTube Music, Apple Music, and everything else, then get renewal reminders, price-hike alerts, and a clear monthly total, with no bank connection, ever. Free for up to 5 subscriptions, no time limit.
See how the price has moved